Terrorist Attack at a Concert Hall in Manchester
A Fundamental Resolution Requires The Power of Mercy
Key points in this article:
- 22 people were killed in a terrorist attack just after a concert in the U.K.
- Islamic State has stated that the attack was against Manchester’s “crusaders”
- Mercy is needed to solve the root cause of this issue
On the 22nd of May, a terrorist attack by a suicide bomber at Manchester Arena left at least 22 people dead and 59 injured.
The bomb was detonated right after a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande. The attacker evaded security at the venue by waiting in the public area just outside the arena, targeting the audience as they were leaving the venue.
British Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, saying that “callous terrorist attack, an attack that targeted some of the youngest people in our society with cold calculation”.
While the attacker’s body was destroyed by the blast, police officials were able to identify him via DNA analysis: it was Salman Ramadan Abedi, a British-born 22-year-old of Libyan descent from Manchester. He was on the radar of the British security services.
Making a bomb requires specialized skills and experience, and questions arose as to how a 22-year old got hold of such a device. On the 24th of May, police arrested 3 men thought to be responsible.
Around 10 hours after the attack, Islamic State stated that Abedi was a “soldier of the caliphate”. “The lions of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham are beginning to attack all the crusaders,” they said.
Attacks in Europe are Increasing Exponentially
This is the latest terrorist attack aimed at civilians. Our deepest condolences go to the victims and we pray that God relieves the pain their families are suffering.
While there is no proof that Islamic State was behind the attack, their statement referring to the concertgoers as “crusaders” reveals radical Islam’s burning hatred towards Europe.
The IS headquarters in the Middle East are currently under attack by the U.S. and Iraqi military, and are on the verge of collapse. One of Islam’s most important times, the month of Ramadan, will begin on the 27th of May. It is possible that these extremists launched an attack as the last retaliation before fasting commences.
Below is a list of the primary terrorist attacks in Europe since the founding of IS. There is a danger that the attacks in Europe will continue in proportion to the attacks inflicted upon the IS headquarters in Syria.
| 7-9 Jan 2015 | France [Paris]: shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office. 17 killed including those from barricade incidents around Paris. |
|---|---|
| 13-Nov-2015 | France [Paris]: shootings and bombings in 6 places (cinemas and restaurants). 130 killed. Islamic State claims responsibility. |
| 22-Mar-2016 | Belgium [Brussels]: simultaneous attacks at a subway station and an international airport. 32 killed and 340 injured. Islamic State claims responsibility. |
| 14-Sep-2016 | France [Nice]: a truck drives into a crowd of people. 86 killed. Islamic State claims responsibility. |
| 19-Dec-2016 | Germany [Berlin]: a man drives a truck into a Christmas Market. 12 killed and around 50 injured. |
| 22-Mar-2017 | United Kingdom [London]: a man hits people with his car near Westminster Palace. 5 killed and over 50 injured. |
| 7-Apr-2017 | Sweden [Stockholm]: a truck drives into a crowd in the downtown area. 5 killed. |
| 20-Apr-2017 | France [Paris]: an armed man attacks a police officer on Champs-Elysees. 1 killed and 2 injured. |
(Source: Kyodo News Service)
Terrorists, “Learn to be Modest”
To the public eye, each terrorist attack imprints an image of violence on the Islamic religion. In truth, however, the Muslim god Allah is a ‘God of mercy’.
Master Ryuho Okawa, founder of Happy Science, gave a public lecture in September 2016 entitled “The Light that will Save the Earth”. In it he said:
“I don’t know if the terrorists around the world are listening to my lectures, but there is something I would like to say to them: ‘learn to be modest’. If you are believers, learn what sort of influences your actions will occasion and learn how your actions will be seen by the world. I want you to learn modesty in this sense.”
Perhaps the radical Muslims are instigating terrorist attacks to let the world know that their countries are on the verge of collapse at the hands of western countries. But if they are true believers, they should consider how they appear to Allah, the God of mercy, when they kill innocent children over differences in beliefs.
“Mercy is what it means to find in other people the same ‘feeling of love’ that is inside you,” said Master Okawa. “It is to find in other people, the same shining diamond that proves you are a child of God. It is to believe that, as a child of God, each person is open to the ‘path of enlightenment’ through effort.”
The Old Testament, which is endorsed by both Christianity and Islam, contains this passage: “An eye for and eye; a tooth for a tooth.” While it is a demand for fair judgment towards sin, it is also a teaching that affirms the idea of revenge.
A chain of revenge between opposing forces will see no end. Solving the problem of terrorism at its roots requires the power of mercy, and now is the time.
