Recent Terrorist Attacks in Europe - Literature review Example

The Socio-Economic, Political, and Religious Implications, and Security Ramifications of the Recent Terrorist Attacks in Europe Name: Institution: Date: Introduction In the recent past, major cities in Europe have witnessed a series of terrorist attacks arising from terrorist and extremist groups. There is a significant rise of jihadist militancy in Europe posing current and future threat to the socio-economic, political, and religious conditions of the target countries (Archick 2010: 34; Pauw, Ponsaers, Bruggeman, Deelman and Vijver 2013). Some of these attacks are the Paris attack in 2015 in which 130 people were killed, the Brussels attack on March 22, 2016 where two suicide bombs left 35 people dead and over 300 wounded, the Paris attack on January 7, 2015 which left 20 people dead including the three terrorists. France has witnessed the most attacks including the minor terrorist attacks over the recent past. France holds the largest number of Muslims among the European countries. These attacks have had serious socio-economic, political, and religious implications not only in France and Belgium but also in the whole region. Paris attacks have had the most serious implications and repercussions. A series of terrorist attacks which have been claimed by the Islamic States have broadened the scope of implications and repercussions posed by terrorism not only in the countries that have been under attack but also in Europe as a whole (G4S 2015: 1). The implications have a very high degree of complexity and multiplicity because these attacks have exposed extensive networks and exerted pressures on Europe’s established mechanism. These attacks have been fast, rapid, regular, and unprecedented posing broader ramifications for all the countries in Europe and beyond. Economic Impact The Paris terrorist attack left more than 130 people dead and hundreds of others injured. This attack was the one that marked the first high-profile attacks by the Islamic States in Europe demonstrating that this terrorist group has a great ability to attack even areas that are outside the areas witnessing violence. The attacks were followed by an extension of border control by the French government to enable it prepare for the Climate Summit which was taking place in Paris on November 30 (Kuger 2015). Border control measures that were introduced by the government and the ones that have continued later to prevent the entry of terrorists in to the country have certain implications on the economy of France (Singh, Gude, Juul, Wechsler, Lang and Katulis 2015). France became wary of the security of the border between France and Belgium because the terrorist attackers were said to have had close links with some terrorist groups in Belgium. Increased border checks and other security measures including the ones at the railway stations and airports could cause minor but significant delays for tourists to and from France, and people transporting goods in and out of the country. Although the impact on the supply chain could be minimal, it will still be felt. There have been other successful and failed attacks across France including a failed attack on a gas plant in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, Charlie Hebdo attack, and the Amsterdam-Paris Thalys attack among others. The intensity of these attacks is very high such that the month of November 2015, there was a total of 13 terrorist attacks in French soil. This shows that the level of terrorism threat is very high especially in France. France plays a key role in Europe because it is one of the major contributors of economic and political development in Europe. Even a slight attack on people or facilities significantly affects the economy of France and Europe. Both Paris attacks In January and November were both directed to French emblematic sites and they are at the heart of French identity and culture. Even prior to these attacks, France has been threatened with attacks several times. Several terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, MUJAO, and Ansar al-Dine have all threatened to attack France in its home soil and its nationals in Niger, Algeria, and the wider Sahel region. G4S (2015: 1) has argued that France’s commercial and diplomatic engagement with Gulf countries has increased terrorists resentment towards France. France has been one of the countries in Europe which has found it difficult to culturally or economically integrate. The November attacks in Paris brought the country into paralysis with many events being put into a halt and the public and tourist sites such as museums and concert halls being closed for a period of time. These events and venues generate a lot of revenue for both the individuals and the government; therefore, their closure is very detrimental to the country. After news spread out that one of the masterminds of the Paris attacks had fled to Belgium, the Belgium government placed Brussels city under a three days lockdown and this significantly affected every aspect of the city that generates revenue to both the individuals and the government. After the Paris attacks, there were estimates by the Bank of France that the attacks would negatively impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reducing its growth by 0.1 percent. Other establishments that are expected to be significantly affected are the airlines and hospitality industry which have experienced declining number of guest checking in and hotels and