What will you do when the enemy strikes?

Today, I would have followed my usual mummy script template of soft issues, but I feel compelled to tackle a brutal monster threatening to wipe all of us away from the face of the earth - terrorism. Terrorism is real like tomorrow is Sunday and all of us, especially women and children, are soft targets. The monster is rendering mothers childless and children orphans by the trigger of a gun. Knowledge is power and I think that as mothers, it is good to know what monster we are dealing with so that when the enemy strikes, we are prepared.

Before I delve into my discussion, let me enlighten you on terrorism from my International Relations class. Terrorism is the new war threatening to crash humanity. Unlike other wars, it is unconventional meaning it uses unorthodox and crude means.

First, it is fought by a faceless enemy and not in the battlefields but our very own doorsteps. The targets are innocent and powerless people like you and I. Conventional wars like the World Wars were fought by soldiers targeting other armed soldiers and the rules of engagements were that civilians are not meant to be slain.

But terrorists do not play by any of the set UN rules of engagement for war. They are also masters of instilling fear. With that reality, it is clear that we all in a war zone and can be targeted any time and anywhere. So just imagine you are with your kids at a mall shopping then the enemy attacks, what will you do?

Of course, Boinnet and Nkaissery are tasked with protecting you but before they send help what will you do? Fear. That is the emotion that grips us when we find ourselves in such situations. But fear is a lethal emotion and it can make you do something more disastrous than the real threat facing you.

The recent terror scare at the University of Nairobi’s Kabete campus where one student jumped to his death is evidence enough that fear can cripple you making you act irrational thus exposing yourself to even more danger.

So what should we do to protect ourselves and our kids when they strike a store where we are at? I can hear a host of mamas asking. The aim of terrorists is to kill and destroy anybody they deem fit. So never be fooled that they will spare you if you surrender yourself willingly to them.

The elite Recce may come to rescue you, but they may come when it is too late, so it is of essence that you act fast and make a sober decision. Impossible as it may seem, relax, be calm, say a prayer, think soberly and make a smart move (remember that mama who lay on the floor with a toddler and managed to keep baby calm for hours till help came). Ultimately, when you are caught in that mayhem, your only weapon is that divine, supreme being you trust in. So keep talking to Him as you wait for help.