9/11 Tragedy

Today we are reminded again of the Sept. 11 tragedy that happened six years ago. Over the years many people have tried to justify these dastardly acts of terrorists as being no different from those of serial killers. While there are many similarities between terrorists and serial killers, especially from the standpoint of the victims, there are vast differences in terms of why and how the acts are committed.

Both generally come from a childhood in which much is lacking, but the radical Islamist terrorist is encouraged in the activities he will later commit, whereas the serial killer is often rebelling against something. The radical Islamist terrorist is supported by his moral network, whereas the serial killer is not and in many cases would admit that what he did was criminal. The results from a serial killer and a terrorist may be similar in terms of number of casualties, but the reason why these terrorists so greatly outnumber serial killers is because they are supported by their moral framework.

In thinking of radical Islamist terrorists we must remember that they feel they are doing Allah’s work, whereas serial killers are often simply lashing out at a society that mistreated them. Suicide-bombing terrorists are more akin to the kamikazes of World War II than serial killers, because they are willing to die to further the cause of something they believe to be noble and greater than themselves. In the case of the kamikazes, it was the Japanese Empire that was the cause for crashing one’s plane, once out of ammo, into a U.S. seafaring vessel or other enemy structure. Radical Islamist terrorists believe that one way or another, Allah is being offended and it is their duty to set things straight. Sadly, the faith of many of these terrorists is stronger than that of many Americans; misguided though it may be, it is powerful and downright frightening.