restaurants. Quartz (2015) estimated that the Paris attacks were likely to cost the French economy approximately €2 billion especially due to consumer spending and subdued tourism. However, the treasury declined to provide any comments in regard to this estimate saying that it would provide a more comprehensive analysis in days to follow. These estimates are in line with the previous estimates which indicated that France’s GDP is likely to slow down by 0.1 percent since the French economy is worth around €2.1. Prior to the attacks, France had struggled to realize a growth of 0.3 percent in GDP after having experienced lack of growth for a long period. Therefore a slowdown of 0.1 percent is still significant because it may take another longer period to recover the 0.1 percent. Most European countries have significantly increased their border scrutiny and this is likely to hurt trade leading to slow growth. The attacks are coming at a time when EU is showing some slight signs of economic life. A sluggish growth was being witnessed in regard to the private sector loan growth and Eurozone manufacturing gauges which have remained steady despite the declining U.S. and EM activity. However, the Paris attacks are likely to make ECB to more and longer quantitative measures while cutting its deposit rate deeper into negative territory. Nevertheless, such expectations are very high and they will only lead to market disappointment. However, there are expressions of optimism from other reviewers. According to Quartz (2015) past experiences have suggested that the effects of terrorist attacks on the economy are short-lived. This article contends that when hotels, restaurants, businesses, and airlines that miss out on business, they give contracts to security and surveillance firms for installations of security and surveillance systems. However, the government injects more financial resources to the military budget to increase security. France injected more financial resources into the military budget prior to the Paris attacks in response to Charlie Hebdo shootings and rising cases of insurgency. However, it has not yet been established whether such type of spending is productive or job-creating or not. Institute for Economics and Peace (2015) examines the economic costs of terrorism indicating that the global economic costs of terrorism at their highest even exceeding the ones of 2001which came as a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US soil. The estimates of these costs have reached $52.9 billion with the total economic impact reaching $105.8 billion calculated on the basis of IEP’s economic cost of violence methodology. This methodology estimates/measures both the direct and indirect costs arising from the destruction of property, the loss of life, and losses from ransom payments. Although it is difficult to estimate the total Europe’s economic costs of terrorism, the costs are high. Political Impact The major impact of the recent terrorist attacks in Europe is likely to be felt in the political field. For example, in France, the popularity of President Francois Hollande was seen to be very low even before the attacks were conducted thus making his reelection in 2017 very uncertain. One cannot rule out the possibility of Marine Le Pen winning the Presidential elections in 2017. His victory might have several meanings to the French political Arena. Marine Le Pen is the presidential candidate representing the far-right Front National Party. Le Pen’s win could increase social tensions in France which may result in political instability not only in France but also in the region. MEHR (2016) contends that the recent attacks on European countries have been as a result of imperialist policies by the European countries serving the Western political goals. Brussels attacks have plunged people in fear because they have never experienced insecurities of such nature. BlackRock (2015) observes that the Paris attacks are going to affect politics, policies, and markets in several different ways. Terrorist attacks always have a tendency of accentuating existing economic trends. Countries usually loosen their austerity reins to boost their defense spending. This will not only happen in France and Belgium but even the other countries across Europe. Another important point highlighted is the fact that the Paris attacks add another problem to the problem of existing refugee crises. The two situations are likely to bring serious and far-reaching implications on the political situation in France. The current geopolitical fabric is a made of a dangerous mixture of states that have failed and the friction between superpowers and erstwhile friends. There are many political uncertainties in 2016 which the Europe is dealing with – the risk of more and intense terrorist attacks and a never-ending refugee crisis. Prior to these attacks in Brussels, Paris, and London, Europe was already dealing with political storm around the right way of dealing with the refugee crisis (BlackRock 2015: 2). Different surveys and polls conducted in spring indicated that immigration had already become one of the top concerns for the publics across European countries. These concerns came to replace worries that had always existed of weak economies. The attempts by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European countries to establish a separation between migration policy and the rising terrorism threat have not had great effects. The refugee crisis has only contributed to exposing the E.U. rifts and a rise