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Terrorism in the age of the Coronavirus

A British tabloid paper recently published a story with a headline warning that Coronavirus ‘poses a bigger threat than terrorism’. With an increasing percentage of the world’s population on lockdown in fear of the virus this might seem mind numbingly obvious, yet it points towards a potential recalibration of people’s perception of risk in the years ahead.
Small numbers of people committing deadly and spectacular attacks has been the sine qua non of global terrorism over the past decades. From airlines slamming into buildings to mass shootings at cultural sites, attacks on mass transit systems to targeting tourists. All of our lives have changed in response, whether accepting the steady increase of counter terrorism powers held by the state or the ubiquitous delays in checking into flights.
Decisions related to terrorist threats and terrorist ground have of course determined countries foreign policies and decisions over peace and war. Sometimes a lack of agreement as to who is and isn’t a prescribed group has seen states clash whilst both attempting to ‘fight terror’ - for instance Russia and Turkey in northern Syria.
Fears over terrorism have dominated certain countries public opinions with the US public in particular seeing it as a clear and present danger - this reinforcing the public policy mandate given to their governments to act upon it.
A mandate for what action is the critical question being currently considered by President Trump. What scale of a clampdown can be justified to address Coronavirus against harm to the economy? Trump has articulated this as making sure that the cure is not more harmful than the disease. Other US politicians have reinforced this message - one even suggesting that old people would be willing to accept the sacrifice to support the wider economy.
Already in the space of a few weeks the residents of liberal democracies are having to change their lifestyles in ways that terrorism has not managed to achieve in decades.
State shutdowns of borders, airports escalated to shut downs of businesses which escalated further to residents being forced to stay in their homes with threats of fines for non-compliance. The police and even the army are on the streets with politicians citing a ‘war’ on the virus in much the same way a ‘war’ was waged on terrorism since 9/11.
These incredible adjustments to people’s lives will leave a legacy of both experience - and potentially resilience - that will shape the public’s threat perception from human threats in the years ahead.
A recent incident at Barcelona airport involving a car smashing into a terminal and men allegedly shouting ‘Islamist slogans’, barely made the news in the shadow of the pandemic. Could we see a substantial drop off in such attacks as would be terrorists decide that there is little point shouting into such a void of inattention?
Imagined fear has always been the critical ingredient to the disproportionate influence that terrorism has. Few people will have experienced terrorism, but like the fear of flying the potential for something happening to somebody is a powerful motivator of behaviour. Coronavirus cannot be said to be imagined having already infected over quarter of a million people and killed nearly 20,000.
Trump argues, with some degree of justification, that the annual flu and road traffic accidents account for vast death tolls but are somehow baked into what society accepts as understandable death tolls. Coronavirus could become endemic and managed with a vaccine but by no means eradicated.
The crucial question that follows this unprecedented modern moment is how much our politics and economics will reset to the status quo that existed before the reports from Wuhan started to emerge.
The longer and more serious that things get the less likely a straight forward return would appear to be. The very demographics of countries are changing and their politics will follow. The rise of nationalist over multilateral agendas may be vindicated by the closure of sovereign borders to slow the virus or it may be fatally undermined by the fact that no country - even if it has zero remaining cases - can engage fully with a country that has the virus in its system.
Terrorists, would-be terrorists and the States that are aligned against them are not immune from this Virus driven changing politics. The grievances and identity arguments used by terror groups may not survive this period, they may mutate and become even more dangerous or they may find themselves extinct. levant
Coronavirus has highlighted how interconnected and therefore vulnerable the world is to a contagion that is driven by human contact. The threats that emerge from the ashes of its legacy may be very different indeed both in the form they take and the perceived threat that the public feel in response to them. levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors Gulf Uni...
- April 17, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.
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