_*Five Drops Of Blood*_

ISIS REIGNITES INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST FEARS

It began in December 2011 when President Barack Obama announced the retreat of American soldiers from Iraq. Shortly after, President Basher Assad's atrocities on his own people of Syria come to light. Among the international air strikes against Assad, a rebel group ISIL, once a part of al-Qaida, continues its fight to gain dominance in Syria and northern Iraq, killing over 700. By October 2014, ISIL's (now known as ISIS) power has risen dramatically, resulting in the international fear of a well developed terrorist organization. Today, many of the Western countries have joined hands in fighting against ISIS as Western based journalists, and Middle Eastern soldiers are beheaded on video, threatening all airstrikes to be halted.

SYDNEY TERRORISM / HOSTAGE ATTACK

On December 15, 2014 around ten customers and eight employees of the Lindt Chocolate Cafe were held hostage by a gunman at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia. Hostage Tori Johnson, Manager of the Cafe, was killed by the gunman, while another hostage Katrina Dawson was shot-dead by a police bullet, following which, three other hostages and a police officer were injured by police gunfire during the raid. The NSW Police labeled the fateful event as an act of terrorism as the siege continued and the counter-terrorism task force of the state came to the rescue of victims.

PESHAWAR ATTACK - BLACK DAY

16 December, 2014 was observed as a Black Day for Pakistan, when seven terrorists, disguised in uniforms of the Pakistani paramilitary, stormed into the Army Public School, brutally killing as many pupils as they could. About 150 people, including 134 boys, ten school staff members, and three soldiers were killed in the terrorist attack. Many international media organizations referred to the attack as Pakistan's 9/11'. A series of candle marches were held in the entire nation, while protests against the attack were made on an international level, where various communities expressed their rage over the horrific event. A song was released by ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) to pay tribute to the victims.

CHARLIE HEBDO - PARIS ATTACKS

The Paris Headquarters of Charlie Hebdo was attacked by two Islamic Gunman on 7th January, 2015 where they forced their way into killing twelve- Staff cartoonist, economist, editors, maintenance workers & police officers and wounding eleve - four of them seriously. The website of the French Satirical Magazine had written Je Suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) on a black background after the ill-fated incident. This statement was not only extensively adopted by the supporters of those who were killed in the incident, but it was also used in computer-printed, hand-made placards and stickers which were displayed on mobile phones at vigils. President Francois Hollande referred to it as a "terrorist attack of the most extreme barbarity".

CHAPEL HILL SHOOTING

On February 10 2015, three Muslim students, identified as Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha & Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, were found shot dead at their quarters in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, (United States). Two days later, a Public Funeral was held by the Islamic Association of Raleigh at North Carolina State University following which NCSU's Muslim Student Association also held prayer service & candlelight vigil in the University Campus. There has been twitter uproar over allegations of anti-Muslim bias ever since the incident came to limelight. These shootings have also sparked condemnation from a national Muslim civil liberties group.

Commendable Job!

Truly, Terrorism has no religion.