Once again, the world has been shocked by an act of senseless atrocity.
To drive a truck at 70mph at a group of people enjoying the simple pleasure of a German Christmas market, right next to the iconic Peace Church, in Berlin’s most famous street, the Ku-dam, is nothing if not heinous.
It seems it was committed by just one man, although he may have had outside help. But the intention behind this outrage is diabolical: it aims to get the German authorities (and by extension the other authorities in Europe) to increase the repression of ordinary citizens and to create an air of suspicion in the country that will completely wipe off the simple pleasures of Christmas.
We can translate this on to the political plane: it aims to show the Germans how bad was the decision by Chancellor Merkel to open the doors to 1m refugees last year. It aims to boost the electoral chances of the extremist and xenophobic AFD in the coming election and to undermine Ms Merkel’s reputation as the most respected German leader in recent times.
But beyond the ultimate or political aims of the terrorist attack, it leaves us questioning once again: what is it in the Babe of Nazareth that so infuriates the anti-Christians?
It would seem that the more Christianity is based on the virtues of love, humility and charity, the more its opponents rage.
There is of course a history of blood to consider, but Christians today are as far removed from the savage ferocity of the Knights of Malta as possible. Yet echoes of the Crusades linger in the collective imagination of the Muslim extremists.
Christians and other religious minorities have borne the brunt of ISIS atrocities in Syria and Iraq – actions which the US and several other governments have determined amount to genocide.
In its online propaganda, the terrorist group leaves no doubt that it considers Christians to be a primary foe, with Christian terms and symbols frequently used in describing the enemy.
The two most recent editions of the terrorist group’s Dabiq magazine, for instance, refer to “cross-worshippers,” “crusader Europe,” “crusader warplanes,” “crusader nations,” “crusader supporters,” “crusader Belgium,” “crusader coalition,” “American crusaders,” “crusader strategy” and “crusader borders.”
Although ISIS writings also cite other religious adherents, especially Jews but also Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Shi’a and other “apostates,” followers of Jesus appear to be particularly reviled.
“Every Muslim should get out of his house, find a crusader and kill him,” said one article.
“[T]he Islamic State is here to stay. It is a state that inflicts just terror against its infidel, pagan, and apostate enemies,” says another. “And it will continue to expand until its banner flutters over Constantinople and Rome. Until then, let the crusaders get used to the sound of explosion and the image of carnage in their very own homelands.”
The cover of an earlier edition of the magazine featured a photoshopped photo of the black ISIS flag flying over the Vatican. The jihadist group predicted that at some future point “the slave markets will commence in Rome by Allah’s power and might.”
“We will conquer your Rome, break your crosses, and enslave your women, by the permission of Allah, the Exalted,” the magazine quoted ISIS spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani as saying.
The anti-Christian creed is clearly presented as having its roots in the Qur’an and Hadiths – sayings or traditions ascribed to Mohammed – with some of the latter said by one Dabiq writer to “indicate that the Muslims will be at war with the Roman Christians.”