HANOVER, GERMANY – It is crucially important to remember that not all jihadis are wild-eyed guys with beards: anyone can become a terrorist.
It would not surprise me in the least to learn that if I were to ask 100 people at random what a terrorist ‘looks like’ 99 would say something along the lines of ‘a man with a swarthy complexion and a beard’. This describes, for the most part, a jihadi and we have long assumed, especially after 9/11, that Arab-looking men with beards typify the terrorist ‘look’.
This is of course not true. While it is accurate that jihadis still account for 99% of all terrorist attacks worldwide, they are not all Arab men with beards. Al Shabaab in Somalia and Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) are black Africans, few with beards. So jumping to stereotypes is rarely a good idea.
Today’s featured attack is a good reminder of all this.
On this day in 2016
A 15-year old girl stabbed and seriously wounded a German police officer in the neck at the central station in Hanover. Officials later said the attack was Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired.
The attack took place after the girl was brought back from Syria by her mother: she had wanted to join ISIS and stayed in touch with the group upon her return. Almost a year later a court sentenced her to six years in prison.
Allah bless our lions who carried out an operation in Paris yesterday.
Text by 15-year old after November 2015 Bataclan/Stade de France attack.
A 15-year old ISIS wannabe! And I am fairly certain she was clean-shaven.
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