Understanding Secular and Religious Terrorism in the US

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The United States, like any large nation, experiences its fair share of domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorism comes in two forms, within the United States, secular terrorism and religious terrorism. The broader category of terrorism, of which secular and religious terrorism fall under, is defined as a violent act committed against defenseless civilians in order to incite change. The distinctive difference between secular and religious terrorism is the motivation to commit the act. Secular terrorist are motivated by ideology, that is separate from religion, and Religious terrorist are motivated by an interpretation of their religion. Because of these terrorist acts the United States is forced to take action, in order to prevent terrorist acts, …show more content…

After the Charleston church shooting, the suspect Dylann Storm Roof, fled the scene upon being identified he was arrested without incident, during a traffic stop, by police the following day. The police reaction to the shooting followed very standard procedures for manhunt, the suspect’s picture was circulated through local News and other media and an all points bulletin was issued in attempt to find Dylann Roof. However after the Boston bombing when the two perpetrators, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, where identified the police manhunt was anything but standard. Early the morning of April 19, four days after the bombing, residents of Allston-Brighton, Boston, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Waltham received reverse 911 call asking them to stay indoors and shelter in place. Additionally public schools universities transit systems and a majority of businesses closed. At the same time Federal Bureau of investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Guard, the Boston and Watertown Police departments and the Massachusetts State Police. Utilized SWAT teams, military personnel, and armored vehicles to cordoned off and conduct a door to door search in Walham. Two hours after the search had finished a resident had …show more content…

These acts we 're committed by similar perpetrators, inflicted a similar Number of deaths, and had extensive National News coverage. While both act were similar the motivations to commit the acts of terrorism were different. The Charleston Church shooting was committed by an American white supremacist in an attempt to effect change in the form of a race war. The Boston Marathon bombing was committed an American citizen and an American resident, in an attempt to stop the accidental killings of Muslim civilians in many parts of the world, by changing US policy. Following the Charleston Church shooting the reactions of the government agencies and the people, are seemingly rational and what could reasonably be expected after such an act of terrorism. However following the Boston Marathon bombing the actions of government agencies and the people appear, in almost every way, to be much more severe particularly in the apprehension of the suspects. As motivation is the only major difference between these two acts of terrorism, it is reasonable to come to the conclusion that in the United States, acts of religious terrorism are met with much more extreme action then secular

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