of populist parties. Some countries such as Slovenia and Poland have declined to take their quota of refugees. This refusal has exerted a lot of pressure on the Schengen agreement which allows people to have free movement across borders. Paris attacks only came to add to such existing challenges. However, BlackRock (2015) contends that these attacks could serve as a unifying factor in Europe and halt to rise of populist euroskeptics. The article further argues that Paris attacks could play out to the advantage of President Francois Hollande arguing that the populist Front National would find it tough to outflank President Hollande on national security. The likely response from President Hollande will be to use his political capital to push for intense security measures by forging a joint European response. Religious Impact Recent terrorist attacks have made France and Belgium to opt primarily for a firm public stance. President Hollande has already declared that France is at war and this has led the police to make arrests and home and private property raids. According to G4S, most of these homes and businesses are Muslim-owned. By December 3, 2012, the police had raided a total of 2235 homes and private properties and made a total of 232 arrests (G4S 2015: 2). In addition, three mosques were closed in Lyon. These steps have attracted criticisms from Muslims – they have elicited a lot of controversy. It is estimated that 160 more mosques risk closure in the near past having been suspected of radicalism. This may fuel claims of discrimination and possibly more extremism. In addition to mosque closures, more than 70 Muslim security agents attached to some high security zones have witnessed revocation of their security passes since the November attacks having been suspected of radicalization and suspicious behavior. There are other terrorist attacks that have sparked a lot of religious outrage against the Muslims. The July 2005 London bombing and the March 2004 Madrid bombings increased animosity and anger against the Muslims and Arabs living in the UK (Rabby and Rodgers 2010: 2; McLean 2006). These attacks have led to increased discrimination against the Muslims and Arabs something that has brought about religious tensions not only in the UK but also for the whole region. The bombings on July 7, 2005 (7/7), it became clear to the British public and the government that the Islamic threat was increasingly growing and coming closer to home. These attacks led to many myths and confusions to the status of accepted wisdom. One of the greatest confusion is the question of the role of Islam as a religion and a value system in the actual and potential support of Muslim for political extremism (Eatwell and Goodwin 2014: 23). The growing fear of Islamic religious radicalization feed fears of Muslim religiosity per se, and its perception as a first stepping stone toward hostile anti-Western attitudes. In Britain and the rest of Europe, the public debate is hindered by such confusion about the link between the religious and the political and the assumed connection between religiosity with potential for political extremism. Some authors claim that the refusal of both Muslim communities and the British government to acknowledge the role of Islam as a fundamentally anti-Westren religion in the 7/7 terrorist attacks on London contributes to the threat of similar attacks taking place in future (Phillips 2006; Bawer 2006; McRoy 2006). The concept of ummah Muslim community is held responsible for tacit support for terrorism among European Muslim communities (Phillips 2006, McRoy 2006; Bawer 2006). The recent attacks in London, Paris, and Brussels among other places have largely been attributed to Muslims and this has promoted increasing fear of Muslims, particularly religious Muslims who are viewed as supporters of terrorism and extremism. These attacks have also triggered fear among the UK citizens who have fears that they young male offspring are at a risk of getting radicalized. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2015) has stated that the ways the EU member states have reacted to the terrorist attacks that took place in London, Paris, and Brussels have had some major implications for the safeguarding of the fundamental rights for those living in European Union. The religious situation in Europe has been significantly changed by these events. This conclusion has been made based on the responses to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) which focused on Muslim and Jewish community organizations, the media, civil society bodies, and political leaders. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2015) provides a snapshot of this rapidly changing situation. Terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo offices on January 7, 2015 gave rise to a debate on the necessity of protecting the right to freedom of expression. There are other terrorist attacks such as the shooting of a police officer in Paris and the murder of four Jewish individuals in a kosher supermarket. There are also other suspected attacks such as the one on police in Belgium. All these events in addition to many other have significantly added other dimensions to public responses across Europe. All these event have one thing in common which has added another aspect to the interpretation of the issues surrounding these attacks; the perpetrators of all these attacks were either (or a combination of) young Muslims, Muslims or EU citizens with an immigrant background, who have