Terrorism

I’ve been writing a thriller that deals with terrorism. Recently I read an interesting article in the April, 2010, issue of Smithsonian magazine about Indonesia. According to the article the Indonesian government has made great strides against Islamic terrorism through a three fold policy: 1. Aggressively pursue terrorist, 2. Undercut the popular appeal of militancy by exposing it as un-Islamic, and 3. Ensure that the government doesn’t create more terrorists by treating prisoners brutally. This makes all the sense in the world. A stand must be taken against terrorism, and just as there are Christian and Jewish extremist, there is a core of Islam that doesn’t buy into violence. Brutal treatment of prisoners leads to martyrs and a hardening of sentiment against the government. This is a lesson that regimes around the world must learn.