Causes of Terrorism: Understanding the Root Causes of Terrorist Activities

This essay explores the various causes of terrorism, including poverty, social inequality, political unrest, and extremist ideologies. It also discusses the impact of technological advancements on terrorism, including cyber terrorism. By understanding the root causes of terrorism, we can work towards preventing these activities and creating a more peaceful society.

What are the most
significant cause of
Terrorism

Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Terrorism can be described as act of violence as well as spreading fear among individuals
for attaining idealogical objectives (Avdan and Uzonyi, 2017). Terrorism is topic which is
considered as complex as well as emotive as it combines varied aspects in relation with human
experience, military strategy, phycology components and many more. Key challenge in
understanding terrorism acts is to bifurcate among the activities which cause moral outrage and
rationale of performing them. This has make the point important to have an understanding about
the vital causes of terrorism in an effective way on a global scale. Major key problem in relation
to terrorism is that it is difficult to bifurcate terrorism on the basis of other forms of violence
such as hate crime, homicide, state-based armed conflict and many more. Violent actions are
principally segregated as per perpetrator, purpose, victim as well as method. Terrorism is
classified as actions that are designed for providing far-reaching repercussions to the immediate
victim. Terrorist actions are conducted by either an establishment which have an identifiable
chain of command.
This essay aims to demonstrate varied significant causes of terrorism around the world in
a an effective manner.
MAIN BODY
Throughout the human history, varied threats are concerned which can harm security of
nations in a significant manner. These threats has led to significant losses in regards with life,
destruction of properties, devastating economic losses, displacement of massive number of
people. Terrorism encompasses of illegitimate use of force in order to attain political or
ideological objectives whereby innocent population is targeted (Berkebile, 2017). Acts in
accordance with terrorism encompasses of assassinations, bomb scares, use of radiological
weapons and many more. High risk target for these terrorist activities comprises of large cities,
international airports and civilians. Terrorists use large stock of explosives as their weapon for
making destruction to a specified place or country. They also use conventional bombs for
damaging social, political, religious as well as financial institutions on a global scale. They can
also attack with the aid of chemical agents which comprises of aerosols and liquids which have
toxic effects on human, plants and animals in a significant manner. In the emerging technology
driven world, terrorists also use nuclear blast which can be understood as a explosion with
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intense light as well as heat that can destroy everything which are present in surroundings. These
attacks have long-lasting effects on the population of a specified place or country. Terrorists can
use radiological dispersion devices for creating psychological fear as well as economic
disruption in a significant manner.
Terrorism is caused by several factors and discussions are made on this topic are
relatively controversial. However, some causes are considered as significant due to their intensity
and regularity. Perception in context to deprivation and inequality among culturally defined
groups can be undertaken as a significant cause of terrorism which can take shape of civil
violence (Coaffee, 2017). Lack of political continuity as well as legitimacy which is streamlined
with integration of political fringes surely encourages ideological terrorism in a specified country
or area. Terrorism is not specific to one country, it spills over to neighbouring countries through
the use of mass media in an effective manner. Skewed gender balance and large involvement of
males towards terrorist groups cause intra-societal violence as well as instability in countries.
Terrorist can rise from deprived, educated or uneducated societies which face any sort of
discriminated practices. This also comprises of individuals who gets influence by the religious
leaders for gaining their support. Poor societies in association with weak state structures are ore
exposed in regards with civil war as compared to wealthier countries which increased the risk of
terrorism. States which are engaged in democratic transition, terrorism can be flourished in an
easy manner.
Marginalised poverty can be considered as controversial as well as significant cause of
terrorism. Although, it is not necessary that terrorists always hail from a poorer section of
society. However, this section of society can be easily influenced on the basis of their conditions,
hatred towards government and many more. They are just used for a political unrest and creating
violence and riots for pouring activities in relation to terrorism. Their unavailability and lack of
bigger contacts have led stop them to raise their voices in case of any misshapening (Combs,
2017). Often terrorism activities are closely related to that section of society who are at a
medium level of economic development. Increased influence of religious leaders can also poses
as an important cause of terrorism on a global scale. Suicide terrorism is flourished and create
ruckus in numerous countries. Suicide bombers are the individuals who are trained for ending
their lives through implanting bombs on their body by destroying a massive number of people
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around them. Sleeper cells are also trained persons for killing a specified group of people on an
instant basis. They gets communicated with different numbers in order to hide their identities.
