ISIS Warns of More Terror Attacks During Ramadan
As the month of Ramadan has already started, the European public was warned to be more alert and watchful for possible terrorist attacks following the Manchester suicide bombing that killed 22 people, including children.
According to The Telegraph, the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group has called on Muslim followers in Europe to take up arms and attack non-believers during the Muslim holy month.
The video message called "Where are the lions of war?" was uploaded on YouTube where members of the terrorist group took time to justify their attack on a pop concert in Manchester, England.
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"Do not despise the work," urged the video. "Your targeting of the so-called innocents and civilians is beloved by us and the most effective, so go forth and may you get a great reward or martyrdom in Ramadan."
While the month-long celebration of Ramadan is usually marked with fasting and prayer among Muslims, acts of terrorism accompanied the sacred month for Islam in recent years.
In 2015, former ISIS spokesperson Abu Muhammad al-Adnani urged Muslims all over the world to honor Ramadan with violent attacks. A suicide bomb detonated in a Shia mosque was followed by another attack on a resort in Tunisia, according to The Atlantic.
Last year, more violent attacks were reported. A Muslim U.S. citizen, Omar Mateen, went on a shooting spree in a nightclub in Orlando. The incident claimed the lives of 49 people. A few days after, a Christian town in Lebanon was attacked by eight suspected ISIS suicide bombers.
Then there was the attack in a Turkish airport that killed more than 40 people and the truck bomb that went off in Baghdad, killing 300 people.
Due to these incidents that all happened during Ramadan, many countries have increased and tightened their security measures against possible terrorist attacks.
According to one ISIS sympathizer, "people want to win the honor of attaining martyrdom in Ramadan" since good deeds done during this period are rewarded a hundredfold. And for many members of the terror group, fighting a jihad or any war in the name of their religion, guaranteed them increased rewards in the next life.
