We live in a world of images. Our modern communication, information technology allows us to participate vicariously in the endless carnage in the world. We feel the heat of events as they come out of the “oven”. Our battles are not only the slaughterhouses of innocent civilians. They are the deathbed of friendship, truth and credibility.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have been fighting a vicious global war against a vicious global enemy, whose real face we cannot see and whose motives we do not understand.

The “benign”, antiquated weapons of the 20th century have been replaced with more deadly weapons. Politicians and war generals brag that their war machinery can destroy thousands of lives and livelihood at one shot. They are proud that with their B5, F18, drones, Apaches, precision missiles and smart weapons their soldiers can inflict maximum pain, death and devastation on “the enemy”, while suffering minimum losses themselves.

We have no way to assess the daily damage caused by the violence and the carnage in Gaza, the West Bank, Iraq, Africa and Afghanistan.

We have lost count of the number of victims of the increasing terrorist attacks.

We do, however, know that these attacks, along with our battles, are claiming more lives than Malaria, AIDS and SARS. They constitute serious threats to democracy and to human rights.

Thousands have been killed or orphaned, thousands have lost their breadwinners and thousands have joined the ever-growing number of homeless, widows, widowers and handicapped.

Thousands of young soldiers have lost their lives and thousands of homes have been demolished. Few hands have been soaked in innocent blood and three heads of innocent hostages have literally rolled.

Millions of terrified citizens have lost the feeling of freedom and security and are wondering what the future holds for them.

Let us switch off our computers and turn off our radios and television sets. Let us keep away from the spin machine so we can focus on specific issues and attempt to find answers to few pressing questions.

How do terrorists become “terrorists”? Why is Islam being so viciously attacked? Why are the teachings of Islam blamed for the horrors we are witnessing nowadays? Are not newly coined terms with religious connotations, such as “jihadists” and “ Isalmists”, instruments that help criminals recruit and brainwash young Muslims?

Have we perhaps given murderers and criminals a mask to hide behind and carry out their activities? Could we have also given them the idea to unite and organize in order to execute their vicious strategy with precision? Is Al-Qaeda the only umbrella that shades these criminals from the light?

Why is there so little investment in international scientific research to identify the true causes of international terrorism? Why is there so little interest in the organization of global conferences on terrorism, a phenomenon of the 21st century that is threatening the very existence of humanity?

Are we afraid to discover that a devil in our backyard, too? Are we afraid that the research findings would confirm our worst suspicion, namely, that we are indirectly supporting terrorism and training terrorists?

All babies are born with hearts of gold. We collaborate with time and experience to transform these little pure hearts into insensitive stones. As they grow up, our children learn to keep their eyes closed, so they do not see the misery and poverty in the world.

They learn to keep their ears shut, so they do not hear the screams of the weak, the cries of the tortured and the tears of the hungry and the pleadings of abused.

We are bringing up our children in a world where cruelty does not make the news, millions of deaths of natural and unnatural causes do not bring a tear to the eyes, lies, empty rhetoric, bloodshed, misery, starvation, diseases and pain are considered “ facts on the ground” to be expected and accepted.

We teach our children to call certain people “the enemy”. We allow them to experience feelings of hatred toward others early in life. They learn to be cruel long before they are sent to a real killing field “to serve their countries” by inflicting pain and misery on” the “enemy”.

We expose our children to “virtual” blood and “virtual” death at a very young age. We allow them to watch violent cartoons every day. We buy them expensive toys and video games, which train them to “virtually” kill and torture the “virtual” enemy and to “virtually”, feel the heat of his “virtual” gushing blood.

Our children play computer games, which teach them to “virtually” commit acts of terror as soon as their tiny fingers are strong enough to strike the computer keyboard. Our teenage boys and girls watch crime movies and get endless pleasure from being “virtually” present among “virtual” dead bodies and in the presence of “virtual” murders.

Are not most of the films, cartoons, video and computer games that our children and youth love made in the West and imported from the developed world?

Let us admit it, we are all indirect supporters of terrorism and active promoters of a culture of war and brutality.

(Ibtissam Al-Bassam is a former dean of King Fahd Academy in London and a present staff member of UNESCO. The views expressed are hers alone, and not those of UNESCO.)