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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

“Terrorism expert” says boredom, sense of insignificance lead to jihad

Oct 3, 2007 4:24 pm By Marisol Seibold

Here’s another hint: None of the jihadists are Methodists. Or Hindus, Unitarians, Catholics, or Buddhists. And yet, there are plenty of Methodists, Hindus, Unitarians, Catholics, Buddhists, and others who are either bored, feeling stuck in a rut in life, or who feel a need to seek out and serve a higher purpose than material success or the well-worn routine of their possibly quite comfortable existence. How many of them are carrying out bombings and other crimes in the name of their religion?

So, something’s missing in this analysis of “Islamic extremism”: The Islamic part of the equation, which Marc Sageman won’t touch with a ten-foot pole except to note the jihadists under consideration “generally had little scholarly knowledge of Islam or an intellectual framework behind their extremist views.” In other words, Sageman’s analysis is hamstrung by its basis in the politically correct dogma that jihadists misunderstand the Islamic religion, and that “Islam is peace.” For that matter, the “scholarly knowledge” notion is a bit of a red herring. Many devout practicioners of various religions do not have “scholarly knowledge” of their faith, relying instead on scripture and the guidance of clergy. Again, far fewer such “unscholarly” Lutherans, for example, are “misunderstanding” their religion in violent ways.

“Jihadists’ boredom a ‘common trait’,” by Tom Allard for The Age:

A SENSE of boredom and frustration with their “insignificant” lives is a common trait of people who become violent jihadis, according to leading terrorism expert.

Marc Sageman is a former CIA officer who worked with the Afghan mujahideen in
the 1980s and early 1990s.

He left the US intelligence service and became a clinical psychiatrist, giving him some perspective on Islamic extremism.

He has spent the past few years researching terrorist networks and their radicalisation. He said terrorist recruits might range from highly educated doctors to unemployed youths. “There’s nothing mysterious about these guys,” he said. “It’s not about
being brainwashed. They are all too human.”

Mr Sageman, who will be the keynote speaker at this week’s Safeguarding Australia conference in Canberra, said yesterday: “If there’s one thing they have in common “¦ it is that they have had very insignificant lives.

“You have a lot of people who are bored out of their minds.

“Joining this movement brings significance to their lives.”

It was friendship that brought together and bound terrorist networks, rather than a common economic or religious experience.

Mr Sageman, adjunct professor of psychology at Penn University, said the behaviour of terrorist groups was not driven by what members thought, but rather how they felt.

They generally had little scholarly knowledge of Islam or an intellectual framework behind their extremist views.

“They live a parallel life, a virtual fantasy life,” he said. “They assume an online persona that’s more violent and significant than real life.”

Exaggerating the terror threat only fed terrorists by enhancing their sense of power, he said.

Another vague remark. Who, if anyone, is exaggerating the threat, in his opinion?

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