What is the cause of terrorism?

Question

Keep in mind, there are terrorists from all religions. (In other words I don't think it's religion.)

Islam is not the only religion that kills in its name.

Hindus kill Muslims in India.

Christians in the USA have killed at abortion clinics within recent memory.

Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians have also committed terrorist acts in the name of religion in Ireland.

But what causes the hatred. What causes the desperation in the individuals. Until we figure this out we can't stop it!

Answer 1

It's economic inequity + philisophical difference + racism + revenge.

Let's take it point by point.

3rd world nations blame the West for their global economic position.
Its not unlike resident's of East LA blaming white America for their own economic disparraige.
They believe the west (this includes Britian, Russia, USA, Israel) have used military force to prop up puppet governments that will sell national resources under sweet heart deals to Western corporations. They believe organizations such as WTO/GAAT devalue their currency and manipulate markets against them to maintain cheap labor. They believe that a once great empire has been gutted by a world against them.
Of course that is flawed - and counter productive thinking, nonetheless it is being taught by accreddited thinkers in those nations.

Philisophical differences.
the sense of nationalism is scary over there.
Here you have a majority of people who don't trust foreigners, and believe maintaining an archaic medevil culture is paramount to everything else in their society. It's a combination of national pride and the fear of God. The west is represented as being ammoral and viral in the way it corrupts minds and leads them ultimately to ruin - and hell. To about 65% of Americans this type of thinking is ridiculous and infringes our pursuit of life, liberty and hapiness. We have people like that in this country and they do feel marginalized and incessantly call this nation sodom/gomora etc, etc. I believe this is the breakthrough Bush is trying to make by forcing the American way of life (albiet military) into their culture. Some of his methods are counfounding but I do think addressing this particular point is on the agenda (somewhere).

Racism
A lot of those guys do not trust whites.
That's what happens in underdeveloped - undereducated societies. See Jasper Texas.

Revenge.
A whole lot of Muslim blood was spilled during the cold war.
Fundamentalists are pissed at the USA but they are just as pissed at the USSR. the leaders in the middle east are quick to point out that even if it wasn't an American hand that pulled the trigger - it was still an American bullet/bomb that did the damage.
Back to the East LA metaphor - remember in Boys in the Hood when Lawrence Fishburn asks, "why is there a gun shop on every corner?" He goes on to remark how there are no uzi factories in the hood. Basically it is a commentary on outside forces creating an environment destined for destruction. Similar to the wild-a** accusations of the CIA running crack into the ghetto as a control mechanism. Even today - just this week America has made lifetime enemies by imprisoning Iraqi citizens.
House to house searches, roadblocks, incidental shootings, curfews, blackouts - that kind of stuff doesn't make you very popular. And some western nation or another has been implementing such activities since the industrial revolution.

These non-state sponsored militia groups are part gang, part revolutionaries, part religous cult.

To all people who just say - oh, it's Islam.
You are part of the problem and you are adding to a cycle of violence and aggression.
Please stop doing that.
Believe you me, i find a religous fundamentalist to be crazy as a june bug.
But we the educated rich nations - need to discuss serious solutions and stop wasting time and breath with that type of descructive hateful rhetoric.

Answer 2

Usually, those who join the ranks of terrorist cells do so out of a severe sense of frustration with the state of things as they are. The peddlers of terrorism preach hope in the future and the listeners suddenly feel that they are part of a corporate whole. To the frustrated, the existing order is a daily and hellish reminder of their irrational frustration and their strong desire to undermine existing institutions- even if it means taking innocent lives. To throw themselves headlong into such activity gives a sense of identity and belonging that their former selves never had. That they have become a single thread that makes up the tunic also gives them a sense of anonynity and thus a grasp on a future that they believe vindicates what they do now in the name of their cause. They are basically running away from a former, ineffectual self that is now energised by a doctrine that they believe makes them invincible and thus well suited to perform any task asked of them by their new masters.

Answer 3

Aaah...can it be....SATAN. Just joking of course it's satan, but a lot of it has to do with economic deprivation coupled with conditioned ethnic bias. A classic Western example of this political practice is how English businesses invest heavily in Protestant business in Irleand, ignore Catholic business then play one side off against the other. United we stand, divided we are manipulated by those pulling the strings. You can apply this anology to the Middle East and it doesn't even matter who is manipulating the Arabs and the Jews anymore, you realize that behind the religious and ethnic hatred is a group of evil secular businessmen.

The use of violence, even suicidial violence for political gain is as old as humanity, transends all ethnic and racial groups. It cannot be traced back much farther than Cain killing Able. For you non religious types, it started when the first caveman picked up a rock and bashed his rival in the head with it. A thrid cave man watching it, knew and understood he didn't want to be next. Terrorism was born.

Answer 4

Intense frustration with the way the world is coupled with a severe lack of respect for human rights and human life.

If we could get all the world's terrorists to emulate Gandhi who overthrew the British control of India peacefully we would be a much better world, but some of the things the terrorists want are mutually exclusive of human rights.

Answer 5

Primary reason for terrorism against the United States is because of our support for Israel. The Arab world is united in it's hatred of the Israeli's. Now it seems to be united in their hatred for the US because of that support. I am not saying they're right or wrong, but I do question why we give Israel an $8 BILLION check every single year.

Answer 6

Read "the politically incorrect guide to Islam" that'll explain Islamic terrorism.

Terror is a political tool, it's people trying to gain political ends. Like the Lord's resistance army in Congo. They want a Christian Theocracy.

Answer 7

this is generally a team of adult men who in simple terms have not got adequate reliable helpful power and direction of their lives. So incredibly of attempting to domesticate those lacking aspects they determine to party as an 'prepared' team and flow around commencing **** with whoever they might. incredibly, this is generally a team of jackasses like that who do it.

Answer 8

Hatred pure hatred people whose opinion differs from there own do not deserve to exist

Answer 9

Intense anger and frustration coupled with:

Hatred.

Lack of respect for human life.

Belief that those who do not share your lifestyle/beliefs do not deserve life.

Its got nothing to do with "desperation" and trying to "make people listen". Killing innocents goes way beyond that.

Answer 10

religion is the smokescreen...terrorism is most often a political tool and a method of waging war indirectly so no foreign government can be held accountable.