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| Source: Zeenews |
The recent
acts of terrorism around the world have once again sparked negative sentiments
towards certain religious and ethnic groups. Yet while many rogues commit evil
in the name of religion, religion is in fact interpreted by humans, and many religious
texts do not so much as express support for murder and destruction.
However, because
religion is such an emotion-evoking topic, it is often used by manipulative
sociopaths to recruit followers and accomplices when they spread twisted
interpretations of their faith.
The
question that begs to be answered is, in this day and age when most of us have
been thought to not readily accept things we see on the internet as facts, why
are some people more susceptible to self-radicalism online. Some of them, who
never had so much as a petty crime to their name, are citizens of relatively
safe and prosperous countries. Why would these seemingly normal people give up
their stable life to head to Syria
Some intellectuals
who study the appeal of extremist ideologies believe that the radicalization is
a mental health problem, not a religious problem. Kamaldeep Bhui, professor of cultural
psychiatry and epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, shared that
following the 9/11 attacks, research was done to assess the sympathies that
people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin living in the UK harboured towards
terrorist acts and violent protests. A correlation was discovered between
radical sympathies and “and being young, in full-time education, relative
social isolation, and having a tendency towards depressive symptoms.”
Depressed and socially-isolated individuals tend to develop
a pessimistic outlook towards life. Quoting Kamaldeep: “Young people finding themselves alienated from their
culture of origin and not fitting host culture are unable to discern orthodox
religious practice and belief from ideologies associated with cults, gangs or
extreme religious movements.”
The promise of solace among likeminded individuals as well
as a more optimistic future from radical organisations may be a draw. One may
even entertain thoughts about how it is acceptable to eradicate the rest of the
world that made his/her life miserable. Peer pressure can also play a part in
redirecting paths, but the general consensus is that a person with a healthy
self-esteem, good social support and knowledge about authentic religious
teachings will not only be less susceptible to radicalism, but also be a
positive influence on his peers.
That is not to say that all lonely, depressed and unhappy young
people are potential terrorists in the making. Experts in the field concede
that it is difficult to identify people who are at high risk of being
radicalised. In fact, some may not be depressed or exhibit other forms of
mental problems but merely believe that radical groups can fulfill their
aspirations in ways that a conventional lifestyle is unable to.
However, what is certain is that depression and isolation do
make people more suggestible to external influences. We have to reach out to
them, or have someone with the right attitude and expertise to do so. Looking
out for the welfare of our fellow men is part of total defence. It is the duty
of every citizen to be vigilant and knowledgeable about safeguarding the
welfare of the vulnerable, which includes those with emotional difficulties
like depressive symptoms, poor social support networks, anger and aggression
management issues and tendencies towards gang and criminal activities. By
reaching out and caring, we can prevent a myriad of risky behaviour that stems
from it, including suicide, violence and crimes.
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