Examine roots of Islamic terrorism

Of course, we all abhor terrorism. The media spends a lot of time on the “what” of terrorism, but often does not look for the “why.” I was living in Nice, France, during the 1968 student uprising and general strike. There was a wave of unhappiness about things that needed to change or those who felt ignored by the government.

Today, 5 million Muslims living in France are faced with a disproportionately high rate of poverty, discrimination, unemployment and religious intolerance. Over 70 percent of the prison population is Muslim.

Some Muslims remember the French colonial occupation of their lands (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco). Could it be that some of these people living in the ghettos are led into hatred and violence?

The “West” – including France, England and the U.S., plus our buddy Israel – have repeatedly invaded and bombed Muslim countries and supported corrupt regimes. To understand why some Muslims resent this is important. Read “Bin Laden’s Letter to America” at the Guardian online if you want to better understand terrorist motivations. They have no armies.

Remember that 99 percent of Muslims deplore terrorism.

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Examine roots of Islamic terrorism."