The large-scale bombing of civilian targets became part of warfare during the Second World War. Early in the War both Britain and Germany refused to attack civilian targets. Then, in May 1940, as a result of a communications error, the Luftwaffe bombed Rotterdam, killing about 1,000. The next day British sent 100 bombers to attack the Ruhr. And, so, the terror escalated.

But the Allied response was far beyond anything done by Germany. The British and American bombing of Dresden alone killed an estimated 135,000 – twice the number of British civilians killed in the entire six years of the War. Germany produced a total of only 172 strategic bombers compared to the Allies 7,238. And from 1940, their primary mission was night attacks on factories and houses.

Following the devastating raid on Cologne by 1,000 Allied bombers, Goebbels, who believed that American Jews were responsible for the policy of civilian bombing, announced “the mass extermination of Jews in reprisal”. And, again, the terror escalated.

Cologne
 

The American bombing of Japan was just as horrific as the bombing of Germany. One raid alone on Tokyo killed 100,000 peoplend injured a million. Eventually 95 percent of Tokyo’s residential areas were destroyed. This “terrorism” was brought to a new height with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing a total of 155,000 – the primary reason for which was not to force the surrender of Japan, which was already inevitable, but to force it before Russia could get into a position to challenge American domination of the Far East by entering the War against Japan, which it was due to do two days later.

Hiroshima

In many Muslim’s view, it is not only bombing that should be seen as “terrorism”. For example, the American sanctions on Iraq were claimed to have led to the deaths of a million innocent children.

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The old Soviet Empire came to an end in 1989. In February of that year, Soviet troops were pulled out of Afghanistan, signalling the end of Russia’s last attempt to expand its influence; in August, Hungary opened its borders with Austria; and on 9 November, East Berliners were allowed to pass freely through the Berlin Wall.

Berlin Wall
("The Berlin Wall at Friedrichstrasse" by BIL ex Wikemedia)

 These changes meant that great new opportunities were opening up for the people of Eastern Europe. China was already moving towards a form of capitalism and opportunity for its people. India was soon to follow suit.) In Southern Africa, the ban on the African National Congress was lifted, and Nelson Mandela was released from prison, in February 1990 - signalling an opening up of opportunity for black Africans.

 In short, repressed peoples all over the world suddenly had much greater opportunity than ever before. But there was one glaring exception - the billion people in the Arab-Muslim world. Not only were the old, repressive regimes firmly entrenched but those regimes were being supported by the rich Western powers. American troops were even soon to be stationed in the holy land of Saudi Arabia.

Ironically, the situation had arisen because of the oil wealth of the Arab countries. Oil meant that the ruling elites could amass unimaginable wealth and the means to secure their position against popular uprisings and that their regimes were supported by the Western powers fearing that any "instability" could disrupt their supply of oil. At the same time, these ruling elites of the oil-rich states saw no need for industrial development or a modern economy. But the ultimate result was that the Arab states fell behind - which was a bitter pill for Arab pride.

For almost a thousand years prior to the Industrial Revolution, the Arab-Muslim civilisation had been amongst the most advanced - leading the world in many ways including science. Yet now the Arab nations have an average of just 371 research scientists and engineers per million people compared with world average, including "backward" African and Latin American countries, of 979 per million. In all of the two decades of the 1980s and 90s, the Arab nations registered just 171 international patents; in the same period, South Korea alone registered 16,328. Arabs represent 5% of the world’s population but produce just 1% of the world’s books - and most of those are religious tracts. Only 1.6% of Arabs have Internet access.

When people’s opportunity for advancement is blocked, they react in one of three ways – the vast majority will try to ignore the constraints and get on with their lives, some will try to bring about change within the system and some will lash out and try to destroy the privileges of those who are more fortunate.

New York World Trade Centre
("Two days after the 9/11 terrorists attacks" by Jim Wilson ex Wikimedia)

Those who fight for change, whether positively or negatively, are frequently well-educated, ambitious, middle-class young men who have been educated abroad. Historical examples include Gandhi, Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara and Pol Pot. It should come as no surprise that, then, that this is the group from which terrorism comes. But those who succeed in achieving revolution are those who return to their society to fight for change - not those who merely blow things up!

The key to success in the 21^st century is creativity. And creativity requires freedom. Any regime which denies any group of its people the freedom to follow their beliefs and to develop and profit from their skills can expect to face violent opposition and to inspire violent outbursts against those elsewhere who are more fortunate.

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