1. There is a world beyond the happy ending
Terroristshave leftthe worldreeling.Idon’tmeanjustlastweek,orthe twoweeksagoor thisyear
or 14 years ago,there isn’ta time limitonthisone;terrorismhasbeenworkingsince time
immemorial.Human beingsare remarkable though,we don’tstayscared.Unfortunately,tragedy
remindsusthat we have compartmentalisedFear,how we’ve pushedittothe back of our minds.
Societyremindsuswhatwe were afraidof.
RecentlyFrenchPresidentFrancoisHollande hassaidwe must “destroy”the IslamicState in
response toterrorattacks. Unfortunately, thereisaninherentviolenceinthe rhetoricsurrounding
these events thatmakessubsequentsecuritystrategydehumanisingandpower-centric.This will
have a negative impactondefeatingterrorismbecause of the narrative formedaroundISIS.
Narratives
Have you evertriedtoexplainhow‘soandso’saidsomething terriblebutyoujustcan’tremember
whoit was?A friendmighthelpfullyremindyouthatyouwere in the librarythe day youfirsttold
himsomeone saidsomethinghilarious.Another,mightsayshe wassure that youpointedto
someone with redhair.Wait,didn’thername beginwithH?It mighthave done.Well the onlygirl
whoname beginswithH, who hasred hair,and wasat the library,thateveryone remembersseeing,
was Hannah.So itwas probablyHannah.
The situation above isarguablysimilartohow I thinknarrativessurroundingeventscanbe shapedin
society.It’snotillogical,itmaybe true andthere are witnessestothe fact Hannahwas presenton
the day. However,thatdoesn’tmeanthatthe person toldyousomethingawfulwasHannahfor
sure,itmeansthat it suitseveryone toletitbe Hannah. Inthe grandscheme of thingsthough,it
doesn’tmatterif itwas Hannahor not,whatpeople are supposedtobe gettingoutof this
interactionisthatthere isa story to be heard. Likewise,whenpeopletalkof the attackson Paris
there isa fear that ISISison our bordersandin our countryand that we’re losingabattle against
them.There isno conceptof theirsize andreal capabilities,whotheyare andwhattheyare tryingto
achieve.
130+ people were killedandmore injuredonFridaynightinParis. We foundaSyrianpassportand
the identityof aFrenchnational whowasundersurveillanceforaffiliationwithradical Islamist
groups.ISIS is a groupthat wantsto eradicate cultural depravitybydestroyingthe West,theysay
theydidit.Our governmenthassaidthe securitythreatishigh,if ithappenedinFrance whynot
here?
The linkbetweenthe factssurroundingbotheventsisthatthere isone straightfact:Someone told
me somethingterrible/people were indiscriminatelymurdered inanattackinParis.Everythingelse
iscontingentonhowpeople wishtopiece thingstogether.Itisa narrative constructedbysociety.It
isnot wrong,it isnot illogical,butitcan be manipulatedtoachieve the aimsof anyone involved.
The constructionof narrativeshasbeencrucial to bothterroristsand governments.
For governmentsitiseasiertouse the name IslamicState of Iraq andSyria/the LevantorevenDaesh
because itisnow familiartothe publicanditalso specifiesacertaingeographical areaand
organizationof like-mindedpeople.Stateswillingtodemonstrate the use of force cantherefore
have a target and definitive goal toshowthe publicthatthe countriesresourcesare beingputto
gooduse. Groupingtogetherinsurgentsof Middle Eastern originoraffiliationas the ISIScollective

2. can have potentiallydamagingeffectshowever,andcanalterstrategiesandtacticsthat we as
citizensof resource-richnationsvote for.
ISISwas conceivedunderthe maxim‘myenemy’senemyismyfriend’.Asaconsequence topolitical
vacuumsmade in Iraqfollowedby Syria, those thathadsufferedfirstautocraticrule andthenan
agendadrivenmilitaryinterventionfinallysaw achance at makingtheirownway. However,the only
route to political poweristogaina following andwhenthere isnostate,noinfrastructure to
supporta politicsthenpoliciesare of nouse.Exploitingthe existingtensionsbetween religious sects
howevercreatedapath towardpolitical allianceswithsurroundingstates.ISIS’saffiliationtothe
Sunni sectof Islam ensuredthatSunni Muslims whowere againstthenwouldbe shunnedbyany
Shiafollowing.A competitive political environmentwascreatedandpowercouldbe channelled.
You can tell thatIslamwas notthe drivingideologyinthe rise of ISISbecause of how theyhave
chosenwhentouse it. Inthe beginningtheyrequiredtensionstoexertinfluenceandcreate a
following.Now,theyhave reversedthis,theywishtobe knownasthe IslamicState,period.Theyare
nowall inclusive.Butdoyousee the 1.5 billionMuslimsallyingwithIS?No.Sotheyhave
demonstratedtechniquestoinscribe fearintothe heartsof those withintheirreachandletisolated,
mentallydisturbed,abusedpeople aroundthe worldpassitforward. Indiscriminately,Imightadd.
There were noregisters of whowasin eachvenue thatwas attackedinParis,there were Muslims
presentandtheyhave grieved. Like the divide createdbetweenShiaand Sunni,ISwantMuslims
againstNon-Muslims.Evenif Muslimsdonotagree with ISeventuallysocietywill nolongeraccept
thembecause of fear.
Focusingonsimilaritiesbetweennations,ethnicitiesandgroupscreatesunity;afocus on powerand
control only createsdivisions. It’sachoice to believe inanarrative anda directionforaction. You
lightupnational monumentsred,whiteandblue,butonthe same day youdon’thighlightterrorof
all the otherpeople sufferingthe same fate asParis.Youpreach humanrights,thenyouerectfences
for fearof allowinginterroristsasif theyexistonlyoutsideEUborders.Youare focusedon control
and IS gainingpower;youare creatingdivisions;youare makingthemstronger.