When Terror Becomes a "Source of Honor": The Naked Face of ISIS and the World's Failure to Contain Religious Hatred
When terror is called a source of honor, ISIS once again shows how religious hatred feeds off the security vacuum and global silence.
The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) has once again glorified religious violence in graphic and horrific language. The group posted a message on its Telegram channel, describing the deadly shooting of Jewish worshippers celebrating Hanukkah on Sydney's Bondi Beach as "a matter of pride" - an attack that the Australian government has officially declared a "terrorist act".
ISIS did not claim direct responsibility for the crime in the message, which it released on Thursday, December 18, 2019, but the tone and content of the message clearly align with the perpetrator and legitimize the killing of religious civilians. The shooting occurred on Sunday evening, December 13, and left 15 people dead; victims who were the targets of blind hatred simply for participating in a religious ritual.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon had earlier announced that “two homemade ISIS flags and roadside bombs” had been found in the car of 24-year-old attacker Naveed Akram. He also stressed: “We are still investigating the motive for this tragedy and will continue to do so.”
This attack has once again raised the alarm about the spread of religious extremism in free societies, a trend that targets not only Jews, but also Christians and other religious minorities around the world. The experience of recent years has shown that ISIS and its affiliates do not recognize boundaries between religions and consider any symbol of faith, worship, and peaceful coexistence as their enemy.
Following this incident, the Australian government announced the development of new laws to combat hate speech, but at the same time, domestic and international pressure on the country's Prime Minister has increased; pressure that shows that public opinion is no longer satisfied with general security promises and wants practical and preventive action.
Internationally, ISIS violence continues. US President Donald Trump warned that “very serious retaliation will follow” after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ISIS-claimed attack in Syria. The attack took place on Saturday, December 12, near the historic city of Palmyra, a city that has become a symbol of cultural and religious destruction at the hands of ISIS.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday that American forces have targeted ISIS weapons caches in several joint operations with the Syrian government, operations that American officials say are crucial to preventing the group from resurgent.
In 2015 and 2016, ISIS took control of the city of Palmyra while expanding its influence in the Syrian desert. Before retreating, it showed its true face to the world by destroying historical monuments, executing soldiers, and killing civilians; a face that has been repeated today in the form of attacks on religious ceremonies in Australia.
From a Christian perspective, these events are a stark reminder of a grim reality: religious extremism is targeting not only human lives but also the very principle of freedom of faith. The silence or minimal response of governments emboldens groups like ISIS to call violence “honor” and turn faith into a battlefield.
Today, more than ever, the world needs moral resilience, interfaith solidarity, and a resolute defense of human dignity—a value that lies at the heart of Christian teachings and is precisely what terrorism seeks to destroy.