Lack of democracy, rule of law as well as civil liberties are considered as a cause of
domestic terrorism. Relationship among government coercion as well as political violence led to
lowest level in regards with oppositional violence. Rapid modernization in regards with high
economic growth has also been a cause of emergence of ideological terrorism (Gunaratna,
2018). Modern societies are also facilitating terrorism through rapid transportation as well as
established communication networks such as news, media, social media platforms and many
more. Extremist ideologies in context to secular and religious nature are also considered as a
vital cause for the terrorism around the world. These ideologies influence individuals on the
basis of fundamental principles or political reasons. These views are applied and executed for
interpenetrating situations for guiding actions of individuals which led to dehumanize of enemy
as well as justify the atrocities.
Developed countries are also affected by the terrorism activities in a significant manner
such as USA, Russia, UK and many more. For example, a most popular terrorist attack was taken
place in USA whereby World Trade Tower and Pentagon was destroyed by terrorist.
Causes of terrorism can be due to phycological, ideological, strategic perspective in an
effective manner. Phycological perspective can be understood as a phenomenon whereby
individuals indulged in terrorism actions due to personal motivation or hate towards a specified
community (Gupta, 2020). For example, terrorists attacked a specified community for the reason
of hatred and emerge as powerful. In this case, it is also possible that terrorists perform the
desired acts for increasing their terror among the masses or grab attention of people towards
them. Ideological perspective are concerned with beliefs, values as well as principles which
become an identity of their group. These ideologies consists of religion as well as political
philosophies. One of the example of this groups is Irish Republican Army (IRA) which is
motivated through a political program which wanted to oust United Kingdom from Ireland.
Terrorism can be considered as an extension in regards with failure of politics. It happen
when people want justice from government in regards with their grievances (Hopwood and
Schutte, 2017). But all their plea goes into vain, this led them to start terrorism activities in order
to grab attention of government. In context to this view point, terrorism can be regarded as a
result of logical analysis in order to attain personal objectives. Illegitimate or corrupt government
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are considered as a reason of frequent opposition which led to massive increase in terrorist
activities.
Apart from domestic terrorism, global acts of terrorists are also increasing due to
practices of globalisation in a significant manner. Terrorism in world is also increasing due to
media exposure in a strategic manner. Media is attracted towards the extreme terrorists activities
not because of for covering them. They want to record these activities as it help them to gain
more TRPs as general public get easily fascinated by these actions. Through using media and its
varied platforms, terrorists can transfer their terror with their activities in an effective manner
(Piazza, 2017). Terrorists acts are also caused in an increased manner due to affect of globalised
practices.
While globalisation is considered as a cause of transferring human capital and varied
resources among differential boundaries, it is also poses as a rationale for increased terrorism
(Juergensmeyer, 2017). Due to technological innovations, terrorists has gained huge power
which help them to spread their terror among the masses in a significant manner. Globalisation is
considered as vital element which play an important role in interconnecting the boundaries of
differential countries in a strategic manner. Technological innovations have help the terrorists
groups in orchestrating their attacks in a strategic manner. This has also helped them to plan
cyber attacks which can harm the economy development of a specified nation.
Internet is considered as useful tool which help terrorists in promoting their terror-based
ideologies among the masses (Redlick, 2019). Terrorists have designed varied software,
chatrooms as well as websites which allows them to integrate their ideas among their group in a
strategic manner. Drastic modifications and advancements in regards with communication as
well as technology has opened up the ways for globalised practices in addition with terrorism
acts. Social media platforms are also gets used by terrorists for communicating with each other in
a pre-decided code language. With the aid of advanced technology as well as internet usage,
money and other resources can easily transferred from one place to another in an accessible
manner. Through this, they can formulate the strategies for attack, execute them as well as recruit
people for carrying out those activities in a significant manner. With the help of globalised
practices, weapons and other related resources can be supplied across boundaries in an
illegitimate manner. Although, it is a difficult task to perform but terrorists do it with the help of
their contacts.
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Social inequality is considered as significant cause for increased terrorists activities in a
significant manner on a global scale (Saiya, 2019). Level of education also affect the motivation
as well as ideological perspectives of individuals for indulging in the activities related to
terrorism. Religious reasons are also considered as important reason for increasing terrorism
which comprises of extremists thoughts, intensified scale of violence as well as global reach has
been expanded. Religious terrorism can be regarded as a political violence which is done through
manipulation whereby leaders influence individuals by saying that it is the act of greatest glory
and would help them into getting heaven. Individuals who are immensely affected through
religious terrorism believes that their committed sins will be forgiven and its rewards will be
provided to them after life. There has been seen a dramatic increase in religious terrorism in all
over the globe which leads to numerous terrorists attacks at different places.
Political factors are also considered as crucial for increasing the terrorists activities in a
significant manner. Civil liberties as well as political rights are considered as important for
measuring government repercussions for the specified community or society (Sawalha, 2017).
