Terrorism
The mere mention of the word terrorism is enough to attract the attention of everyone who heard it. Terrorism today draws more attention than disease, famine, poverty, and many other devastating calamities in the world. It is derived from the word terror, which is the one thing terrorists have managed to create in many parts of the world when they attack. There are different types of terrorists including religious extremists, criminal and political terrorists, just to mention a few. The issue of states funding terrorism and harboring such groups has been a major source of conflict between nations, especially between the west and the middle eastern Muslim countries. Hamas, Al-Quida, and the Taliban are considered the biggest terrorist groups currently, while Bin Laden remains the most sought-after man in the fight against terrorism.
Terrorists love publicity and have managed to get the media’s attention through their incomprehensible inhuman acts. They use fear to gain publicity and ensure everyone is aware of their existence, something they have achieved by attracting huge media coverage. It is almost impossible to go a day without the mention of the word terrorism in the media. Analysts argue that the media is terrorists’ biggest weapon, using it to publicize their cause and attract more young and naive people to their groups.
The sight of smiling terrorists on videos posted on the internet, some in nice cars and some operating very sophisticated technologies, are not only appealing but are also seducing to the young people, who view the position as a state of power. Rebellious ambushes are easily accessible on the internet and so are terrorism training DVDs. The sight of easily available jihadist DVDs in the markets and ways through which they reach the media, clearly demonstrates how the media and terrorism are so entangled together to the point where it would be impossible to extricate them. Scenes featuring how to use technology to achieve high-quality videos make terrorism look so normal and easily acceptable among young people.
For the cases that have ended up in courts, the majority of them end up in plea bargains. According to the state, the terrorists are offered pleas and in return, they offer the state information about terrorism and other related crimes. Despite the explanations, many people believe that in such cases, the defendants do not serve as much punishment as they should. In cases where pleas bargain has been offered so far, there seems to have been less information offered as would have been initially expected. The government should therefore find other ways to get information other than letting criminals get away with acts that cost many people their lives, health, security, joy, and peace.
Many questions arise over the role of media in promoting terrorism. The amount of coverage terrorists receive allows them to cause as much panic as possible and attract the attention of other extremist groups, who may be easily persuaded to join them. The media’s access to terrorism crime scenes is also viewed as a challenge to comprehensive investigations. The continued relationship between the two has even been viewed as one of complicity, where the media also benefits by attracting a bigger audience from terrorist activities coverage. The media is however in a tight spot as far as the issue is concerned, since it is also their responsibility to inform the world of what is happening and of anything that may pose as a danger to their security.
Tunisia
The country of Tunisia is currently in a political mess. There has been growing unrest in the recent past arising from constant demands for the resignation of their president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The protestors, many of them unemployed graduates, called for the resignation of the president, who they claim has done nothing to create jobs but has instead continued to enrich his family. The country has for a long time been considered among the most modernized in Africa, and also among the most repressive states due to police states and too much government surveillance.
In the midst of all the struggles, the former government blamed the current state of affairs in the country on Muslim radicals, who have capitalized on the people’s frustrations over the high levels of unemployment. Analysts however differ with the accusations, pointing out that there has been no mention of a certain religion or religious activities throughout the protests. The Muslim community has thoroughly condemned the accusations, calling them insulting.
Even as calm seems to resume in the nation, fears still linger over the country’s lack of a solid strategy to deal with current problems. The current change of power seems to work well but it is only temporary. All eyes are now on the interim president, Fouad Mebazaa, to see what kind of a unity government he will form. Meanwhile, all the Islamic party leaders exiled in the former regime are returning home. They are said to have big intentions of rekindling their movement, an issue feared as a security concern if not handled properly. For now, the world will be waiting to see what their role is in the future of Tunisia.