undergone radicalization in Europe. As a result, focus has shifted from the issues of freedom of expression to countering terrorist acts and preventing radicalization. Both the Brussels and Paris attacks have had serious implications on both the Muslim and Jewish communities across Europe. According to European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2015), both Muslim and Jewish leaders among other religious leaders united to condemn these attacks. Muslim religious leaders distanced themselves from these attacks highlighting that these attacks were barbaric in nature. The disregarded the concept that these attacks were carried on the basis of religion. Nevertheless, these attacks led to a positive development which saw the representatives of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist religious organization holding a joint meeting coming up with a statement that blamed the Paris attacks. Other similar meetings and reactions were witnessed in other countries including Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Netherlands, Ireland, Slovakia, Romania, Finland, Austria, and Luxembourg. These attacks have greatly affected both the Jewish and Muslim communities increasing the feelings of insecurity. Some Jewish communities in EU member states have taken several measures to ensure their security including closing some of their schools and making appeals to the police to enhance their security. The Jewish communities in the United Kingdom also raised safety concerns following the Paris attacks. Even the organizations that work for the security of Jews in the United Kingdom such as the Community Security Trust received calls from many Jews expressing concerns about their safety. Since the Paris attacks, many Jewish schools have been conducting drills to teach children how they can hide in the event of a terrorist attacks. Some British Jewish individuals are also avoiding going to synagogues citing the possibility of attacks on synagogues (FRA 2015). These concerns are being expressed by Jews across Europe. In Belgium, there have been several cancellations of classes for days due to security considerations. Some Jewish schools in Antwerp, Belgium were opened under the protection of heavily armed military police. On 16th January, 2015, one orthodox Jewish school in the Netherlands remained closed for a day due to the fears that there might be a terrorist attack on the school. Similar calls for protection have been made by Jewish communities in Finland, Czech Republic, Finland, and Denmark. There has also been police protection on the mosques in EU member states because even the Muslim religious leaders have also been raising security concerns. In France, the French Council of the Muslim Faith have indicated that there is 110 percent increase in reported Islamophobic incidents arising as a result of terrorist attacks in London and Paris (FRA 2015). References Bawer, B. (2006). While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is destroying the West from Within. New York: Random House. BlackRock Investment Institute (2015). After the Paris Tragedy. Available at https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/en-us/literature/whitepaper/bii-after-paris-tragedy-us.pdf Eatwell, R. and Goodwin, M. (2014). The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain. London: Routledge. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2015). Reactions to the Paris Attacks in the EU: Fundamental Rights Considerations. FRA Paper. Available at http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2015-paper-01-2015-post-paris-attacks-fundamental-rights-considerations-0_en.pdf G4S Risk Consulting (2015). France: Implications and Repercussions of the Paris Attacks. Available at https://www.rims.org/RiskKnowledge/RISKKnowledgeDocs/Implications+and+Repercussions+of+the+Paris+Attacks_2172016_10724.pdf Institute for Economic and Peace (2015). Global Terrorism Index: Measuring and Understanding the Impact of Terrorism. Available at http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf Kuger, M. (2015). Paris Terror Attacks Bring Political, Economic Consequences. Available at http://bizmology.hoovers.com/2015/11/paris-terror-attacks-bring-political-economic-consequences/ McLean, R. (2006). Madrid Suspect Tied to E-Mail Ruse, The International Herald Tribune, 28 April. McRoy, A. (2006) From Rushdie to 7/7: The Radicalisation of Islam in Britain. London: Social Affairs Unit. MENR News Agency (2016). Brussels Attack Direct Result of Western Governments’ Policies. MENR News Agency (24 March 2016). Pauw, E., Ponsaers, P., Bruggeman, W., Deelman, P. and Vijver, K. (2013). Technology-Led Policing. Journal of Police Studies, Vol. 2011, No. 3. Phillips, P. (2006). Inflated Terrorism – Propaganda Lies. Global Research. Available at http://www.globalresearch.ca/inflated-terrorism-propaganda-lies/2481 Quartz (2015). The Paris Attacks will Cost the French Economy more than $2 Billion. Available at http://qz.com/559902/the-paris-attacks-will-cost-the-french-economy-more-than-2-billion/ Rabby, F. and Rodgers, W. (2010). The Impact of 9/11 and the London Bombings on the Employment and Eranings of U.K. Muslims. Institute for the Study of Labor, IZA DP No. 4763. Singh, V., Gude, K., Juul, P., Wechsler, W., Lang, H. and Katulis, B. (2015). After the Paris Attacks: Defeating ISIS and Preserving American Values. Center for American Progress. Available at https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/19174930/ISIS-PostParis-Nov19.pdf Read More

