Redefining radicalization
After 9/11, the United States and its allies waged a war against terrorism, on al-Qaida and similar groups, and on violent extremism and against white supremacists.
As a Muslim living in Mindanao, I have been engaged in a battle of ideas even before 9/11 in an attempt to win the hearts and minds of the Bangsamoro people and promote the view that Islam, jihad, and Shariah are positive contributions of Muslims to the promotion of common good and social justice.
In my more than 15 years of experience and work in peace building within the Bangsamoro, I have learned that the military strategy of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency is not enough to address violent conflicts in Mindanao.
Moro fronts are continuously evolving as new youths who claim to be freedom fighters emerge in the communities along with their supporters bringing with them narratives about Islam and the importance of building an Islamic State with Shariah principles that looks into the literal interpretation of the sacred texts within the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah and Hadith of our prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The present discourse in the study of terrorism dwells on the theory that there is a process of developing extremist ideologies and beliefs, called “radicalization.” Academics and security experts assume that if we counter these extremist ideologies, then we may mitigate or even eliminate the influence they gained in schools, communities, madrasahs, and mosques.
Although, the United Nations have not yet fully defined the word extremism, the common definition most governments accept is that it is opposed to common good and social justice. Therefore, to prevent terrorism, government should intervene to suppress the expression of extremist opinions and demand that the rule of law must be followed.
Recent studies have shown that efforts to focus on radicalization and radical ideologies in order to get ahead of the terrorism problem can be confusing. According to Randy Borum, senior editor of the Journal of Strategic Security, “most radicals did not (and do not) engage in terrorism, and many terrorists did not (and do not) radicalize in any traditional sense.”
As a response to this complex issue, the Al Qalam of the Ateneo de Davao University will be conducting an activity entitled “Redefining Radicalization: Streamlining PVE/CVE Efforts of Institutions” on March 16-18, 2017.
The overall objective of the activity is to understand further the definition, nature, and drivers of radicalization that may or may not lead to violent conflict. It also follows what author John Horgan has argued: that we need to be less focused on why people engage in terrorism and more focused on how they become involved.--