I’m watching the horror unfold in the U.K. once again. Well, they’re calling it horror….I’ve yet to see any evidence. But the Bobbies are in full warfare regalia and ready to take down whatever comes down? This time, London is the target once again and while the investigation is still early and not all that much is known in terms of what’s happening. I’ve heard unconfirmed reports of a car running over people, the inhabitants getting out and stabbing people and there have been gunshots.
FOX started calling it Islamic terrorism right off the bat. Everyone else is calling it an “event of some sort”,
Please! These these aren’t the antics of pissesd off Lutheran Missouri Synod members.
I watch all these attacks over too many years and I still wonder what makes these dreadful people do what they do, believe what they do. What the hell is it with Religion and terrorism? London is no stranger to deadly religious zealot. Remember the IRA?
So, despite obvious geological, religious and even ethnic differences. what’s the what’s the difference between the Irish Republican Army and ISIS?
Helluva question.
I remember being in High School (news geek that I was then) and being absolutely horrified by the actions of Irish terrorists carried out in the name of Catholicism, well sort of. . I was raised Catholic and I was repulsed. Other Catholics, family and friends, even our priest condemned the bombings as acts of terror and ‘murder. Catholicism had nothing to do with it. The perpetrators just happened to be mostly Catholics. That didn’t make their actions any less heinous.
I don’t know which is older—-The Irish Republican Army had little to do with religion. In fact, Unlike ISIS, whose existence is predicated on strict religious tenets, the IRA’s fight was never religious. Ironically, the IRA fought for principles that ISIS finds abominable: human rights and equality.
The IRA never wanted a Catholic state, nor to purge the country of non-Catholics. It was quite the opposite, really, with its main objective was to expel a foreign force that had openly engaged in anti-Catholicism: Catholics in Northern Ireland had substandard education, scant employment opportunities and saw many of their rights eliminated. The IRA’s primary goal was to force the British to negotiate a withdrawal from Northern Ireland, using guerrilla tactics against the British Army with lots and lots of bombings. And they bombed and killed a British Royals, too.
As for the terror that been compelling Islamist extremist to “misbehave” these days is probably as old but the how’s and why’s aren’t as clear-cut. They’ve been killing different sects within their own religion for eons,
But let’s be real honest here, no one can or will ever proclaim Islam or Catholicism as pacifist religions. I can cite a long laundry list of senseless murderous attacks s to prove my point for both religions AND. for both religions, the question then become under what circumstances is the use of force is moral and justly applicable?
Do they even care?.
Ranking authorities in both faiths have denounced terrorism, whether by the Irish Republican Army and related groups made up of some Catholics..some merely pro-Catholic or by extremist minority Muslims in factions like the ISIS, but then they’ll go conduct some bullshit terror attack on a soft target a few days later. ISIS must mean relentless in some language somewhere.
Yeah, with both were formed with religious identity has been merged with power, politics, and ethnic solidarity.
Are there differences? Aye. The IRA pretty much ended their era of death with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement’s power-sharing between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. ISIS? Still, active even as of an hour ago. Islamic terrorism and IT IS Islamic terrorism is an ongoing, large, well-organized and seemingly ineradicable movement, especially where democracy is limited. ISIS also covers more territory : Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen, Syria, the Philippines, Lebanon, Libya and apparently, in parts of London as well.
They do seem to have a jones for the U.K. though. Three horrific attacks in as many weeks!!! Can we expect another MOAB anytime soon, Donnie? I’d say ready aim, fire!!!
Getting back to thecrux of the post, unlike ISIS, whose existence is predicated on strict religious tenets, the IRA’s fight was never really religious. Ironically, the IRA fought for principles that ISIS finds abominable: human rights and equality. ISIS wants a caliphate…an Islamic state. The IRA never wanted a Catholic state, nor to purge the country of non-Catholics. Quite the opposite, its main objective was to expel a foreign force that had openly engaged in anti-Catholicism: Catholics in Northern Ireland had substandard education, scant employment opportunities and saw many of their rights eliminated.
Other similarities include their minions. Supporters for the IRA and the Islamic both represent minorities in divided communities. The IRA’s support base lies in Northern Ireland’s Catholic/Nationalist community, whilst in Iraq the so-called Islamic State draws support from the minority Sunnis. Speaking of ISIS has succeeded in convincing Sunnis, who are oppressed by the Shiite governments of Iraq and Syria, that they have taken up their cause. They get willingly brainwashed and believe the warped version of religion shoved down their throats and then that makes them myopic jihadis zombies, pawns and shills all at once.
But there’s one other very significant difference between the NRA and ISIS. The NRA we’re no angels by any means, but by and large they didn’t didn’t normally videotape the beheadings of their victims, throw homosexuals from tall buildings, stone women or place infidels in a cages with tigers. And they were civil was war mongers go. Like the Israeli army currently does, the IRA , would often issue warnings before a bombing.
But does that offer solace to a mother who lost her son in the process–arranged bombing? It doesn’t matter.
So, really, if the question asked is there a difference between the IRA and ISIS, then the answer is yes, in that the IRA is no more, but the answer to the question is also no. If in the end game, elimination of all enemies is the main goal, what’s the difference?
And if I want a MOAB to blow the hell out of every ISIS mainstay on the planet, then I guess that makes me a one woman terror organization.
