Imagine if Robert Bowers, Gregory Bush or Cesar Sayoc had been one of “them.” You know, a “Muslim,” a bearded, swarthy foreign-looking man called Mohammed. President Donald Trump and his supporters would have been saying “terrorism;” many in the US would have demanded to "bomb Islam" and "kick them out". The calls for bans on mosques or Muslims entering the US would have been deafening. Everyone would be debating how these men got radicalized and what networks supported them. Did you notice all the far-right groups compelled to condemn Bowers, Bush or Sayoc? Neither did I. Remarkably, the word terrorism has barely been used. Bowers and Sayoc have hardly ever been called terrorists, yet they seem peculiarly well qualified for this moniker. Sayoc directly targeted senior political figures in the US, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden. Sayoc’s actions were clearly for political purposes to create a climate of terror and, dare I say it, even influence the outcome of the vital midterm elections. Surely a slam dunk? Personally, I try to avoid using the term terrorism as it is frequently devalued. To label someone a terrorist, as this outrage shows, is all too often a political choice, not a judicial or ethical one. For many, a terrorist has no rights, whilst a murderer has some. Terrorist suspects “can” be tortured and waterboarded. You “can” bomb suspected terrorists regardless of risks to others. How does one assess these awful three days for the US: Three attacks, including the most lethal anti-Jewish attack and the largest assassination campaign against political figures in American history. A mail bomber sent 13 viable packages; a man attacked a synagogue, killing 11; and another man killed two African Americans at a Kentucky Kroger store. A common ideology appears to link them all — white supremacism. “All Jews must die,” proclaimed Bowers. In online posts, he referred to them as “children of Satan.” Sayoc’s tweets showed someone who was virulently anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim; racist to the core. The reality remains that, with all the focus on Islamist extremist attacks, the far right poses a challenge few in power are confronting. Chris Doyle Is this the US tearing itself apart? How has such extremism flourished? Why did anti-Semitic attacks rise by 57 percent in 2017? The reality remains that, with all the focus on Islamist extremist attacks, the far right poses a challenge few in power are confronting. The US government found that: “Of the 85 violent extremist incidents that resulted in death since Sept. 12, 2001, far right-wing violent extremist groups were responsible for 62 (73 percent) while radical Islamist violent extremists were responsible for 23 (27 percent).” Trump must not be allowed to duck the charge that he bears responsibility for fomenting this atmosphere of vitriolic hatred. He has normalized racism in the US and, and according to some experts, he has inspired several individuals to carry out hate attacks. Too late he has called for “peace and harmony” after relentless and vicious attacks on so many groups. Sayoc’s targets were Trump’s targets. Seemingly blaming the victim is another Trumpian malaise again on show, as he criticized the synagogue for not having armed guards. Others of a similar mindset to Trump are also responsible. How about all those who sneered that the pipe bomb campaign was actually orchestrated by Democrats to win sympathy? For them, they were fake bombs or false flag operations. These included prominent commentators such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh. How come a British far-right extremist (I will not mention his name) has been invited to address members of the US Congress? Social media companies must do more. One leading post on Instagram was a photo of Soros with the caption, “I am the devil.” One Facebook page in Florida attacked the Democratic gubernatorial candidate with anti-Semitic adverts. Twitter failed to close down Sayoc’s account despite his violent threats, but it has apologized. At least the web companies are tackling Gab, which acts as a similar online platform to Twitter and is favored by racists. Lest non-Americans drown in smugness, racism and uber-nationalism are spreading elsewhere too. It is time to find the antidote to the poison of those who spread hate and create the sewer from which these killers flourish. Political leaders must set the example, not least Trump. The alternative is an ever downward spiral of hatred, leading inexorably to intercommunal violence. Chris Doyle is director of the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU). He has worked with the council since 1993 after graduating with a first-class honors degree in Arabic and Islamic studies at Exeter University. Twitter: @Doylech Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view