Recently Fox News ran a shocking television documentary about extremist Islamic terrorist groups titled Obsession. Other television specials on similar topics have also been aired on other networks. CNN Headline News recently aired Exposed: the Extremist Agenda. The Discovery Channel aired Iran: The Most Dangerous Nation. All three aired in mid-November 2006. Such programs are painting for the American public a more complete picture of extremist Islamic groups dedicated to terrorizing and destroying not only Israel and but also the entire Christian West. The leaders of these radical terrorist groups are patient, committed to a long-range plan to dominate and overcome all of Western civilization. Where does terrorism come from? Before we answer that question, let's review the purposes of three current terrorist groups: al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Al Qaeda was established by Osama bin Laden and grew to prominence in Afghanistan in the late 1980s. It hopes to establish a pan-Islamic Caliphate throughout the world by working with allied Islamic extremist groups to overthrow all regimes it deems "non-Islamic" and to expel all Westerners and non-Muslims from Muslim-dominant countries. Hamas has a long history of suicide bombings on Israeli civilian and military targets. It hates Western civilization, asserting that the Israeli state was created and forced upon the Arab world by the West. Hezbollah takes credit for taking more American lives in a single attack than any other terrorist organization before 9/11. In Beirut, Lebanon in October 1983 its operatives killed 241 American Marines. Over the last 20 years, Hezbollah has evolved into a Lebanese political and social organization, working tirelessly to win over the Lebanese people through gifts of money, shrewd politics, and personal attention. Terrorism is not confined to the Middle East. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) was a terrorist organization that began in 1969 to unify all of Ireland and drive British forces from Northern Ireland. Terrorism also is not just a modern problem. The Bible speaks of terrorist activities in Old Testament. Over three thousand years ago, Midianite terrorists camped at Israel's borders, robbed them of their foodstuffs and farm animals, and laid waste to their fields. The local Israelites hid themselves in the dens and caves of the surrounding mountains. God raised up a regional leader Gideon to overcome these Midianite terrorist attacks. The Bible clearly identifies the single most influential author of terrorism. He is unseen, spiritual in nature. He is the one the Bible identifies as the god of this world, Satan the devil. He is the evil, unseen power that manipulates hostile human attitudes. When we know why he is so eager to instigate those destructive attitudes, we can know why terrorism has so often erupted throughout human history. Satan is not just a figment of human imagination. He was once a trusted arch-angel named Lucifer (Ezekiel 28). He became Satan the destroyer because he turned against God and tried to throw Him off His throne (Isaiah 14). This apparently took place soon after God made known His great plan to create for Himself a family of sons and daughters from and through weak human beings. The Bible reveals that since Satan could not overthrow God he set himself against God's creation, in particular His creation of human beings. He knew that human beings were created to become the children of God, younger brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus, who one day would "judge angels" (Hebrews 2:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:3). Satan's jealousy overcame him. He became the great Accuser, the Adversary of God—which are the respective meanings of "devil" and "Satan." His slanderous influence is the fundamental reason we have terrorism today. He is the primary, hidden architect of all terrorist activities. Terrorism is only one aspect of his destructive sway on human behavior. Since God won't allow Satan to destroy mankind directly, he is attempting to destroy humanity by influencing us to destroy ourselves. That unseen influence shapes the thinking behind human terrorist activities and many other heinous behaviors in the world about us. It produces results that we read or hear about in every form of our media. It is a concern of your local community and of your national and international leaders. And it has a direct affect on how you conduct your life and consider your future. You can learn a lot more about Satan's persuasive influence and about the ultimate destiny God would like for you to inherit and enjoy. Just request or download our two free booklets: Is There Really a Devil? and What Is Your Destiny?