Terrorism in Brazil?
With the recent news some people asked me if there is risk of terrorism in Brazil. I say that Brazil is not in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorism. The increased focus given to the country occurs only because of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
From what the world media and analysts say, the greatest actor of Islamic terrorism in the world today is the Islamic State (also called ISIS or Daesh). And the biggest targets of the Islamic State are Iraq, Syria, Turkey and France. And there are also cases of minor attacks in other Middle Eastern countries (Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia) and Europe.
The US is also mentioned as a possible target, but with so-called “lone wolves”, that is, people who’s supposed to be inspired by the Islamic State group to commit terrorist acts.
In Brazil, outside the period of the Olympics, would not make sense a terrorist attack. Brazil is a country of catholic and evangelical majority. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the country has 35,167 followers of Islam. And Brazil has no history of military interventions outside of South America in recent years. The Brazilian army only recently helped in peacemaking and reconstruction operations in Haiti.
Tourists and prisons
But with the Olympics the Brazilian government expects about 1 million tourists in the country and of course there is some apprehension. Also why, with 15 days to the Olympics, the Brazilian police arrested 12 people who were supposed to be supporters of the Islamic State.
According to the Brazilian Minister of Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, Brazilian residents were arrested in Brazil, which had practically no contact with the Islamic State group and had no training or practice in the use of weapons and explosives. Of course, it is worth remembering that in other attacks by “lone wolves” in the world the profile of these terrorists was not so different.
In Brazil, the law 13.260 provides for the possibility of punishment for preparatory acts of terrorism committed in order to cause social or generalized terror. But is not the anti-terrorism law that regulates preventive detention, it’s the Brazilian Code of Criminal Procedure.
These people were monitored by Brazilian police, and had information passed on by other countries intelligence sectors. The detainees are accused of, in social media and electronic messages and telephone networks, to conduct an apology to the Islamic State and later, with “amateur” characteristics according to the minister Moraes, start conversations for preparatory acts of attacks, such as buying weapons.
Prevention
But why would a Brazilian sympathy or help the Islamic State? It’s probably French, Belgians and Americans also wonder today. I do not know the answer. Thousands of thinkers, police, sociologists, politicians try to respond.
In my humble opinion the Al-Qaeda group was different because recruited, trained very and defined the targets of a terrorist attack. The Islamic state is slightly different, they not only recruit people directly, they also inspire people to practice a terrorist attack without much planning, but with potential to kill many, as unfortunately happened in Nice.
And what the Islamic state wants, or any terrorist group, is just that: create an advertisement for terror. So, it is unlikely that Brazil has a terrorist attack in the coming weeks, but yes, there is a possibility. As in many other countries.
What next
For me it is important to say also, in the case of the Islamic State, it is an extremist Muslim group. Most Muslims are not, it does not advocate violence. The Islamic State is a group of radical Sunni Islamic guidance, but most Sunnis is not a terrorist.
The proof is that in the Middle East terrorists kill every day other Muslims for them are infidels. I write this because here in Brazil emerged offenses against Muslims when the 12 suspects were arrested.
It is also important for us Brazilians do not forget that the law 13.260, called anti-terror law, is a law for extreme cases and to combat money laundering and to avoid financing of terrorist groups. This law can not be used in the future to criminalization of social movements and organizations.