Understanding the current wave of terrorism
In
A number of terrorist attacks have struck Europe over the past months, triggering the impression of a ‘wave of terror’ among citizens. This commentary replaces the recent upscale of violence in the context of the ‘wave of religious terrorism’, which started in 1979, but also in the broader historical context of the four terrorist waves that have marked the modern era, starting in 1880. It concludes that the current ‘wave’ of terrorism is not new. Neither is it the highest point in political violence in Europe.
This article was published in the Belgian weekly Le Vif (in French) under the title ‘Comprendre la vague de terreur actuelle’, on 5 August 2016.
The article can be accessed here.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia, Katsushika Hokusai)
