Running Head: The War Against Terrorism Continues: Paris Attacks

The War Against Terrorism Continues: Paris Attacks

Carina Perea
The University of Texas at El Paso

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

Introduction
Terror is everywhere, that is a fact. But is it strong enough to push people down to the point
of quitting their hunger for justice? Is it strong enough to manipulate individuals for money and
power in a community? Is it strong enough to make fellow believers strike each other out no
matter the innocence? These are the questions people continue to ask today about what really is
terror now. Due to the previous events in Paris regarding the Charlie Hebdo cartoons and the
Terror attacks in return. There have been many controversies and opinions on the matter. Some
being like the following:
A. What other reasons besides Charlie Hebdo might have caused the attacks on Paris?
B. Has terrorism extinguished the freedom of press and or media? and
C. Why were not only Jewish but also other Muslims targeted by the attackers who swore to
represent them?
The following Literacy Review will go on to explore the questions listed above, from
different points of view presented by victims, journalists, religious believers, and even politics.
Using observation of different sources and a primary survey done by the Pew Research Center
where they state that everything is justified. Below
is the survey representing the level of worry
shown in individuals about the attacks? This
survey comes in hand with each question by
showing the different opinions presented about the
matter and how they are true to the percentages
shown as results.

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What other reasons besides Charlie Hebdo might have caused the attacks on Paris?

Most individuals have believed that the only reason behind the attacks on Paris have been
the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, but really would someone go to the scale of killing to stand up for
their religion? Or may there be something else involved in the sudden outbreak of terror on
Paris? According to Time Inc.s article Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: These Terrorist Attacks Are Not
about Religion many Celebrity Muslims have been on speed dial with the media to once again
explain why Islam has nothing to do with the attacks. The article states that religion should never
be about violence, it should be about living humbly and having a moral life to promote tolerance
and friendship. According to the Islamic religion, it is based on exactly that and not violence in
any shape or form. Violence committed in the name of religion is never about religionits
ultimately about money is exactly what the article states in the matter of what the attacks were
really about. Believers of the Islamic religion actually come out and say that the terrorists are just
perverting the Quran and have been drones manipulated by a greater power who is only looking
for money. Now, many may be wondering how it is that one can gain money out of this. Well,
according to the article since the attacks of 9-11 didnt seem to work on pushing us down, and
other attacks werent as effective either. The terrorist were only looking to get a few admirers
willing to join and make their organization greater.
Is religion really worth to further mention as the fault of terrorism? Or is it simply
business? It is fact that actually these terrorists or disguised thugs, as the article states them to be,
are actually going against the very religion they imply to represent making them thieves
disguised as believers.

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

Power might have also been a key factor in the reason for these attacks, because terrorist
first need power in order to make people listen. According to Local Terrors article called
Frances Support for Terrorism, Reason for Paris Attack, it is determined that many were
previously predicting the events because there were supporters or attention towards the terrorists.
Going back to the cartoons, giving the political view and attention the terrorist decided to take
advantage of the spotlight. The article states this by saying you must not support terrorists or
give them political cover, or else this will impact your countries and your peoples
This new assumption or fact, may be a huge reason why the survey states that most
people are more afraid of a new war. Reason being that war has always been proved to be best
for economy. Economy needs money, and lately America has been lacking in that department,
due to debt many Americans believe it is why America has become so nave towards certain
events and towards other countries. Perhaps this is why America has decided to stand their
ground before actually doing something about the attacks, if America is targeted that is certainly
something the people are most concerned about. What is not thought of is that the United States
must first be attacked before a war is declared, and as shown in the survey above, many people
fear of another attack like 9-11. These opinions go hand in hand viewing the past occurrences.
First there was the attack and later was a declaration of war, two of the biggest fears individuals
have today regarding terrorism.
Has terrorism extinguished the freedom of the press and or media?

For many years we have been exposed to aggressive behavior from neighboring countries
and even our own. That has not been able to make journalists run away from the idea of mud
racking the worlds drama. That perhaps has changed due to the certain events where Paris was

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

attacked by the terrorists in a more personal matter. According to an article by the name of Paris
terror attack: Journalism is under fire written by Howard Kurtz, todays courageous journalism
is now under attack. In the article Kurtz makes an effort to explain whether or not the freedom of
the press is actually worth it anymore. He states this by presenting the fact that journalists
around the world will engage in self-censorshipthey will pull back on aggressive reporting
some will ask themselves, is this worth the risk? the question perhaps now is, is it easier to just
let this go? If that is the case will the world, specifically Americans, know what it is that is going
on around the world. Will people be informed in time in case something does happen at a greater
scale that the Paris attacks?
In the article Will Journalism Suffer After the Paris Attack? written by Jonathan Masters,
he continues to second the fact that the freedom of the press has changed. He states by saying
that terrorism news should not be something to be intimidated about, but at this point safety is a
matter of concern. He also writes about some different opinions presented on the matter by
saying that Some have criticized and choose not to republish the controversial cartoons
Meanwhile, others have said that republishing would only incite further violence. In the article
he continues to explain how different opinions are available but that has not made journalist shy
away from the willingness to report on the effects of terrorism.
Countries have also had their fair share of opinions on the matter. By stating that certain
topics like religion should have special protection, because laws restricting freedom of speech,
art, and further forms of expression are against what we believe today as our human rights. Many
continue to believe that although journalist have been presented to be at risk, they will continue
to fight for the next big story even if more protection and safety is needed. Now, before the Paris
attacks journalists new how at risk they could be but never really thought it would come through.

