The unending trail of terror attacks across the world particularly in Europe and West and South Asian countries including the Indian sub-continent is a dreadful bane of contemporary civilized society.
The terrorists have been on killing spree enacting horrible terror attacks on the peaceful citizens without much exception and the current scenario is the biggest challenge for the entire humanity.
While India is the worst victim of terrorism sponsored by the her neighbor Pakistan, developing world has now faces the heat of such terrorism for which India has been warning for this monstor for decades but the world leaders neglected now paying huge price. There is no mistaking the fact that Europe, which was considered one of the most tranquil destinations for tourists, is now in the grip of violence and terror and is fast ceasing to be a tourist heaven. Every now and then innocent bystanders, shoppers and sightseers are targeted in some country or another raising a fear psychosis in the entire region. The latest incident, a shooting spree at a Munich shopping centre in Germany on Friday in which at least 10 people were killed, including one terrorist, was attributed to three armed suspects one of whom fell victim to the terror attack.
The rampage comes a month after a teenage asylum seeker went on a stabbing spree on a regional train, also in Germany. The suspicion was that these were the handiwork of the infamous IS (Islamic State) which has been fuelling terror across Europe and boasting gleefully that it is the one that is behind such incidents. While Europe, in general, has been on alert for terrorism in the face of a string of attacks, Germany had so far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist terror seen in France. The train attacker was a ‘lone wolf' evidently inspired by the Islamic State terror group but was not a member. On 14 July, at least 84 people died in the truck attack for which IS claimed responsibility.
Europeans in general are questioning the wisdom of allowing thousands of refugees from Syria and other Islamic destinations, to take refuge in their countries for humanitarian reasons. While many are genuinely oppressed people running away from the fire and fury of Islamic State, there are many others who in the garb of refugees are diehard criminal minds who are taking advantage of the exodus into Europe to unleash a wave of crime and persecution on the locals. Many governments in Europe are in the line of fire of peace-loving citizens who blame their respective governments for laxity in preventing terror incidents and failure to combat terror.
The exit of United Kingdom from the European Union combined with fears of terror strikes have robbed Europe of the sheen that the region had in the minds of tourists. While some favourite tourist destinations like Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria are still free of terror it would perhaps not be long before the ugly face of terror hits these countries too. All said and done, Europe faces stupendous challenges — economic as well as security threats.
Civil society in European countries is now awakening to the reality. Even in the US it is a sign of the times that more and more people are getting drawn towards a contender for the Presidency who is seeking to block the entry of an entire race — the Muslims — into the country. The world is indeed moving in a direction that appears to point to dangerous portents. But, arguably, it is also inevitable as the patience is losing with every passing day.
