Terrorism: The Other Side

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I, like most of you, am completely opposed to terrorism and the propaganda of declaring war and killing innocent to prove a point. I most sincerely am. I am often accused of being too opinionated and am  intolerant towards the though of terrorism. This article is simply an effort to elaborate on one of the many issues under the extremely broad subject of terrorism and thus, understand the so called “other” perspective on terrorism.

Terrorism, as is widely agreed is a strictly anti national, heinous crime leading to bloodshed of masses who are not even a part of the problem. Efforts to minimize the terrorist attacks and the activities of the various terrorist and extremist outfits are in action throughout the world. However, the high level of technology in today’s world has caused a problem in efforts to try to find the perpetrators and orchestrators of these crimes, especially before the attack actually takes place. To help prevent terrorism, it is imperative to identify some of the causes promoting this despicable act.

The Cause:

A view often explored by many is regarding the root cause of the aforementioned terrorism. The question we all need to ask ourselves is “what causes terrorism?”, however, it is too broad a question to be able to answer. All those who take this view in no way are defending or justifying the act. The view is simply taken to try to understand how and why hatred can escalate to such an extent so as to kill people on such a widespread scale.

The main cause in my opinion is the lack of equality and the urge to look down upon the other religions or faiths and curbing their liberty especially those in minority. In a secular nation like India, terrorism is widespread. Here, the nation consists of various religions. We are dominated by Hinduism, but Islam, Sikhism, Jainism and Christianity among others are also practiced. People with intolerance towards other religions exist, but the problem is intensified due to the sheer number of these religious fanatics placing their religion above all others. The problem is worsened and when these fanatics are people in power and authority and when they are a part of the political process. The presence of political parties which have a religious character attached to them lead to electoral politics causing bias and partiality towards the other religions.

The narcissistic rage harboured by most of the terrorists is often attributed to the circumstances and injustice, social and political in nature. The poverty stricken conditions are often a precedent for the commission of these acts as the lack of opportunity leads to hatred towards the ones with better economic circumstances, irrespective of other factors. It is also believed that people choose terrorism when they are trying to right what they perceive to be a social or political or historical wrong—when they have been stripped of their land or rights, or denied these.

Moreover, the belief that violence or its threat will be effective, and usher in change or the belief that violent means justify the ends is also a cause for promotion of terrorism. Many terrorists in history have recorded to be said sincerely that they chose violence after long deliberation, because they felt they had no choice. This is an extremely wrong and selfish motive cited by these extremists, resultant in the deaths of innocent people.

The teachers of the religious schools, often coach and brainwash young minds from the very inception of their schooling and these children grow up hating and blaming the other religions for the misery and underdevelopment of their own, the reformation of these young minds is impossible due to the deep rooted intolerance and hatred towards those practicing different faiths. Specifically talking about Islamic Madrasas, most of these schools, the students are brought up with the wrongful interpretation of Quran, promoting jihad as the means prescribed by God to avenge.

CONCLUSION

It is agreed that nothing, absolutely no reason justifies terrorism. The need to look at the reasons is simply an attempt to understand some of the aspects which lead to the promotion of terrorism in an effort to try to eradicate the same.  To define the causes of terrorism in totality is extremely difficult to determine. Being a nation plagued by numerous terrorist attacks like that of 26/11, Mumbai train bombings of 1993 and 2006 and numerous other attacks plaguing the entire nation, the need to address the factors promoting these activities is a topic which needs to be studied in depth.

About the Author

DSC_0179 (2)Kajal Dalal

A 3rd year student of law, she is against armchair criticism. She is a die hard feminist and is vocal about the injustice towards women. Kajal was also a part of the “I Lead India” campaign, which was a clarion call for bringing about change. She loves reading and public speaking. She completed her schooling from Sanskriti School, New Delhi and being an army kid has travelled all over the country. She has a special interest in Intellectual Property Rights and plans to pursue criminal litigation.

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