Roots of Terrorism

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Root Causes of Terrorism and Ways Stop It By: Emma Bennett Roots of Terrorism What are the root causes of terrorism? This is definitely not an easy question to answer, as one size does not fit all. Causes are complicated and confusing, as they vary from country to country, region to region and person to person. The most agreed upon causes are social and political inequalities and injustices. Poverty, lack of education, land disputes, religion, a sense of righteousness and other psychological factors can be causes of terrorism. Inequalities and injustices, socially and politically, according to Edward P MacKerrow, director of the IAT-I, can lead to the making of a terrorist. He explains that the lack of political means to have complaints heard and addressed, making one feel that their views are being ignored, can lead to violence. According to Alan Krueger, countries with low levels of civil liberties are more likely to be “countries of origin of the perpetrators of terrorist attacks”. Amy Zalman PhD. explains that all terrorist attacks are motivated by two things: social and political injustice and the belief that violence, or its threat, is the only effective way and that they had no other choice. For example, the IRA bombed English targets in the 1980’s to make the point that their land was colonized by British imperialists. The Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine felt that armed attacks in Israel were justified as a response to the usurption of their land. Osama bin Laden’s declaration of war on American interests in the 1990’s stemmed from his belief that U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia represented an abomination to the kind of Islamic state he believed should exist there. Ughar separatists in China feel that Chinese religious suppression justifies their terrorist acts. Some choose terrorist tactics based on a cause whose righteousness they believe in
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