2015-04-21   Understanding Islamic terrorism

For following the news these days it's good to learn more about the five Islamic terrorist groups which are often in the headlines as they continue to kill people who don't share their views.

The five are ISIS which is based in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram based in Nigeria, Al-Shabaab based in Somalia, and two groups which began in Afghanistan: Al-Qaeda  and the Taliban.

All five groups come from the Sunni tradition of Islam, as distinct from the Shia tradition. The Sunni-Shia "fault line" in Islam is something like the Catholic-Protestant divide in Christianity.

Understanding these five groups is more than just a theoretical exercise. All five are trying to spread their influence around the world and are making our world a more dangerous place. See Wikipedia "Islamic terrorism".