French church attacked by terrorists

[angrysoba]

Perhaps we are suffering from atrocity fatigue but there was another attack in France, this time two hostage takers in a church.

France church attack: Priest killed in hostage-taking near Rouen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36892785

 

[A'isha]

I just saw this, too.

I feel sick inside. These past few days and weeks and months have been horrific.

 

[Darth Rotor]

I just saw this, too.

I feel sick inside. These past few days and weeks and months have been horrific.

Standard day in the daily grind of man's inhumanity to man. It should not surprise you.

 

[A'isha]

Standard day in the daily grind of man's inhumanity to man. It should not surprise you.

I know. That just makes it worse.

 

[angrysoba]

Standard day in the daily grind of man's inhumanity to man. It should not surprise you.

I think it is a surprise. The recent spate of attacks such as these is aberrant and requires some sort of explanation. It could be a cluster that we may expect to find in any random sampling of same **** different day and some of these may be unrelated. But the Nice attack, the three recent attacks in Germany in the last few days, the knife attack in Japan... Each of these events may be unconnected but each of these events is unusual.

It makes me wonder if there is some kind of copycat killing going on here or some other broad connection above the superficial differences.

ISIS propaganda and "blue vs black" narratives might explain some recent killings but I have to wonder if social media has somehow led to these events becoming attractive to rootless, criminal men with mental health/drug problems.

 

[Hlafordlaes]

...

It makes me wonder if there is some kind of copycat killing going on here or some other broad connection above the superficial differences.

ISIS propaganda and "blue vs black" narratives might explain some recent killings but I have to wonder if social media has somehow led to these events becoming attractive to rootless, criminal men with mental health/drug problems.

Ninja'd.


ETA: Once again, a moment for the victim(s).

 

[Dr.Sid]

I believe media have strong effect in many acts like these, but you really have to look at each individual case. In this case media seemed to have played very little role, if any.

 

[caveman1917]

Has anyone checked whether this is because there are actually more such events or because they are just reported more the past few weeks?

 

[BStrong]

Standard day in the daily grind of man's inhumanity to man. It should not surprise you.

Nothing surprises me wrt to these degenerates, but it still makes me ill.

 

[A'isha]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785

President Francois Hollande said the men claimed to be from so-called Islamic State (IS).

Speaking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, he said the attackers had committed a "cowardly assassination" and France would fight IS "by all means".

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said "two soldiers of the Islamic State" had carried out the attack.

Pope Francis decried the "pain and horror of this absurd violence".

[...]

After criticisms of police shortcomings over the Nice attack on 14 July, French anti-terrorist police moved with commendable speed to close down this hostage situation in a Norman church.

Observers have pointed out that France and other countries are now moving more quickly towards what is called tactical intervention - overwhelming armed force aimed at minimising the period during which terrorists or armed criminals can threaten the public.

The selection of a church by the attackers, whom IS refer to as its "soldiers", crosses a new red line in the grim history of recent attacks on continental Europe. The murder of a defenceless 84-year-old priest in this attack will have further inflamed public opinion.

News that one of the attackers was on the French government's terror watch-list, known as the S list, will prompt many to question its purpose if he can remain at large to carry a knife into a church.

 

[9up]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785

Wrong link?

 

[William Parcher]

Hollande says that it's ISIS. There are reports that the attackers yelled "Daesh" as they ran outside. ISIS is already claiming it. There are reports that the priest was beheaded - others say his throat was slashed.

 

[A'isha]

Wrong link?

The link worked for me when I just checked it.

 

[9up]

The link worked for me when I just checked it.

It now seems like a CDN problem on my side. The text that you quoted wasn't on that link. Now it is.

 

[Giz]

I think it is a surprise. The recent spate of attacks such as these is aberrant and requires some sort of explanation. It could be a cluster that we may expect to find in any random sampling of same **** different day and some of these may be unrelated. But the Nice attack, the three recent attacks in Germany in the last few days, the knife attack in Japan... Each of these events may be unconnected but each of these events is unusual.

It makes me wonder if there is some kind of copycat killing going on here or some other broad connection above the superficial differences.

I’d imagine that people who are already radical and ‘daydreaming’ about committing attacks may be inspired to get out and do something if there is a spate of attacks going on. It may also encourage others to heed the call as ISIS presents these murders as signs of its strength and success.

 

[Aepervius]

I’d imagine that people who are already radical and ‘daydreaming’ about committing attacks may be inspired to get out and do something if there is a spate of attacks going on. It may also encourage others to heed the call as ISIS presents these murders as signs of its strength and success.

Probably similar to how suicide lead other to commit (which is why it is advisable to be careful reporting suicide, and never report it in a good light) or school shooting which were inspired of each other because the shooter had their 15 minutes of fame in the media.

 

[theprestige]

Hollande says that it's ISIS. There are reports that the attackers yelled "Daesh" as they ran outside. ISIS is already claiming it. There are reports that the priest was beheaded - others say his throat was slashed.

So you're saying we will probably never know their motivation?

 

[angrysoba]

Probably similar to how suicide lead other to commit (which is why it is advisable to be careful reporting suicide, and never report it in a good light) or school shooting which were inspired of each other because the shooter had their 15 minutes of fame in the media.

In fact, this is exactly what I had in mind earlier.

There have been some studies which have tentatively suggested a causal link, in particular in Austria regarding train suicides and the media.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9132623

 

[angrysoba]

Has anyone checked whether this is because there are actually more such events or because they are just reported more the past few weeks?

I haven't done anything rigorous. But I have looked at Wikipedia and news sources to see if they simply slot into a pattern. Actually, a few of these recent attacks (in the last couple of years) have no post-war precedents in terms of numbers of people killed - recent attacks in France, Japan and the US are worse in terms of numbers than in many decades.

 

[William Parcher]

So you're saying we will probably never know their motivation?

I'm not saying that. It looks to be general terrorism as prescribed by ISIS but without the high number of victims. This was probably meant to be a specific target with any collateral victims as a bonus.

The motive is the ongoing radical Islam jihad. They kill for Allah.