Introduction
Nowadays, unfortunately, terrorism has become an issue number on the universal agenda, since its outcomes affect the global security and undermine human rights values.
After the 9/11 Susan Rice, assistant secretary of state for Africa in Clinton administration, described Africa as world’s “underbelly for global terrorism”, meaning numerous physical, legal and financial safe havens (ungoverned spaces) in Africa as space for those, who are interested in training, mobilizing and operating terrorists (Solomon n.p.). Therefore, as African terrorism is to threaten the security of the whole continent as well as to erode the peace of the whole world, it is of utmost importance to research the root causes of this phenomena in order to prevent irreparable losses.
No doubt, the scientific community has already paid attention to this issue. Analyzing the contemporary literature, several the most common approaches can be pointed out. Firstly, there is so-called poverty theory, which derives the cause of mass terrorism in destitution and underprivilege, common for African countries, which make people find a way out in the fighting with the most violent methods. Secondly, the alternative theory to the above-mentioned one, determines the religious motives as the crucial for producing the climate, favorable for terrorism.
Although these two theories support rather different points of view, they also cannot be regarded as the mutually exclusive ones, since still some common ground can be found among those, who support different approaches. Namely, it is still possible to conclude that it is the poverty, which pushes people towards the fanatic perception of religion, it is the economic deadlock, which enforces to refer to religion that misuses core religious notions – in other words, to find where these two theories criss-cross.
As regards the further parts of this paper, they will concern the brief results of the main researches of the topic, with very special attention regarding poverty and religion theories, with the eventual conclusion about the meaning of the research itself.
Relevant Researches
Apart from poverty and religion theories, which are discussed lower in a more detailed way, researches of the African terrorism express many other deductions as well, which in some way even object the two main theories.
For instance, as Monga and Lin have emphasized, although terrorism is often attributed to poor economic conditions, low education attainment, or historical events, the magnitude of destruction from terrorist acts shows that attacks are calculated in such a specific way in order to cause severe economic damage, which allegedly proves that members of terrorist groups are neither poor, nor uneducated (726).
Another significant point, supported by many researches (Laqueur), is that terrorism in Africa mostly occurred in the framework of civil and tribal war and interethnic massacres. Such approach is advocated by well-respected historians as well.
Under the Cilliers’ research, without a workable and effective central government, failed and weak African states turn out into a safe haven and facilitating environment for both domestic and international terrorism (102). This statement reveal the core of the question – irrespective of the root of terrorism spreading, no adequate solution is offered, which exaggerates the problem.
As Feldman has highlighted, “poverty, injustice, war, crime, saturation with weapons, ethnic hatred, diminishing resources, disease, over-population and a myriad of other problems, will result in legions of disenfranchised young people looking for dignity and a way out of the misery, whereas affiliations with terrorist organizations offer both” (370). It means that there are numerous causes, which in their complexity lead to the irreparable effect.
Is Poverty the Root Cause of Terrorism?
As Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has claimed, “Poverty indirectly affects nation-building and democratization, as democracy, human rights, etc. mean nothing to a hungry person” (Mahan, Griset n. p.). What is more, there is a risk that poor people may become victims
of recruitment by terrorist movement, being in a great need, in the lack of the most basic things.
Hence, poverty is not only about economic conditions, it is a deeper problem, which makes normal growth and development impossible. It becomes evident when consider the situation in Africa, where in many states it was the poverty, which began the vicious circle of terrorist waves.
Religion as the Triggering Factor of African Terrorism
Under Al-Khattar’s statement, actors of religion-base terrorism act in an unprecedented way, as they believe that they are on a divine mission, allegedly executing God’s order (5). Arguments of Musa, Adeyemi as regards the religion as the factor, which exacerbates the situation with terrorism, are worth attention, since religious ideas are often used to justify the actions of terrorists, conceal their political views, or generate support to their actions (n. p.).
Following Abolurin’s reasoning, as religion is of highly volatile nature in some regions of Africa, it plays a serious role in fostering terrorist tendencies because of its penchant for labelling
one group as superior and others as inferior, with killing of “unbelievers” during terroristic activities (n. p.)
That is why violent militant groups (e.g. Boko Haram, Al Sunna Wal Jamma) have been able to develop in those places, where religious positions attained their distorted maximum, for instance, in Nigeria. What is concluded by Ackerman, is that religion is a significant catalyst in cases of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, as the teachings of Islam have been manipulated, which allowed to recruit the youth with a sense of hopelessness as a result of numerous socio-economic factors (p. 192).
Under the Voll’s finding, Boko Haram in Nigeria is an example of the fourth wave of modern terrorism - the religious wave, being simultaneously the heir to a long jihad tradition in West Africa and following well-established patterns of older militant Muslim groups, and also shaping itself as a movement in the patterns of twenty-first century modes of religious violence (1182). As Casimir, Nwaoga and Ogbozor have maintained, in case of Boko Haram religion has been abused and misused, becoming a tool for socio-economic and political secular causes, spreading a wrong conception of Islam (66).
Conclusion
As Cox, Falconer and Stackhouse have pointed out, although Africa is full of tremendous varieties of cultures, ethnicities, geography and governments, people still assume that there is a single, easily understandable region under the single heading – Africa, which is a great misunderstanding (167). In fact, it is impossible to assert that either solely poverty, or solely religion is the root cause of terrorism. No doubt, these factors are of overwhelming meaning, but without their cumulative effect any of the hypotheses could be proven.
Following the conclusion of the work of Krueger and Malecková, solely a reduction in poverty or increase in educational attainment will not lead to a considerable reduction in the terrorism, if no other changes are not implemented (142). Therefore, main meaning, the most significant value of it is to voice the concern that each of the causes of terrorism should be duly addressed and responded to, otherwise, the research will be a mere theory without any practical sense.
Works Cited
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