By Rajat Kalra:
There is a great saying that goes something like this – “One group’s terrorist is another group’s freedom fighter.” There have been many studies on the psychology of terrorists. And while most of them practically failed to derive scientific conclusions, there are researchers who have presented theoretical analysis into why terrorists think what they think. While today, obsession with one’s own religion and community continues to be the most deadly drivers of terrorism, there are other factors that play a significant role as well. Looking at terrorism from a political stand point, one of the reasons or objectives of becoming a terrorist could be attaining material or political powers, for which an individual fights the existing system which he see as seemingly repressive.
It is certainly not easy to determine the ultimate reason that fascinates some people towards terrorism but here is a little story for you. There was a child who was constantly taught by his parents that he belonged to a religion and community that’s the most superior in the world. Before he went to school, he was admitted to a so-called worshipping place where some strange looking religious preachers convinced him on the supremacy of his religion. They taught him that followers of other religions were as lowly as small insects that they don’t deserve to live. He was made to believe that he is born for his religion, by his religion, of his religion, and that religion is everything he must live and die for. They infused in him a rigid faith that religion comes before his own people, it comes before his own life and most dangerously it comes before his own nation. He is constantly convinced to become unafraid of losing anything but his religion. Now tell me – what will that child do with general education attained in schools? What will he do with subjects like Physics and Chemistry? By any chance if he succeeds to attain academic qualification, he will misuse his classroom subjects in building weapons of mass destruction. He will apply his knowledge in proving the ideology he is born and raised with. That his religion and community stands most superior, ahead of everyone, no matter at the cost of massacres. He will get the world on its knees in demonstrating that everything on this earth survives on the mercy of his religion and community.
His brain was washed so delicately that he considered himself as the authority of God – rather than God being the authority of all mankind. And that child grew up to become what he dreamed of – the most lethal human weapon in the form of a terrorist, not just for other religions and communities but ironically for his own religion to. This is because, as a matter of fact, no religion in the world preaches bigotry in its true form. It is rather fringe religious institutions who do so – where we have terror preachers disguised as messengers of God.
But there is point here that lies beneath the ground. And that is, it all starts from home where that child was born. How about his parents? If you think deeply, you will know they are even greater terrorists than the boy because they created suitable circumstances for him to be one. They tricked him in believing his religion as supreme form of God. If you are a parent, you must understand that while religion could be a blessing, it can also create beasts. While your dedication towards your community and religion could be a form of humility and compassion, your obsession with it could breed a sentiment of self-inflicted hatred and vengeance for the world. We shouldn’t forget there is one thing called ‘love for your community’ and then there is another called ‘love only for your community’.
Terrorism has become a dramatic act today. Various nations use it to their advantage, because they think it’s easy to rule others on a gun point. Of course, accomplishing international political objectives is another thing. Those nations forget that terrorism brings along collateral damage on a universal scale that further encourages hatred amongst their own people. It’s like a deadly deadlock, a lethal backfire.
Let’s simplify this. There is this dominating driving force for the terror institutions, which is called ‘radicalisation’. Extreme adoption of any ideology, no matter political, social, religious or self-love leads to a presumed war against the status quo. It transforms into a direct threat to the love and freedom of not just a section of society, but the entire mankind.
As I said, it all begins from home. All the parents in the world are requested to teach their kids the art of moderation or the art of neutralisation. The subject of Chemistry is the best example to depict what neutrality is. You must have read in your schooldays, how a strong acid and a strong base combines to form a chemically neutral solution. We must teach our kids the craft of practicing self-control and restraint. And I can guarantee you, you don’t necessarily need to send them to religious institutions and hire saints in order to teach them all this. You can do it yourself, because they are much safer in your hands, than behind those four walls, shouting slogans out of bigotry. But remember, when you teach your kids, do it with moderation. No extremities please!