Understanding must be our weapon of choice to beat terrorism, whether in Brussels or Lahore

Some commentators say there is no real reason to worry because, statistically, in developed countries you are 400 times more likely to be killed in a car accident than by a terrorist. But terror is, of course, terrifying – that’s the aim. Much more important, Western media are preoccupied with the West and themselves fail to connect the dots and understand that the challenge of the Islamic threat is global. Islamic terrorists targeted Christians in their attack on a park in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sunday and killed at least 70 people. Let’s not forget that terrorist attacks have become part of daily life in Afghanistan and large parts of the Middle East, especially Syria, with women and children, teachers, people with a different view of God or even of Islam being killed or maimed.

Riot police clash with far-right hooligans as Brussels attacks vigil turns ugly

Brussels was known to be a terrorist tinder-keg waiting for a spark. There was an abundance of recent warnings of impending atrocity. In June, Turkey detained and deported one of the two brother bombers in last week’s suicide attack on Brussels airport. Turkey warned the Belgian authorities that he was a “foreign terrorist fighter”. That should have set alarm bells ringing. Clearly, it did not. Nor did links of the Paris terrorists of November to a base in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek.

Brussels bombings expose Europe’s stark choice between security and freedoms

It took months before Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam was finally picked up in Brussels on March 18. Why, with so many fingers pointing at the Belgian terrorist bases, didn’t other European authorities and Interpol lend a hand?

The danger now is of knee-jerk reactions driven by narrow-minded politicians. There will be calls for smothering new security checks at airports and subway stations, for Big Brother to be omnipresent, and for all immigrants to be banned.