Human rights violation as well as humiliation to individuals can lead them to indulge in terrorists
activities in a significant manner. It has been assessed that terrorism is streamlined closely with
the practices in relation to social injustice from the side of government instead of poverty. When
government bodies or officials are unable to provide necessary resources to people, this has
created a sense of displeasement as well as dissatisfaction among them which are offered by the
terrorist establishment. They likely to work for those organisations in order to rise their standard
of living and gets involved in offering terror to masses in a strategic manner. These repressions
can take more violent form with time for example, a person has attacked and killed numerous
people in a Church or any other place for getting the revenge from government officials.
Low GDP rates, social inequality, reduced literary rates are considered as vital for
enhancing terrorism all over the world. It is a major problem that differential status of poverty
can not be measured easily as it is a tricky task to perform. Researchers used varied variables for
depicting the poverty rates for a specified country or community. Due to increased social
inequality on the basis of income level, people gets frustrated with their living and desperately
want to risen it up (Whyte, 2019). This practice led them to get influenced by religious leaders to
move ahead with terrorist acts in an exponential manner.
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Even natural disasters also plays an important role in causing terrorist activities on a
global scale. These can make the economic development of a nation weak and led people to live
with high levels of poverty. Poverty stricken people are largely gets targeted by terrorist
organisations for manipulating and indulging them in terror-based activities. Areas which is
concerned with these type of issues are India, Africa, Pakistan and other under-developed as well
as developing countries.
Another issue in relation with terror-based activities is cyber terrorism whereby unlawful
attacks as well as threats are given to masses through computerised technology, varied networks
and other sources. An example of cyber terrorism is disrupted activities of major websites,
unauthorised content with high interference of hackers. This has led to aggravates stress as well
as anxiety, intensifies feelings in regards with vulnerability which can hardens political attitudes
in a strategic manner. This type of terrorism is increasing drastically due to improvised and
advanced technological changes adopted by terrorists for spreading their terror to masses.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned information, it has been assessed that terrorism is crucial
element which is need to be addressed for protecting countries and varied individuals from act of
violence. Terrorism is characterised as the use of violence against civilised population whereby
expected desire is to create fear and panic among a mass audience. Apart from physical
terrorism, terrorists are using technological-based techniques performing cyber attacks which can
hamper the economic image of an country. These attacks needs to be controlled with proper
integration and efforts of community, government and layman in a strategic manner. Major
causes of terrorism are consist of varied factors which are flourished on a global scale in an
effective manner. Terrorism can be flourished through multiple ways such as extremists thinking,
poverty, social injustice, backwardness, political unrest and many more. By identifying varied
threats in relation to terrorism acts, it is imperative for government to formulate strategies for
curbing it from the society in order to make planet a happy place to live in. Varied forces which
are enhancing terror-based acts in a significant manner are related with political, economic,
social components in an exponential manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Avdan, N. and Uzonyi, G., 2017. V for vendetta: Government mass killing and domestic
terrorism. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 40(11). pp.934-965.
Berkebile, R. E., 2017. What is domestic terrorism? A method for classifying events from the
global terrorism database. Terrorism and political violence. 29(1). pp.1-26.
Coaffee, J., 2017. Terrorism, risk and the city: The making of a contemporary urban landscape.
Routledge.
Combs, C. C., 2017. Terrorism in the twenty-first century. Routledge.
Gunaratna, R., 2018. Global threat forecast. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses. 10(1). pp.1-
6.
Gupta, D. K., 2020. Understanding terrorism and political violence: The life cycle of birth,
growth, transformation, and demise. Routledge.
Hopwood, T. L. and Schutte, N. S., 2017. Psychological outcomes in reaction to media exposure
to disasters and large-scale violence: A meta-analysis. Psychology of violence. 7(2).
p.316.
Juergensmeyer, M., 2017. Terror in the mind of God: The global rise of religious violence (Vol.
13). Univ of California Press.
Piazza, J. A., 2017. Repression and terrorism: A cross-national empirical analysis of types of
repression and domestic terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence. 29(1). pp.102-118.
Redlick, A. S., 2019. The transnational flow of information as a cause of terrorism.
In Terrorism: Theory and practice (pp. 73-95). Routledge.
Saiya, N., 2019. Religion, state, and terrorism: A global analysis. Terrorism and Political
Violence. 31(2). pp.204-223.
Sawalha, I. H., 2017. A context-centred, root cause analysis of contemporary terrorism. Disaster
Prevention and Management: An International Journal.
Whyte, C., 2019. Cryptoterrorism: Assessing the utility of blockchain technologies for terrorist
enterprise. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, pp.1-24.
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