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

According to these statistics presented by Le Monde regarding the front-page cartoons, the press
was not afraid to touch on fragile subjects like politics and religion to further offend Islam. Does
this mean that the journalists were playing a little too much with fire? Thus, causing the question
of whether or not we will continue to receive the same stories that we have been receiving from
France since 2005.
Why were not only Jewish but also other Muslims targeted by the attackers who swore to
represent them?
From what is understood till this day about Islamic terrorism, we have come to the
conclusion that this religion is one that is not going to be respected nor understood. According to
the article Muhammad, Islam, and Terrorism written in 2000, there is many Muslims who have
their different sites on what it is to be known as terrorism even today. There is those Muslims
that recall on being peaceful and have no part in
the attacks whatsoever, there is those more
educated who simply do not agree and predict a
different future for their religion. Of course there is
those Muslims who choose to be the salvation
for their religion in releasing such acts as the ones
Paris recently encountered. They believe that
everyone, no matter who you may be, must follow
under their religion and if not must be terminated. This was the assumption for many while these
terrors had been going on and still today. Well this termination would not only include foreigners
who followed Christianity but oddly enough those of Jewish and Muslim religions. Why would
they decide to terminate those who they swore they would represent?

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

Lets begin with why there is Islamic terrorism in the first place. Many of the Islamic
religion have been linked to also be a part of terrorism attacks, or at least followers of the belief
for the last twenty or so years. This has been further analyzed and it is believed that Allah
gives the attackers sanction to kill millions of people who are their enemies. You could perhaps
concluded that Muslims, perform violent acts of terror for the sake of Islam. Now, if we take a
further look into what the religion inflicts on its followers, it is nothing to have been evolved into
terror itself. According to The Life of Muhammad, page 212, by A. Guillaume, the prophet states
that he has "allowed them to fight only because they have been unjustly treated while their sole
offense against men has been that they worship God. Many religions have been victims of this
sort of discrimination, many prophets have been jailed and mistreated because of their beliefs.
What is different about this prophets anger, is when he continues on to state Fight them so that
there be no more seductionuntil no believer is seduced from his religion And the religion is
God's Until God alone is worshipped."
At the end of the quote it is mentioned that those who do not worship Allah must be
killed. Therefore, we go back to a previous point where many Muslims admit to not worshiping
the same beliefs as those of Islamic terrorism. Thus, causing their termination?
In the Paris attacks that occurred there were both Jewish and Muslim victims. The public
is still in confusion about who is really to blame for Charlie. In an article called In Pariss
Muslim Suburbs, Some Blame Jews for Charlie published by the Daily Beast, they state that
many Muslims joined outside Paris to make a memorial in honor of the victims, but were not
satisfied with who the fault belonged too. It was all stagedIt was a conspiracy designed by the
Jews to make Muslims look bad is what the article shows of what Muslims actually thought of
the whole situation. Perhaps Islamic terrorists went on to make Jews victims because there

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religion says something like un complot, or conspiracy. Apparently there was actually
magical Jews behind everything. They were not ordinary Jewsbut a hybrid race of shape
shifters who have extraordinary abilitiesThey are master manipulators.
Conclusion
Where Islamic terrorist really representing anyone? Or were the attacks all just banter.
Perhaps there was another reason why Islamic terrorist decided to make an uprising for their
religion, whatever may be involved whether it was money, power, or absolute insanity.
Terrorism is something that will continue to be a war. And many times the victims will be those
who believe they are being stood up for, when really they are just a cover. A cover that will
continue to be questioned by those who make a living out of a risky determination to whether or
not they shall release news. If this war is ours to fight is another question. After all, Muslims
state that Americans are very nave, they do not realize what there government is doing they
are out to get power and money, they always have been. Perhaps Americans and Islamic
terrorist think the same? Perhaps our journalists have no mercy on expressing their own attacks
through the media. Well, it is a longshot to mention but according to Silas, terror is everywhere.
There are Communist terrorists, capitalist terrorists, and even in America, there are gangs,
groups, and governments who operate like terrorists.

War Against Terrorism: Paris Attacks

Annotated Bibliography
Clarke, D. (2015, January 16). Frances Support for Terrorism, Reason for Paris Attack.
Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.localterror.com/frances-support-forterrorism-reason-for-paris-attack/
Jabbar, K. (2015, January 9). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: These Terrorist Attacks Are Not About
Religion. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://time.com/3662152/kareem-abdul-jabbarparis-charlie-hebdo-terrorist-attacks-are-not-about-religion/
Kennedy, D. (2015, January 15). In Pariss Muslim Suburbs, Some Blame Jews for Charlie.
Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/jihadfanboys-in-the-paris-burbs.html
Kurtz, H. (2015, January 7). OPINION: Paris terror attack: Journalism is under fire | AllSides.
Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.allsides.com/news/2015-01-080630/opinion-paris-terror-attack-journalism-under-fire
Masters, J. (2015, January 12). Will Journalism Suffer After the Paris Attack? Retrieved March
28, 2015, from http://www.cfr.org/media-and-foreign-policy/journalism-suffer-afterparis-attack/p35952
Muhammad, Islam, and Terrorism. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from
http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/terrorism.htm
Terrorism Worries Little Changed; Most Give Government Good Marks for Reducing Threat.
(2015, January 12). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from

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http://blogs.usembassy.gov/laselectiondelambassade/terrorism-worries-little-changedmost-give-government-good-marks-for-reducing-threat/
Understanding cartoons. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
http://www.understandingcharliehebdo.com/