8 terrorist attacks in France this year alone, why?

France experienced multiple simultaneous terrorist attacks on Friday, which killed 129. This follows another major attack in January on French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The fact that France has been targeted by terrorists frequently raises questions among the public. In total, eight terrorist attacks and attempts have been made in this year alone.

Behind the reason why the country has been a target for terrorist attacks is internal and external aspects. Internally, more and more Muslim immigrants are losing their jobs due to the economic recession. These so-called "lone wolves" tend to hate the society, and the extremist armed Muslim groups have strategically used them. Islam is the second largest religious group in France preceded by Catholicism. France has a population of 66 million and Muslims make up 10 percent of the population. Most Muslims in the country are known to be of Sunni, which ISIS fighters belong to.

Once called "the country of tolerance," France has not been so tolerant to Muslims during the prolonged slump and increasing immigration, which caused a riot by North African immigrants in the suburbs of Paris.

Foreign media analysis was that France`s secularist policies have separated the nation and other religions might have provoked extremist Islamic groups. In August, a district court took the side of the local government that did not enforce the "pork free" system, which was made for Muslim school students. France also has implemented a bill that bans the burka (a traditional covering worn by Muslim women) in public since 2011.

Such policies may be considered the reason that among Western countries France has the highest rate of domestic Muslims leaving their country and joining Islamic States. According to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, about 3,400 people from Western countries are involved in Islamic terrorist groups, and most of them are from France (1,200), followed by Russia (800), the U.K. (600), and Turkey (400).

Externally, France has been active in annihilating Islamic extremism. The country carried out air strikes against Al-Qaeda at the Mali government`s request, and has been fighting against Islamic extremists for several years in North Africa areas. France made air raids on Iraq last year, and has been participating in battles in Syria since September.

France has also dispatched 10,000 soldiers to conflicted areas; 3,200 to Iraq, 2,000 to Central Africa, and 300 to West Africa. French President Francois Hollande announced on Nov. 5 that he would support the war against Islamic State by dispatching the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" to the Persian Gulf.

jameshur@donga.com