ISIS / ISIL / DAESH - Terror & Death

Daesh is an acronym for the Arabic phrase "al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham" (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - ISIL). It's another word for ISIS - but apparently one that ISIS militants dislike because it is similar to the Arabic words 'Daes', 'one who crushes something underfoot' and 'Dahes', translated as 'one who sows discord'.

The world is full of discord, conflicting & mis information, pain, sadness, fear & death. It isn't surprising that many see this as the "end of days". 

Matthew 24:7 - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. The concept of an apocalypse is known by Jews, Christians, 7th day Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses & Muslims.

Islamic eschatology is the branch of Islamic scholarship that studies Yawm al-Qiyāmah (pronounced yome-ul-key-ah-mah; Arabic: يوم القيامة‎ "the Day of Resurrection") or Yawm ad-Dīn (pronounced yome-ud-dean; يوم الدين "the Day of Judgment").^[1] This is believed to be the final assessment of humanity by God (Allah), consisting of the annihilation of all life, resurrection and judgment.

The capacity of man to kill, maim & torture fellow human beings goes back to the earliest times. It seems to be inherent within us, but usually dormant until triggered by events. We seem to have the capacity to do unspeakable things & worse, justify them to ourselves, usually through religious belief.

The problem is that when something like Paris happens we are shocked into an emotional reaction & can easily behave in a way which exacerbates the situation. For example, while I understand the Tricoleur campaign on Facebook & the singing of the Marsellaise, I think on reflection they were ill advised.

We should respond to all killing of innocent people in an evenhanded way. Civilians, women and children have been dying appallingly in the hotspots of the world for years now. Europe & the West hasn't exactly stood shoulder to shoulder with them in the same way. Look at the mis management of the refugees by Europe. Killing non combatants is unacceptable wherever it happens. We should make that clear. Otherwise it looks as if we only think that killing Westerners is important.

At least 210,000 Afghan, Iraqui & Pakistani people have died in those conflicts.
At least 220,000 Syrians have died in their civil war.

What happened in France is tragic and dreadful. It is the act of brainwashed criminals. But, it should be seen as part of a whole & put in context.