This morning, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in the Belgian capital of Brussels in which over 30 people have been confirmed murdered and over 250 injured, the ABC has been searching, forlornly, for answers.
It has been reported that the suburb of Mollenbeek, which was the home base for several of the Paris Attack organisers last year, and the district in which one of them was caught late last week, is poor compared to its wealthy surroundings, and experiences a high level of unemployment. It may seem hard to believe, but some people think this arrest of the Paris attacker may be linked to the latest bombing.
One ABC reporter also reminded us that many “people” from Belgium have travelled to and returned from Syria, and are well trained in bomb making as a result. Belgium has struggled to integrate its migrants into its society, perhaps more so than any other country in Europe, which, strangely, has led to its high proportion of “foreign fighters” in Syria.
The ABC has also speculated on the political division in Belgium, between the Flemish and French speaking regions, which has consistently made Belgium on of the most divided and violent places in Europe during its 70 years of so-called independence since 1945.
Possibly, Islamicstate, always said as one word and always said very quickly, has been able to exploit the deep division and inequity inherent to Belgian society, and given the marginalised an ideological agenda to unite them. (A website affiliated with the group has claimed responsibility).
An image of three men with dark hair, suspected to be the attackers, is being displayed regularly.
As we all know, there has not been enough communication between government and security agencies in France and Belgium, which, even though they knew this was coming, meant that they were “blindsided” and easily overwhelmed by “these people.”
Apparently, Donald Trump has said something outrageous and inflammatory on a US talk show and has been rightly condemned.
Political leaders appear “united” in proclaiming that we must remain “united” in the face of these attacks. After all, this is a “global” problem and an attack on “all of us”. The reason these attacks have taken place is because the attackers hate our way of life, and hate us for who we are. What this way of life is, and who we are, exactly, remains unclear. An independent bipartisan committee is expected to submit its preliminary report making a best guess on these factoids some time in 2019.
Malcolm Turnbull reassured us that we learn more and more about the methods of the attackers every time one of these attacks takes place.
It is clear that the cause of these attacks is multilayered and multifaceted. It is such a complex issue that there cannot possibly be one single factor which unites the scourge of terrorism across the world. The main task for all of us is to reinvigorate our sense of community, of tolerance and understanding, to strive to comprehend the other. We must all take responsibility for our part in this tragedy, as we all share an interest in making the world a better place.
Bulldust………