Daniel Venable

4/10/2018

Terrorism

Professor Felix Mangual

Radicalization

Abstract:

Terrorism has become one of the most prevalent issues of the 21st century. The Global

War Against Terror has raged on for 17 years, with no sign of abating, and despite these efforts,

terrorist acts are still all too common. There are many types of extremist ideologies, and the

individuals who cling to them do so for a variety of personal reasons. Although extremists are,

by definition, on the fringes of society, research has shown that the sentiments behind these

ideologies can be surprisingly seductive even to moderate individuals. Furthermore, we examine

the demographics common among western extremists and conclude with a discussion about the

relationship between Islam and Islamic Extremism.

 Terrorism is perhaps the single most defining issue of the 21st century. The horrific

attacks at on September 11th, 2001 ushered in a new era along with the millennium. The Global

War Against Terror has raged unabated since that day, and it has become the defining struggle of

a generation. Despite the valiant efforts made by military personnel, law enforcement, and the

intelligence community, attacks still seem to take place with alarming regularity throughout

Western Europe and the United States, due to increasingly popular lone-wolf tactics and the

online radicalization of a nations own citizens. Furthermore, astonishing numbers of individuals

from these counties are leaving their homelands and pledging their allegiance to the Islamic

Califate and other extremist organizations. These neo-radicals have become the face of global

jihad, and to defeat the ideology that they represent, we must learn to understand why they do

what they do.

Radicalization is defined as: “The process whereby individuals transform their worldview

over time from a range that society tends to consider to be normal into a range that society tends

to consider to be extreme (CPRLV).” Understanding this process, is the key to preventing and

combating its effects. On the surface, there are many causal attributes which have been linked to

an increased likelihood for radicalization. Often individuals gravitate toward extremist ideologies

when they are isolated or lack a clear purpose to their life. Strong feelings against the

government, certain races, and religion also play a part (FBI). These resentments often lay the

foundation for an individual’s quest to fill a deep personal need, such as the desires for:

importance, achievement, purpose, affiliation, or power. Extremist groups and ideologies lure

vulnerable individuals by promising the fulfillment of these wishes (FBI).

 The vulnerable individual previously described can be placed into many different molds

of radicalization, depending upon their background and beliefs. The most prevalent extremist

ideologies are: right-wing, left-wing, politico-religious, and single-issue (CPRLV). Right-wing

extremists are generally violent towards the government, law enforcement, immigrants, racial

groups, and other minorities. The Ku Klux Klan and Timothy McVeigh represent this ideology.

Left-wing extremism typically focuses on capitalist institutions, corporations, and social

inequalities. Examples include: communist rebels in Latin America, the Weather Underground,

and Black Panthers. Politico-religious extremism is characterized by strict interpretations of

religious doctrine and its application to political issues. Islamic terrorism falls into this category.

Finally, single-issue extremism is an intense and violent focus on one topic, such as: animal

rights, the environment, or abortion (CPRLV).

To gain some additional perspective on the mentality that drives individuals to these

violent fringes, research psychologists from the University of Oregon studied the publications of

13 extremist organizations, covering the entire spectrum mentioned above, and they condensed

the core tenants of each into 16 key themes. Several of these include: an acceptance of extreme

or violent measures, the illegitimacy of current social institutions, utopianism, and a glorification

of martyrdom (Saucier). From these themes, the researchers designed a series of statements to

gauge an individual’s level of acceptance to each one. Some examples are: "We have a duty to

attack and kill the enemies of our people," "if necessary, we should use force to cleanse the

world of corruption," "unconventional or extreme measures are necessary to change unjust

systems," and "the best way to die is defending your beliefs (Saucier)." The researchers

presented these statements and others like them to 215 college undergraduates and 297 advanced

high school students and asked them to rate their acceptance of each statement on a 1-5 scale.
 While none of the participants "strongly agreed" with most of the statements, most

individuals surveyed did not "strongly disassociate themselves" with the radical statements either

(Saucier). The researchers concluded that the underlying sentiments behind radical thinking are

not all that extreme, only the extent to which individuals are willing to take them. These themes,

they continued, culminated in a "seductive narrative" characterized by "highly emotional

thinking," almost like a "dramatic comic-book (Saucier)."

With this knowledge about the psychological aspects of radicalization, one must then

examine the demographics at the highest risk for embracing such ideologies. Narrowing our

focus to radical Islam, most western recruits for terrorist organizations are males between the

ages of 18 and 29. They usually lack any formal military training or experience, since most were

radicalized online. These individuals are often described as, " disaffected, aimless and lacking a

sense of identity or belonging (Barrett)."

On the religious front, most are relatively new converts to Islam, having lived "highly

secular lifestyles” prior to their sudden conversions (Roy). Up to 70% of ISIS recruits admitted

to having “only a basic knowledge of Islam," despite being well educated, and they rarely have

strong ties to the moderate Muslim community, preferring the exclusive company of other

likeminded individuals. They also lack any formal association with traditional Islamist

organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Although western radicals often cite "atrocities”

committed against Muslim communities around the world as justification for their actions, they

rarely have any firsthand experiences with the suffering of which they speak. Despite these

apparent contradictions, these individuals do consider themselves to be “true believers” and look

forward to supernatural aid and eternal rewards for their often-suicidal actions (Roy).
 For the previously mentioned reasons, the “neo-jihadis” of the 21st century are quite

different from their forerunners, of the 80s and 90s. The latter of whom grew up in war-torn

Islamic countries and were well-acquainted with the struggle to survive from an early age. These

individuals place more emphasis on strict interpretations of religious texts, sharia law, and a

utopian Islamic state. They are experienced fighters, who have served in many Islamic

revolutions and tribal wars. They rarely resort to suicide tactics themselves; although, they

encourage their recruits to do so. These individuals have become the masterminds for the jihadi

movement, and their genius is found in the way that they have created an attractive narrative for

young and impressionable minds. “So much the better for Isis if those who volunteer to die – the

disturbed, the vulnerable, the rebel without a cause – have little to do with the movement but are

prepared to declare allegiance to Isis so that their suicidal acts become part of a global narrative

(Roy).”

To combat terrorism and radical Islam effectively, this “global narrative” must be

discredited. Increased efforts must also be made, on every front, to effectively recognize those

individuals most likely to be enticed by it or any other violent ideology. Furthermore, resources

must be available to pull these individuals back from the fringes, getting them help or, at the very

least, keeping an eye on them. If the numbers of young recruits flowing to the aid of terrorist

organizations and committing horrendous acts on their home soil can be reduced, the plans of the

older and more seasoned jihadis will be stifled. If their ideology loses its appeal, it will die with

them, and a conclusion to the Global War Against Terror might finally be within reach.
References

Why Do People Become Violent Extremists? (2015, October 23). Retrieved April 10,

2018, from https://www.fbi.gov/cve508/teen-website/why-do-people-become-violent-extremists

Types of Radicalization. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://info-

radical.org/en/radicalization/types-of-radicalization/

Saucier, G., Akers, L. G., Shen-Miller, S., Kneževié, G., & Stankov, L. (2009). Patterns

of Thinking in Militant Extremism. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(3), 256-271.

doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01123.x

Roy, O. (2017, April 13). Who are the new jihadis? | Olivier Roy | The long read.

Retrieved April 09, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/apr/13/who-are-the-

new-jihadis

Barrett, R. (2014). Http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/TSG-Foreign-

Fighters-in-Syria.pdf. Soufan Group, 1-33. Retrieved April 8, 2018, from

http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/TSG-Foreign-Fighters-in-Syria.pdf