Habina 1

Elizabeth Habina Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English Honors 1103 10/2/13 To the Extreme

Last wee ! a group o" #militants$! as the me%ia re"ers to them attac e% a shopping mall in &airobi! 'en(a) *he( ille% %ozens o" people! too se+eral more hostages! an% ha% a stan%,o"" with 'en(a police an% sol%iers "or "our %a(s) I-m sure (ou-+e rea% much o" the me%ia co+erage! because much o" it is .uite "ascinating! so I won-t bore (ou with a %etaile% account o" it) /ut! the point I must emphasize on is that it was %one "or the sa e o" Islam! an% +ictims were .uestione% on their nowle%ge o" Islam) *hat nowle%ge! or lac thereo"! either sa+e% them or was their %emise) *he terrorists mur%ere% the ones who the( encountere% that %i%n-t now the answers to the .uestions! but let "ellow Muslims e0it the mall sa"el( %uring the attac ) 1uring the whole pla( o" e+ents! the terrorist group 2l,3habaab too responsibilit( "or the attac an% e0plaine% +ia *witter that it was to recompense "or the 'en(an militar( ta ing action against Muslim groups in 3omalia! which is where 2l,3habaab is locate%) *hough it is thought that a ma4orit( o" the terrorists %ie% whether b( 'en(an militar( or the collapse o" a couple stories in the mall! it coul% still be consi%ere% a mil% %eath compare% to what other Islamic ra%icals %o "or the sa e o" their belie"s) Multitu%es o" ra%ical Islamic "ollowers ha+e committe% suici%al attac s b( strapping themsel+es to bombs or +arious other metho%s) I" (ou-re an(thing li e me! (ou ha+e to "in% this phenomenon +er( "ascinating) 5hat causes or%inar( people to commit such e0traor%inar( acts o" +iolence6

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Most worl% religions teach some "orm o" peace an% some metho%s to obtain the amount o" peace a person can obtain) 7or instance in the Hol( /ible! 8esus sa(s to the people! #9eace I lea+e (ou: m( peace I gi+e to (ou: not as the worl% gi+es (ou %o I gi+e (ou)$ Islam is %i""erent in this respect because o" the lac o" peace that comes "rom in%i+i%uals an% groups associate% with e0treme "orms o" Islam) ;" course! the ma4orit( o" Islamic "ollowers are not +iolent in an(wa(! but the religion still pro%uces a multitu%e o" terrorists) /ut %espite the "act that a large "raction o" the Islamic communit( is not in+ol+e% in terrorism! the( are .uite silent when it comes to these +iolent acts their "ellow Muslims commit) It is e0tremel( rare "or an( Muslim to come out an% con%emn terrorist attac s! which can show silent support an% soli%arit( "or the +iolence against 5estern people) /ut it is also not totall( roote% in religion) 9olitics an% %emograph( help shape the purpose an% aim o" terrorism) 7uture terrorists go through a process that in+ol+es i%enti"(ing un"a+orable con%itions! bree%ing resentment "or these con%itions! pro4ecting the cause o" the in4ustice on an out,group! an% lastl(! becoming %ehumanize% an% %emoralize%) (The Terrorist Mind) *errorists are a prett( heterogenous group! an% the range o" people who become in+ol+e% in terrorism is +ast) *he( can +ar( in man( %i""erent wa(s in terms o" e%ucation! "amil(! bac groun%! age! gen%er! intelligence! economic class! an% so on) Conse.uentl(! the manner in which the( become a terrorist can also be +er( %i""erent) 7actors that pla(e% a e( role in one person-s %ecision to become a terrorist ma( pla( a signi"icantl( smaller role in the %ecision o" others! or ma( not ha+e ha% an( "actor at all) (Holy Warriors) 2ccor%ing to The Terrorist Min%! there is much prepator( wor %one be"ore a suici%al attac is carrie% out: 1< 2 target is selecte% 2< Intelligence is gathere% to %etermine the "easibilit(

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o" the attac an% to %e+elop the best plan o" approach 3< =ecruitment! screening an% selection o" appropriate mission can%i%ates >< 9ractical training an% spiritual in%octrination o" the sub4ect ?< *he e0plosi+e pac et is prepare% an% the attac er is transporte% to the scene) 3uici%al attac s gi+e li"e the ultimate meaning because o" the noble cause associate% with the attac ) Islam %i""ers "rom 5estern religions! because suici%e is not %irectl( relate% to %epression or mental %isor%ers! but is lin e% to a +er( spiritual act) 5estern religions! instea% ten% to %iscourage suici%e) 2mongst "ellow Muslims! suici%e attac s are +iewe% as +er( bra+e an% courageous! an% people +iew the attac ers as people who ha+e a +er( strong sense o" spiritualit() In their communities prior to the attac ! men! t(picall( in their late teens or earl(, twenties! are wi%el( nown as in%! generous people who ha% strong religious belie"s) *he attac s are normall( retribution "or the in4ustices that the ra%ical Muslims "eel are being ta en out on the global Muslim communit() *he terrorists "eel that the( are sacri"icing themsel+es! not onl( to @o%! but "or the whole Muslim communit( b( stan%ing up "or the poor treatment Muslims "eel that the( recei+e b( the han%s o" 5estern nations an% people) 5hen planning a suici%al attac ! the terrorists choose locations care"ull(! with the hopes o" illing as man( as possible to ma e up "or the sacri"ice o" li"e the terrorist is committing) 7or instance! an attac that onl( ille% one or two people woul% not be seen as worthwhile! but an attac that ills "i+e, plus people woul% be consi%ere% goo%) In Holy Warriors, author 2n%rew 3il e %iscusses how popular opinion percei+es terrorists as ps(chologicall( %i""erent than e+er(bo%( else because o" the e0treme +iolence o" man( terrorist attac s) *he +ast ma4orit( o" research actuall( has shown that the perpetrators are not ps(chologicall( abnormal) ;n the contrar(! man( stu%ies ha+e "oun% that terrorists are ps(chologicall( much healthier an% "ar more stable than other +iolent criminals) Committing an

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act o" e0treme +iolence %oes not automaticall( mean that that person is ps(chologicall( %istinct "rom the rest o" the population) 2lthough a "ew ps(chologists belie+e terrorists are mentall( abnormal! their conclusions are base% on +er( wea e+i%ence) Man( ps(chologists who ha+e actuall( met terrorists "ace to "ace ha+e nearl( alwa(s conclu%e% that the( were nowhere close to being #abnormal$! an% the( reall( ha% stable an% rational personalities) Man( things contribute to what causes an Islamic "ollower to go %own the ra%ical path) *hese inclu%e: amount o" "aith! age! economic "actors! an% "amil( bac groun%s) 2lthough! ra%icalism in Islam can be t(picall( trace% bac to man( common "actors! it reall( comes %own to the in%i+i%ual person) *here"ore there can be no true %e"initi+e answer to the reason wh( terrorists commit the +iolence the( %o an% wh( the( become so in+ol+e% in terrorism) 5e can! though! "in% common groun% in the ma4orit( o" terrorists to better un%erstan% the possible reasons wh( the( ha+e %eci%e% to %o what the( ha+e %one)