Question
What has caused a rise in Islamic terrorism?
Answer
There has been a noticeable rise in Islamic terrorism, particularly since the early 2000s. This increase is attributed to various complex factors rather than a singular cause.
Causes of the Rise in Islamic Terrorism
Political Instability and Structural Imbalances: The broken political systems and delegitimization of state institutions in the Middle East have contributed significantly to the rise of radical terrorist organisations like ISIS. The decline of Arab civilization has also been a source of frustration and aggression, fueling terrorism (Justice and Wonah, 2021).
Globalization and Hybrid Wars: The phenomenon of globalization, along with hybrid wars, has facilitated the spread of terrorism. Hybrid wars, often involving Western powers, have been linked to the rise of Islamist terrorism as a reaction to Western globalism and intervention (Pochta, 2021; Alfahham, 2020).
Western Foreign Policy: The U.S. foreign policy post-9/11, particularly the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, has been linked to the rise of new terrorist organisations. These actions have led to sectarianism and the geographical expansion of jihadist groups, contributing to the mutation of Al-Qaeda into more complex organisations like ISIS (Khelfa, 2023).
Freedom and Democratic Backsliding: A lack of freedom and democratic backsliding in various countries has been identified as a significant factor. Freedom is seen as a countermeasure to extremism, and its absence can exacerbate terrorist activities (Saiya, 2021).
Islamophobia and Media Framing: The post-9/11 framing of Islam in Western media has contributed to Islamophobia, which in turn has fueled transnational terrorism. This framing has led to discrimination and demonization of Muslims, further complicating the global terrorism landscape (Jalil, 2021).
The rise in Islamic terrorism is a multifaceted issue driven by political instability, globalization, Western foreign policies, and societal factors like Islamophobia. Addressing these root causes is essential for effectively combating terrorism and preventing its further spread.
References
Pochta, Y., 2021. Islamist Terrorism in the Context of Contemporary Hybrid Wars. Vestnik RUDN. International Relations. https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-0660-2021-21-4-734-746
Justice, E., & Wonah, E., 2021. THE RISE OF RADICAL TERRORISM AND THE ISLAMIC STATE IN IRAQ AND SYRIA. Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 7, pp. 1682-1688. https://doi.org/10.15520/JASSH.V7I4.595
Saiya, N., 2021. Why Freedom Defeats Terrorism. Journal of Democracy, 32, pp. 105 – 115. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2021.0022
Jalil, M., 2021. THE RISE OF THE FIFTH WAVE OF GLOBAL TERRORISM (ISLAMOPHOBIA). Margalla Papers. https://doi.org/10.54690/margallapapers.25.2.69
Alfahham, M., 2020. The Spread of Terrorism in Contemporary Islamic History with Comparison between Past and Present. JOURNAL OF XI’AN UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE & TECHNOLOGY. https://doi.org/10.37896/jxat12.03/217
Khelfa, N., 2023. The War on Terror: The Neo-American Manifest Destiny. Indonesian Journal of Counter Terrorism and National Security. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijctns.v2i1.64687
Dyer, Gwynne. Don’t Panic; ISIS, Terror, And Today’s Middle East. Toronto: Random House, 2015
Ganji, Akbar. “Confronting Terrorism and Instability in the Middle East: The Common National Interests of Iran and the United States.” huffingtonpost. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/akbar-ganji/confronting-terrorism-and_b_5516243.html.
George W. Bush: “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union,” January 29, 2002. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29644.
Hall, Benjamin. Inside ISIS; The Rise Of A Terrorist Army. New York: Centre Street, 2015.
Keesee, Timothy, and Mark Sidwell. United States History Textbook. Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2012
Morell, Michael J. The Great War Of Our Time; The
CIA’s Fight Against Terrorism. New York: Hachette Book Groupn.d.
[1] Ganji, Akbar. “Confronting Terrorism and Instability in the Middle East: The Common National Interests of Iran and the United States.” huffingtonpost.
[2] Dyer, Gwynne. Don’t Panic; ISIS, Terror, And Today’s Middle East. Toronto: Random House, 2015
[3]ibid
[4] George W. Bush: “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union,” January 29, 2002. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29644.
[5]Dyer, Gwynne. Don’t Panic; ISIS, Terror, And Today’s Middle East. Toronto: Random House, 2015
[6] Ibid., 112.
[7] Ibid., 113.
[8] Ibid.
