Time to wake up to the real threat of terrorism and show solidarity

NEWS that one of the three terrorists shot dead by police during Saturday night’s attack in London was carrying an Irish identity card is a wake up call for everyone on this island.

Shocking scenes on the streets of Manchester, London, Paris and Nice have raised security levels around the western world, yet here in Ireland there remains a sense that we are immune from Islamic militant attacks.

Gardaí and UK police are still investigating if the dead man is the same person featured on the identification card and that the card is genuine. Regardless of the outcome, we should be under no illusions that there exists a threat of terrorism on our doorstep.

It seems that there are no limits that extremists won’t stoop to to get their message across. From Manchester to Kabul, over the last two weeks there has been a sharp rise in the number of high-profile terror attacks that have left more than 300 dead.

Even more worrying is the fact that there appears to be no effective security solution to the problem. Yes, temporary security and intelligence measures can help save lives, but it’s next to impossible to eradicate a deeply embedded doctrine of hate.

The ideology of such people serves no political purpose but rather is linked to an internalised notion of religious supremacy. This is hard to negate.

On Sunday night pop singer Ariana Grande went back on stage for the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which was staged to raise money for the victims of the Manchester Arena suicide bomb attack and their families. It was in response to a request from the mother of Olivia Campbell, who died in the arena attack aged just 15

The message of solidarity against terrorism was loud and clear. Through social media we can raise awareness and we can also educate but governments need to do more.

While the government here has stressed that there is no change in Ireland’s security status after the latest attack in the UK, it warned that Ireland was not immune to such incidents.

The government is currently engaged in enhanced security measures but one wonders just how effective these would be in the event of such an attack.

Taoiseach elect Leo Varadkar wants a high-powered ‘Cobra-style’ cabinet committee to prepare for the risk of a terror attack in Ireland.

Meanwhile, TDs such as Michael Healy Rae have called on the government to ensure that where we have organised public events such as concerts and matches, that we also have our armed gardaí as well as members of our defence forces in attendance. Is this the reality of our new world order?

It’s a generation since the height of the Troubles when acts of violence were an all too familiar occurrence on these shores. Following news of that one of the Islamic terrorists in London was carrying an Irish identity card it seems that we are taking a step back into a world of insecurity.

We need solidarity now more than ever before.