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Essays on homegrown terrorism
Case studies of terrorism
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I enjoyed reading your post. Although the theories that were covered this week attempt to explain us the process of radicalization, in my opinion, I think that each case will be different because the combination of factors will be different in each case. Many homegrown terrorists are radicalized due to jihad or misleading interpretation of Islam, while other homegrown terrorists are not religious at all and have other motives. However, the main factors that are usually found in most cases is crisis and deprivation. When someone is going through a crisis or deprivation, that is the most vulnerable moment in which a person is at risk of becoming radicalized. I think it is very hard for law enforcement to prevent someone from becoming radicalized
Speckhard, A. (2013). The Boston Marathon Bombers: the Lethal Cocktail that Turned Troubled Youth to Terrorism. Perspectives On Terrorism, 7(3). Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/268/540
What internally drives a terrorist’s motivation varies from subject to subject. While the average American citizen would likely be quick to point terrorists hate the western way of life and what it represents, the issue is far more complex. Simon Cottee’s article “What Motivates Terrorists?” (2015), looks at various levels of motivation. Prior definitions of terrorism looked at the defining cause as possibly psychological abnormalities within in the individual (Cottee, 2015). As studies have evolved, the focus has shifted to the environment in which the terrorist is surrounded. While certainly there is cases in which a person who is mentally unstable could be an ideal target for terrorist propaganda, the number of cases involving mental
Many terrorists believe that their religion is the only true religion, and they use it to justify violence (“Islamic Terrorism”). Most Muslim terrorists follow Jihad. Jihad is an Islamic perception that the way to integrate their religion is by massive force (“Of True Muslims and Terrorists”). Jihad is considered the “sixth pillar” of faith in Islam because it is the constant fight towards good. It is the idea of focusing on God and turning away from those that oppose God (David E. Long, 91). The terrorists believe that their religion is what everyone should follow, so they would naturally require personnel in power in Muslim states to either convert to their religion or resign from their terms. They will first threaten a leader that if they do not change, the terrorists will use violence. Sometimes, violent acts come about without any warning or previous threats (“Of True Muslims and Terrorists”). Islam is a proselytizing religion, which means it uses violence to convert people to its faith. This is because, in the ...
My first secondary source is the book, “Blood and Rage: A Cultural History of Terrorism” written by Michael Burleigh. In his book, he investigates the nature of terrorism, with its origins in the West to the current global acts of terrorism. Burleigh examines the roots of terrorism in the last 150 years such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Russian Nihilists, Red Brigades, Black International, Tamil Tigers and Al Qaeda. He also explores the political impact of those who cause violence and those who are affected by it. He shows that the groups are not only religiously motivated but are also motivated by ideological and separatist motives. He further shows how contrary to popular belief, terrorist are big fans of technology and much of their agitation is driven by the acts of Western Governments themselves. He towards the end of his book shows the positive side of his book and gives recommendations on how terrorism can be defeated.
Like most Americans, I have spent many moments since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 trying to grasp both the acts themselves and the seemingly endless chain of depressing events following in their wake. Although many have rediscovered faith communities or a renewed social activism in their search for understanding, I have immersed myself in the lessons of Cherokee culture and history. This history teaches me to situate September 11th in the context of other tragedies that have occurred on American soil. For example, as many as 10,000 Cherokee people perished as a result of the forced march to Oklahoma known as the Trail of Tears B or, more accurately, the nuna dat suny, which literally translates as "they were crying in that place." Cherokee oral tradition is replete with stories acknowledging the trauma of what historians euphemistically call "removal", and its physical, spiritual and social wounds may never be completely healed. Other stories, and particularly those in the genre known as origin narratives, illuminate both 9/11 and Removal by enabling the emergence of a distinctly Cherokee critical theory of violence.
In Module one, I learned that terrorism is a result of physical harm or deadly acts of force with the intent of a political outcome by the use of terror for coercion. There are various types of terrorism such as international terrorism and domestic terrorism. International terrorism occurs outside of the United States with a purpose to influence the policy of a government by intimidation. International and Domestic terrorism both involve violent acts dangerous to human life that violate federal and state laws. Domestic terrorism occurs within the United States with the intention of coercion or intimidation by way of mass destruction, etc. Some forms of terrorism include Improvised explosive devices (IED), kidnappings, suicide bombings and
Group participation is a way that terrorist groups are able to complete certain difficult goals similar to gangs or other groups that are involved in deviant behavior together (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). Attacks like 9-11 would not be possible without the groups working together. There are key elements that go along with group crime such as group mediation, and environmental conditions of potential targets (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). Crime also happens when people do not have “belief” in the norms and values of society and also don 't respect authority (Hirschi & Stark, 1969). Terrorists are motivated by having different values of American society and see it as being immoral. They see our government as being corrupt and rationalize their actions because of this. It is important public policy makers know how to limit this extremist ideology and not make it worse by isolating Muslim
Brian Jenkins a senior advisor to the Rand Corporation, a policy research think-tank organization, defines radicalization as the “process of adopting one’s self or inculcating in others a commitment not only to a system of beliefs, but to their imposition on the rest of society” (Gartenstein-Ross and Grossman, 2009, p. 7). McCauley and Moskalenko (2008) describe radicalization as “changes in beliefs, feelings and behaviors in directions that increasingly justify inter group violence and demand sacrifice in defense of the in-group” (p.416). As part of radicalization, an individual discovers a new revelation on how he or she perceives the world. Radicalization does not occur suddenly but is a complicated process influenced by personal experiences, the environment, personality character...
