The terrorists are among us
February 16th 2009 13:11
When we think of terrorists, we generally think of them as being born and bred in another country- certainly not living among their intended victims and most definitely not being born in a nation they despise. This however, is no longer the case.
Jamal Zougam was one of the men who allegedly planted 10 bombs on Madrid trains on March 11, 2004. He immigrated to Spain from Morocco as a boy and seemed well integrated into Spanish culture. He spoke the language, had a social life and contributed to the economy. We may not think this is the profile of a terrorist, but a groundbreaking study into terror cells by the New York Police Department says he is a prime candidate. Link.
So what drives some immigrants (sometimes even third generation ones) to terrorise the countries they often grew up in? The aforementioned study tells us to shelve the idea that religion is behind it. Rather, these people 'are looking for an identity and a cause, which they find in radical Islam.'
The study finds 'they are not recruited from above but usually begin the process of radicalisation alone.' The reason for this is given as the wannabe terrorist being 'frustrated with his life or the politics of his home government and is looking for meaning in life.'
So what leads to this frustration?
A large chuck of it comes down to 'Muslims’ attitudes towards their host country (being) strongly influenced by the perception that Muslims in general are subjected to humiliation and oppression' writes Busso von Alvensleben of the German Foreign Ministry. Link.
What does this mean for countries that are potential targets for home-grown terrorists?
As usual, deflating the situation needs to start in the home.
Immigrants must teach their children to respect their new homeland and the cultural norms it offers. Immigrants must recognise that they emigrated for a better quality of life, therefore, they cannot be cantankerous towards a place they chose to move to because it was better in some way than their home country.
Natives of said countries must not discriminate against immigrants. Shouting abuse at them, looking down on them etc fuels the beliefs of humiliation and oppression. A sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. You treat someone like a terrorist and so you end up turning them into one.
There you go gen Yers living in Western countries, that's how we'll avoid terror attacks from within our own ranks.
Jamal Zougam was one of the men who allegedly planted 10 bombs on Madrid trains on March 11, 2004. He immigrated to Spain from Morocco as a boy and seemed well integrated into Spanish culture. He spoke the language, had a social life and contributed to the economy. We may not think this is the profile of a terrorist, but a groundbreaking study into terror cells by the New York Police Department says he is a prime candidate. Link.
So what drives some immigrants (sometimes even third generation ones) to terrorise the countries they often grew up in? The aforementioned study tells us to shelve the idea that religion is behind it. Rather, these people 'are looking for an identity and a cause, which they find in radical Islam.'
The study finds 'they are not recruited from above but usually begin the process of radicalisation alone.' The reason for this is given as the wannabe terrorist being 'frustrated with his life or the politics of his home government and is looking for meaning in life.'
So what leads to this frustration?
A large chuck of it comes down to 'Muslims’ attitudes towards their host country (being) strongly influenced by the perception that Muslims in general are subjected to humiliation and oppression' writes Busso von Alvensleben of the German Foreign Ministry. Link.
What does this mean for countries that are potential targets for home-grown terrorists?
As usual, deflating the situation needs to start in the home.
Immigrants must teach their children to respect their new homeland and the cultural norms it offers. Immigrants must recognise that they emigrated for a better quality of life, therefore, they cannot be cantankerous towards a place they chose to move to because it was better in some way than their home country.
Natives of said countries must not discriminate against immigrants. Shouting abuse at them, looking down on them etc fuels the beliefs of humiliation and oppression. A sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. You treat someone like a terrorist and so you end up turning them into one.
There you go gen Yers living in Western countries, that's how we'll avoid terror attacks from within our own ranks.
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Comment by Damo
Interesting study,
Comment by Wynona Lavota
Generation Y Life
Comment by Damo
Some people are just born angry.