Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi
[ARABNEWS] Whenever suicide kabooms take place there are the inevitable questions on what drives these people to kill others and themselves. For many, these are perplexing and unfathomable issues with no ready answers.
It is particularly difficult for many Moslems to comprehend how some people can use Islam, a religion of peace with clear prohibitions on unjust killings, as justification for their barbarity.
Many religious scholars, including those from Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... 's Council of Senior Scholars and Al-Azhar in Egypt, have repeatedly explained in edicts that takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... acts and extremism in religion are prohibited under Islamic law. It then becomes even harder to explain why these jacket wallahs ignore such rulings.
Some psychiatrists believe that these individuals suffer from a deeply entrenched lack of self. As they search for meaning in their lives, some have found themselves carrying out inhumane and violent acts.
This goes some way to explain why most of these bombers are young people, who are passionate, willful, determined to be relevant and achieve something in life. If they are depressed and feeling hopeless, they become even more vulnerable to those who offer them a sense of belonging, affection and respect.
Finding meaning in life is not only about a job, wealth and education, but also spiritual development. When people have a spiritual void and are filled with fear, they are easily exploited to go to extremes in the false belief that they are doing the right thing. They believe that they would be praised because this is how society treats those who are pious and concerned with spiritual matters.
Unfortunately, their actions are based on a convoluted view of the world. Many young people do not have a deep understanding or knowledge about life and the world. They tend to take fatwas and advice from people surrounding them at face value.
It should be borne in mind that there may be an element of exhibitionism at play, with these young and undeveloped minds getting a sense of importance and attention from their extreme actions.
Extremism can take many forms, but all of them lead to either some measure of dysfunction or complete personal destruction. Football fans can display this Death Eater behavior with obsession for their teams, resulting in often violent and fatal festivities with rivals.
However, we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... this type of hooliganism is different from being inspired by religious sentiments, which have a more powerful hold on people because of the deep emotions and status issues involved. Consequently, there is a greater opportunity for manipulation, which eventually leads to murder.
Social workers and counselors in Saudi Arabia say that many of these young people have had convictions for drug dealing and other crimes. And when they latch onto religion, there are often disastrous and bloody outcomes.
Some sociologists argue that certain societies control the behavior of their citizens too strictly, while there is praise for those who have the outward trappings of piousness with the way they dress. However, we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... these people are simply seeking status, regardless of their qualifications. This psychological need coupled with social traditions pushes people into taking positions where they would even justify terror.
As the danger of these terrorist groups increases, it makes it that much more important to find ways to combat this thinking. There is a need for extensive research by sociologists and psychiatrists on the mindsets of these people.
The physical battle is important but the war will be won on the intellectual level, which is being waged for the minds and lives of our children, our most important assets. We cannot afford to lose it.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
NOW that was interesting.
Too bad he didn't quote Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning"...no wait Frankl is Jewish.
Oh never mind
But Frankl said man could find meaning in three endeavors:
Love
Works
Enduring a hardship
When I was reading the Quran during my six months in Libya, I don't ever remember seeing the word "love" anywhere in the Quran.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
01/21/2015 0:37 Comments ||
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#2
It is particularly difficult for many Moslems to comprehend how some people can use Islam, a religion of peace with clear prohibitions on unjust killings, as justification for their barbarity.
Classic 'Denial' as evidenced by both psychosis [symptoms] and neurosis [the actual mental disorder]. Move along now, leave them to their communal excoriation. Nothing can be done for them at this point.
#5
I don't want to understand them, I just want them to die. Painfully and alone (eg without taking innocents with them).
Posted by: regular joe ||
01/21/2015 14:14 Comments ||
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#6
Psychiatry, sociology and psychology cannot understand the terror mindset. Nor can they help eradicate it. Theology is the source of the mind-set ... well, alleged theology ... and that means mullahs and that means hanging mullahs from lamp posts. That is real theology. And a Saudi writing about eradicating terrorism?!?!?!? That is really, really rich. Saud is the world's main funder of it. So, essentially, this piece in Arab News is entirely misdirection.
COPPER COATED MICROCHIP IMPLANT
ALLOWS TERRORISTS TO SPEAK TO
GOD.