Although the impact on the supply chain could be minimal, it will still be felt. There have been other successful and failed attacks across France including a failed attack on a gas plant in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, Charlie Hebdo attack, and the Amsterdam-Paris Thalys attack among others. The intensity of these attacks is very high such that the month of November 2015, there was a total of 13 terrorist attacks in French soil. This shows that the level of terrorism threat is very high especially in France.

France plays a key role in Europe because it is one of the major contributors of economic and political development in Europe. Even a slight attack on people or facilities significantly affects the economy of France and Europe. Both Paris attacks In January and November were both directed to French emblematic sites and they are at the heart of French identity and culture. Even prior to these attacks, France has been threatened with attacks several times. Several terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, MUJAO, and Ansar al-Dine have all threatened to attack France in its home soil and its nationals in Niger, Algeria, and the wider Sahel region.

G4S (2015: 1) has argued that France’s commercial and diplomatic engagement with Gulf countries has increased terrorists resentment towards France. France has been one of the countries in Europe which has found it difficult to culturally or economically integrate. The November attacks in Paris brought the country into paralysis with many events being put into a halt and the public and tourist sites such as museums and concert halls being closed for a period of time. These events and venues generate a lot of revenue for both the individuals and the government; therefore, their closure is very detrimental to the country.

After news spread out that one of the masterminds of the Paris attacks had fled to Belgium, the Belgium government placed Brussels city under a three days lockdown and this significantly affected every aspect of the city that generates revenue to both the individuals and the government. After the Paris attacks, there were estimates by the Bank of France that the attacks would negatively impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reducing its growth by 0.1 percent. Other establishments that are expected to be significantly affected are the airlines and hospitality industry which have experienced declining number of guest checking in and hotels and restaurants.

Quartz (2015) estimated that the Paris attacks were likely to cost the French economy approximately €2 billion especially due to consumer spending and subdued tourism. However, the treasury declined to provide any comments in regard to this estimate saying that it would provide a more comprehensive analysis in days to follow. These estimates are in line with the previous estimates which indicated that France’s GDP is likely to slow down by 0.1 percent since the French economy is worth around €2.1. Prior to the attacks, France had struggled to realize a growth of 0.

3 percent in GDP after having experienced lack of growth for a long period. Therefore a slowdown of 0.1 percent is still significant because it may take another longer period to recover the 0.1 percent. Most European countries have significantly increased their border scrutiny and this is likely to hurt trade leading to slow growth. The attacks are coming at a time when EU is showing some slight signs of economic life. A sluggish growth was being witnessed in regard to the private sector loan growth and Eurozone manufacturing gauges which have remained steady despite the declining U.S. and EM activity.

However, the Paris attacks are likely to make ECB to more and longer quantitative measures while cutting its deposit rate deeper into negative territory. Nevertheless, such expectations are very high and they will only lead to market disappointment. However, there are expressions of optimism from other reviewers. According to Quartz (2015) past experiences have suggested that the effects of terrorist attacks on the economy are short-lived.

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