Mickey GralMrs. Bonesho Comparative Cultures December 12, 2013 Islamic Terrorism: Motivations and Rational Responses The Middle East is a place rooted in the traditions of many religions, including Islam. Not limited to jihadism, Muslims believe that there is one true God and that their goal is the promotion of religion and its ideals. Islamic terrorists seek to achieve this goal by often resorting to violence in the name of religion. While terrorism practiced within Islamic organizations such as Al-Qaeda is carried out under the influence of passion and fanaticism, acts of terror are perceived by the world as an irrational act of chaos and mental confusion. Faced with this dichotomy, the global community must respond rationally and with a coherent policy. Body: On August 14, 2007, multiple car bombings in Al-Adnaniyah and Al-Qataniyah in Iraq killed more than eight hundred people (Cave). The operation consisted of four suicide attacks. Behind the attacks of September 11, 2001, it is the second most serious terrorist act in history. It was also the deadliest of the entire Iraq war. The apprehension that led to the deadly car bomb attack was accompanied by tensions between Sunni Muslims and Yazidis. Sunni Islam, which is the largest branch of Islam, is often considered the orthodox and most zealous of all branches of Islam. The Yazidis, however, are an extremely small minority religion located in northern Iraq. Although no group has taken responsibility for this act, the United States believes that the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda was the perpetrator (Tait). Abu Jassam, considered the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq during the attacks, was killed in 2007 by the American army (AFP). This attack is a...... middle of paper ......n Iraq Truck Bombings Is Raised to More Than 500", New York, NY: New York Times. August 21, 2007: Web."Christmas Attacks in Nigeria by a Muslim sect kill 39." USAToday.com. USA Today Digital Services, December 25, 2011. Web.Cruickshank, Paul. Al-Qaeda: critical concepts in political science. Milton Park, Abringdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013 . PrintFalk, Avner. Islamic terror: conscious and unconscious motivations. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2008. Print. Mshelizza, Ibrahim “Christians flee attacks in northeast Nigeria, Reuters.com, January 7, 2012. Obinna, Ogbonnaya. “Boko Haram is a battle for 2015, says Chukwumerije” The Nation Online NG The Nation, September 29, 2011. “Progress in destroying Syrian chemical weapons” CNN, December 6, 2013. Web Tait, Paul “Al-Qaeda Blamed for Yazidi Carnage,” The Scotsman, August 16. 2007..