Originally posted by Storm
A growing number of psychologists and political scientists would be finding that military occupation, alienation and perceptions of general political oppression, not the rantings of radical clerics or the indoctrination of students in madrassas, fuel extreme violence in the Muslim world.
People become terrorists through social networks and emotional bonds, not because of religious devotion or indoctrination. Religious belief may help sustain terrorists' commitment to the jihad, but it is not what causes them to join in the first place. Terrorism is seen as a form of empowerment. For people who feel dispossessed or politically oppressed, participating in terrorist activities is a way of finding empowerment in a situation where people perceive no other choice exists. This is Nichole Argo' s interpretation of the scholars she surveyed (a freelance journalist and doctoral student in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology).This research is clearly controversial and at odds with the common interpretation advanced by governments and the news media.
while religion may not be why the young men who are perpetrating the terrorist acts join the cause it is as you put it the sustaining factor in remaining active in the terrorist world. so the question then becomes, what allows these young men to be able to finish the job so to speak. is it the empowerment for the people they will leave behind, the freedom they will attain for their family. both of these are possibilities and i am sure that the reasons vary with each individual. or could the reason for following through be that you are guaranteed salvation and honor for eternity. the religious aspect may not be what brings them to the table but it is almost asuredly what causes them to stay and eat. the message given by these CLERICS is that you can not separate the two. it is inherently a religious and political question. of course occupation breeds terrorism that is not a new concept, read a history book and you will find that to be the case regardless of religion caste or creed. however, what does make this different is that it is done in the name of god. that is a fact that can not be overlooked. the reason for the terrorism is that the islam that is being preached to these impressionable young men is that martyrdom is admired and adored. martyrdom is something to aspire to. you can not say that mere social attachments is enough to cause a person to commit suicide and take other people with them. it takes something rather personal, intrinsic, and extremely important to a person to commit such an act. for these indoctrinated young men it is their idea of islam and what god wants them to do.
which brings me to another question. a man in america kills several abortion doctors because he says it is the work of god and that god wants him to do it and he will be rewarded for it. why is it we condemn that man without a second thought, without looking for the social group that has caused this innocent man to err in his judgement. we condemn him. however we try to alleviate at least some of the responsibility these young men possess simply because we may not like the policy of the u.s. government. this seems contradictory to me. either they are both guilty and should be hunted down and punished (my favorite) or we alleviate both groups guilt and say that societal pressures and affiliations made them do it. either way we can't have it both ways.
i know that i have touched on an issue in abortion that is sensitive. just for the record it seemed to be the most appropriate to make my point. i am pro-abortion just for those that may think otherwise. a doctor trained in the u.s. with experience is better than a doc in south america or lain america or the carribean as it was done until roe v wade.