According to the Department of Homeland Security (2015) “A domestic terrorist differs from a homegrown violent extremist in that the former is not inspired by and does not take direction from, a foreign terrorist group or other foreign power”. The Department of Homeland Security also states that home grown extremists are not bound by borders unlike domestic and international terrorism. Homegrown violent extremists may commit acts that would normally be considered terrorist actions, but are not connected to any terrorist group. Home grown violent extremists are motivated by foreign terrorist ideals but have no direct connection or support from any foreign or domestic terrorist organization. Examples of home grown violent extremists would be the Fort Hood shooter who shared beliefs and ideas of violent radical Islamic terror groups but had no known direct connection to any terror group. It is believed the Fort Hood shooter planned and conducted his attack solely on his own, and thus he is a home grown violent
Over the past century, terrorism has advanced from random killings to enormous plans for terrorist groups. To understand terrorism, you must first define it. Terrorism as we all know it is hard to define and understand, and has many different definitions as it is used widely. The word "terrorism" stems from the word "terror", which means to instill fear in. People become terrorists when they take the actions towards instilling fear and terror upon people to prove a certain point or agenda.
In both given articles, “The Roots of Muslim Rage” by Bernard Lewis, and “The Roots of Muslim Rage Revisited” by Nicolaas J.E. van der Zee, argue about the enhancement of the Muslim fundamentalism with different perspectives; however, I believe that Lewis’ view may be quiet misleading to the actual perception. Lewis indicates that Muslim fundamentalism is conceived through the Muslim community’s oppression and dissatisfaction with the West’s political involvement, as well as “Islam is a source of aggression” . In defiance of Lewis’ opinion, the word ‘Islam’ comes from the word peace as well as the will of submission to God. The notion of aggression and violence that Lewis conceptualizes to be the headline of Islam does not have any supporting
Situating Sojourning for Freedom within the conceptual framework of “black left feminism,” McDuffie traces the political lives of black radical women such Claudia Jones, Grace Campbell, Williana Borroughs, and Audley “Queen Mother” Moore. The story begins in the 1920s with the conclusion of first wave of feminism through the 1970s with the beginning of third wave feminism. Originally McDuffie looks to study black communist women as a way to stabilize the “overwhelming attention to the church, women’s clubs, and the Garvey movement” that overshadows other brands of black women’s radical activity (6–7). Instead of observing these black communist women as individual activists, McDuffie chooses to demonstrate their activities as “part of a community of black women radicals whose collective history spanned more than fifty years” (7). With this work, he proposes an “alternative genealogy of twentieth century black feminism” which places the black women radicals, instead of civil rights, black power, and feminist movements as the foremost “progenitor for the black feminism of the 1960s and 1970s” (13).
Juvenile detention has been a part of the United States legal system for many years, and many people accept it without knowing the terrible reality of this institution. Juvenile detention is an ineffective and outdated system that needs to either be radically reformed or removed all together for the betterment of our society’s youth. These detention facilities often have unhealthy conditions for the incarcerated juveniles who live within the halls. Along with horrible conditions, the staff who work in these institutions often do not care about these young adults, and are unequipped to help them. Lastly juvenile detention often does not deter children from the life of crime, and only sets them on a path that could lead to more crime.
Another aspect that must been included in this document is the education system in the prisons. It was previously stated, but it has such a strong significance that it must not be ignored. It is important to know how much education inmates are receiving, the trades that they are learning, and the opportunities that they receive for employment after being released. As stated in the beginning of the document, radicalization occurs when an individual want to commit violence against a society. Throughout the document the argument has been that the people that are joining these organizations are because they feel that the system has failed them. A major cause of that is the education system. Unfortunately, minorities in America receive little to no education.
Terrorism has been around for centuries and religion-based violence has been around just as long. (Hoffman, 2). The violence was never referred to as terrorism though. Only up to the nineteenth century has religion been able to justify terrorism (Hoffman, 2). Since then, religious terrorism became motivated and inspired by the ideological view (Hoffman, 3). Therefore, it has turned against the main focus of religion and more towards the views of the extremist and what is happening politically (Winchester, 4).