Wave of terror recently is not a random misfortune

By Hedieh Mirahmadi, Exclusive Columnist Saturday, December 20, 2025

A disturbing pattern is taking shape, and it is long past time we stop pretending otherwise.

From Australia to American college campuses, from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, recent acts of violence and terror are not random eruptions of chaos. They are symptoms of a deeper ideological sickness that is metastasizing across the West. These incidents point to the same underlying threat: the steady advance of Islamization working in concert with radical leftist movements, united by a shared hostility toward Judeo-Christian values, and moral order.

In Australia, the attack on a Jewish gathering was not merely another overseas tragedy from which we can safely distance ourselves. It was a targeted act of jihadist violence rooted in antisemitic Islamist ideology, carried out in a Western democracy that prides itself on tolerance and pluralism. Jewish worshippers were not accidental victims. They were the intended target. This is what Islamist extremism looks like when it moves beyond rhetoric and into action, exploiting open societies that refuse to confront the ideology driving such hatred.

Closer to home, the shooting at Brown University shattered the illusion that elite campuses are insulated from ideological violence. While authorities continue to investigate the motive, the environment in which this attack occurred cannot be ignored. American universities have become incubators for radicalization, where anti-Western narratives, moral relativism, and open sympathy for violent movements are increasingly normalized. When young people are taught that America is evil, faith is oppressive, and resistance justifies violence, the leap from rhetoric to bloodshed becomes dangerously short.

The ambush of National Guard members in Washington, D.C., offers an even clearer warning. This was not spontaneous criminality. It was a deliberate act of violence against uniformed representatives of the American state, carried out by an individual shaped by radical Islamist ideology. The symbolism matters. This was an attack on authority, on order, and on the nation itself. It reflects the tragic consequences of importing unresolved jihadist conflicts into the heart of the United States while refusing to speak honestly about ideological vetting, assimilation, and national security.

Then there is the thwarted terror plot in Los Angeles, which should have jolted the nation awake. Members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front were arrested as they allegedly prepared coordinated bombings aimed at civilian and law-enforcement targets. This was not a protest. It was domestic terrorism. The group’s rhetoric wrapped itself in revolutionary language, anti-colonial slogans, and pro-Palestinian activism, echoing themes we now hear routinely on American streets and campuses. What makes this case especially alarming is not just the violence planned, but the ideological fusion behind it.

Federal analysts have increasingly used the term Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE) to describe this emerging threat. Too often, that label is misunderstood or intentionally diluted to focus solely on anarchists or far-left radicals. That is a grave mistake. The reality, as highlighted in internal assessments and echoed by leaders like FBI Director Kash Patel, is that NVE is not a single ideology but a convergence. It is the coming together of violent anarchists and jihadists who may differ in theology or long-term objectives but are aligned in their immediate goals. Both reject the legitimacy of Western civilization and view the Judeo-Christian moral frameworks as enemies. Both embrace violence as a tool to accelerate societal collapse.

This alliance is not theoretical. Jihadist groups have long sought partnerships of convenience with radical leftist movements, understanding that chaos weakens states and erodes resistance. Radical leftist groups, in turn, increasingly excuse or even celebrate Islamist violence as “resistance,” provided it is directed at Israel, America, or Western institutions. The result is a shared ecosystem of radicalization where Islamist theology and revolutionary nihilism reinforce one another.

The Turtle Island Liberation Front case exposes this clearly. Its members adopted Islamist talking points, framed their violence through global jihad-adjacent narratives, and aligned themselves with causes historically exploited by Islamist movements to gain Western sympathy. This is not an accidental overlap. It is strategic convergence. Islamists bring ideological discipline and a long-term vision of societal transformation. Anarchists bring disruption, infrastructure sabotage, and a willingness to burn everything down. Together, they form a combustible force aimed at dismantling the moral and civic foundations of the nation.

What ties these incidents together is not race, nationality, or even geography. It is ideology. Each attack or plot reflects an assault on ordered liberty, religious freedom, and the sanctity of life. Each one is fueled by narratives that demonize Judeo-Christian values as obstacles to “liberation.” Each one benefits from a culture that refuses to draw moral lines, that fears naming evil, and that treats all belief systems as morally equivalent.

The failure to confront Islamism honestly has created space for this alliance to grow. Political leaders, cultural institutions, and even some faith communities have chosen silence or appeasement over truth. Radical leftist groups are granted moral cover so long as they cloak their violence in the language of social justice. Islamist ideology is excused under the guise of religious sensitivity. Meanwhile, ordinary Americans are told these threats are exaggerated, unrelated, or misunderstood.

Scripture warns that a house divided against itself cannot stand. A society that abandons moral clarity invites chaos. When truth is replaced with grievance, and faith is replaced with ideology, violence follows. The recent wave of terror is not a random misfortune. It is the fruit of years of cultural and spiritual erosion.

This is not a call for panic. It is a call for discernment. Christians, policymakers, and citizens must recognize that the battle before us is not merely political or security-based. It is spiritual. We are witnessing a rebellion against the moral order that undergirds human dignity, justice, and peace. The answer will not come from slogans or censorship, but from courage, truth, and a renewed commitment to the values that once made the West resilient.

America does not need to surrender to fear, nor to deny reality. It needs leaders willing to name threats clearly, protect the innocent, and defend the moral foundations that sustain freedom. It needs believers willing to stand firm, speak boldly, and refuse to trade truth for comfort. History teaches that civilizations do not fall overnight. They erode when they forget who they are.

The recent bloodshed and near-misses are warnings. Whether we heed them will determine not only our security, but the soul of our nation. As Scripture reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).