The implant is specifically designed
to be injected in the forehead.
When properly installed, it will
instantly allow the terrorist to speak to
God.
It comes in various sizes: Generally
from .223 to .50 cal.
Following the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris this month, White House spokesman Josh Earnest briefly became an Islamic theologian. At issue was why U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, unlike the leadership of France, wouldn't describe the murderers as adherents to “radical Islam.”
Pressed by NPR's Mara Liasson, Earnest explained to reporters that the terrorists tried to “invoke their own deviant, distorted view of Islam in order to justify” the attacks.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/21/2015 00:00 ||
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The linguistic gymnastics of avoiding connecting Islam to terrorism is almost like watching Cirque de Soliel perform while they recite "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
01/21/2015 0:34 Comments ||
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#2
Or perhaps repelling down a cliff while knitting your rope.
Posted by: Steven ||
01/21/2015 3:20 Comments ||
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What is the difference between radical islam and mainstream islam?
#4
As far as I have been able to determine, "radical" and "Mainstream" are synonymous and fully interchangeable in this context. I hope this is of assistance Skunky.
[DAWN] THE focus on the fight against terrorism by the military and other security forces tends to overshadow another crucial aspect of the war: the need to clamp down on those individuals, institutions and groups that promote krazed killer religious thought in the first place.
So while the stepped-up military operation in the northwest is a reminder of the consensus against terrorism that was formed in the aftermath of the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. school attack last month, more action is still needed against those who promote divisive ...politicians call things divisive when when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive, they're principled... ness and hate.
In this context, it is a welcome sign that some action is now being taken in towns and cities, and the government is finally waking up to the fact that a large number of mosques use the pulpit to preach their narrative of extremism and intolerance.
Resultantly, the past month has seen a number of news items about holy mans and prayer leaders being booked for contravening the amplifier act, or the rule that mosque public address systems be used for nothing but the call to prayer and the Friday sermon.
Many people have been booked and shops have been shut down over the dissemination of krazed killer ideas. For instance, it was reported yesterday that over the preceding two days, the Islamabad Capital Territory police had booked 12 prayer leaders for violating the loudspeaker ban. Before that, as many other holy mans, including the deputy prayer leader of Islamabad's Lal Masjid ...literally the Red Mosque, located in Islamabad and frequented by all sorts of high govt officials. The proprietors, Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, unleashed their Islamic storm troopers on the city, shutting down whorehouses and beating people up who weren't devout enough. The Musharraf govt put an end to the nonsense by besieging the place. Abdul Aziz Ghazi was nabbed while he was trying to escape dressed up like a girl. BBC reported that the corpse count at 173, but other claims, usually hysterical, say there were up to 1000 titzup. Among their number was Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Everyone then said tut-tut and what a nice guy he had been... , were booked for the same transgression.
But despite these measures, it is pertinent -- indeed, imperative -- to ask the government about its long-term plan. Being 'booked' refers merely to the registration of a complaint; over the weeks past, dozens of people have been booked. Are investigations under way? Is the government hoping to arrest the thousands who promote extremism and put them behind bars? Or is this just a cosmetic procedure aimed at mollifying those who have directly or indirectly suffered over the years at the hands of krazed killers?
If the fight against extremism is to have any chance of success, it must be multipronged and above all, well-thought-out and cohesive.
Efforts such as those outlined above are indeed a first step, but no more than that. They need to be buttressed by a long-term plan and strong measures to counter the poisonous narrative of the krazed killers, who must be isolated from those who preach peaceful religious values.
Unfortunately, that is as yet not in evidence, notwithstanding the consensus against terrorism. Where is the effort to strengthen the judicial process, for example? To empower Sherlocks and prosecutors and to protect judges and witnesses? In fact, to create a system that can deter the krazed killer mindset evident across the country?
As the operation against the bandidosturbans intensifies, radical mosques and seminaries will push back. The state must diversify its arsenal to take them on.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Slick Ebbins7546, we had so many articles today that I moved your article to tomorrow, so that it could get more attention. I agree, this form of soft jihad desperately needs the cleansing light of day. Thank you for shining that light for us here.
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