We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
ROOT CAUSES OF TERRORISM: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS.
- Authors
Khan, Muhammad Mahroof; Azam, Afshan
- Abstract
Serious study of terrorism requires a proper understanding of why individuals turn to extremism and what motivates them to join terrorist organizations. This essay analyzes socio-economic, cultural, religious, and psychological dimensions in a comprehensive framework gauging the "root causes" of terrorism. The analysis is based on data collected from Pakistan-based organizations serving as allies of Al-Qaeda. The results indicate that almost all sample respondents involved in terrorism were unmarried males exposed to fundamentalist teachings of the Qur'an. All believed that if they sacrificed themselves for the sake of their religion, they would be blessed with paradise in life after death. The essay employs relevant models in order to identify empirically the effects of education, an individual's age, household income, and rural or urban residence. The resulting evidence on the individual level suggests that both higher standards of living and education are negatively associated with participation in terrorist activities.
- Subjects
PAKISTAN; TERRORISM; TERRORISM &; society; RADICALISM; TERRORISTS; QAIDA (Organization); QUR'AN; EDUCATIONAL standards
- Publication
Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2008, Vol 20, Issue 1/2, p65
- ISSN
0890-0132
- Publication type
Essay
- DOI
10.5840/jis2008201/24