Terrorism Case Study

Caless (2012) defines consternationism as the threat or use of power to come along a political agenda for change by incentive widespread fear. However, experts submit been debating all everyplace a crystalize interpretation for terrorism for oer 100 years. Although the word was first used over 200 years ago when discussing the Reign of Terror (Whitaker, 2001). Consequently, there stick been over 100 definitions offered for terrorism (Laqueur, 1977, cited in Martin, 2013). Alex Schmids (2004) query in addition illustrates the inadequacy of pellucidness surrounding the definition.And most experts believe that an impartial and universal treasure definition result never be agreed upon (Ganor, 2002). With the lack of clarity surrounding the definition, a further question arises who is classed as a terrorist? This is reflected in the well kn admit phrase one mans freedom laborer, is some(prenominal) other mans terrorist. (Gerald Seymour, 1975, cited in Ganor, 2002). Over all, it is agreed, that this depends on the subjective deliberatepoint of the individual (Ganor, 2002 Jackson, 2008 Corte, 2007).The Just War teaching is an ideal and moralistic philosophy (Martin, 2013). It asks questions such as what types of force argon morally acceptable? and who potentiometer morally be defined as an enemy? This nonion is usually used by ideological and spiritual extremists, in order to justify their own acts of fundamental violence. A bloom example of religious extremists is the international jihadi Moslem fundamentalists, the term jihad way of life a sacred bark but is manifested by some organic Moslem clerics as a holy contend and therefore perceive that their war is a just war (Martin, 2013).This paper ordain strive to answer the question Did University College capital of the United farming (UCL) further radicalise Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? thither have been umpteen debates, theories and investigations surrounding this question, many of which will be analysed with knocked forth(p). Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (born 22 celestial latitude 1986) is a Nigerian Islamist who attempted to detonate plastic explosives in his underwear whilst travel from Amsterdam to Detroit, on Christmas Day 2009, on the northernwest Airlines Flight 253. In January 2005 Abdulmutallab joined an Muslim forum under the pseudonym Farouk1986 (Now Public, 2009).He frequently contributed to the forum. His postings commonly gave advice to other forum members, although on occasion he expressed to a greater extent personal views. These included his jihad fantasies, describing how Muslims will win and rule the initiation and prays to Allah to unite us all Muslims and give us victory over those who do not believe. The majority of his postings illustrate his loneliness and his struggle to contain his sexual drive, and he goes on to urge co-worker forum users to limit their activities to Moslemally goodish and to only hang around with good Muslims who enjoy studying.Throughout his postings in the forum he maintains that he is memorising the record book ( Islamic fabrication, 2005). These postings illustrate that Abdulmutallabs views on the Islamic religion, atomic number 18 very similar to Salafism or Olivier Roys neo-fundamentalism (see fond Science interrogation Council). This is shown with his fixation on personal faith, and is also portrayed when he praises Shaykhs Saud as-Shuraim and Abdul Rahman as Sudais (Islamic Forum, 2005). Another radical Muslim he mentions is Abdullah el-Faisal, who is currently in prison in the UK for influencing his supporters to murder Jews, Hindus and Americans (Forest, 2012).Some of the media (Gardham, 2009) focused on Abdulmutallabs love for football and this is cl azoic seen within his postings online. However, by November 15th 2005, he had glowering against it stating Lets save our honor and religion and drive to stay away from football and do sporting activities that argon more(p renominal) Islamically beneficial running, paintball, archery (or any other sport of the like that teaches how to target and aim). (Islamic Forum, 2005). There are many different theories as to where Abdulmutallab was further radicalised, the one that will be discussed in this paper is the possibility hat University College capital of the United Kingdom (UCL) and its Islamic ordering were the perpetrators. During the investigation of the attempted approach shot of Flight 253, the University College of capital of the United Kingdom (UCL) had held their own investigation of their Islamic Society and although the evidence holds strongly against them, as will be seen throughout this paper, they came to their own conclusion that there was no evidence to suggest either that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised while a student at UCL, or that conditions at UCL during that time or subsequently were conducive to the radicalisation of students. (UCL, 2010). Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab began university, in family 2005, during a peak of Islamist activity in the UK, there were events organised by Ikhwan (Ikhwan Web, 2005)and Jamaat-e-Islami inspired groups that were cosmos held weekly and their influence over British Islam was steadily increasing (Hitchens, 2010). This year is an important one, as the emergence of the first Islamic militant groups in Bangladesh (Kabir, 2005) were seen and Islam became the official religion of Iraq (Islamopedia Online).British Islamists were exploiting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and implicating the Western governments with the war on Islam and Muslims, (Hitchens, 2010). According to Islamists, Western Muslims, had a duty to stand up for their religion and shake up back using peaceful methods (OConnor, 2012). The Stop legal philosophy Terror lecture was habituated by Awlaki at the East capital of the United Kingdom Mosque in 2003 (YouTube, 2011). The listed supporters of this group could be found on the Stop policy-making T error website, and interestingly UCL was among this list (Stop Political Terror, 2003-2005).The aims of this campaign was to urge Muslims to fight against the anti-terrorist police and to alert them of the deteriorating situation in the UK and the scale of arrests, raids and abuse meted out against Muslims by Anti-Terrorist law. The campaign enjoinment also included a clear warning Britains Muslims, as a community, will refuse to cooperate with the virtue enforcement authoritiesifthis abuse continues. (Stop Political Terror, 2003-2005). During this time, the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) ran another campaign alongside Stop Political Terror. , issuing further lucid statements -previously, it was Muslims themselves under attack, now the agenda is to attack Islam, its principles New laws making it an discourtesy aim to divide and weaken the Muslim community. And The relative concept of extremism is be used to condemn Muslims from very diverse political view points. (Hitchens, 2010). The perception of a Western war on Islam is one of the key recruitment tools of international jihadist groups like al-Qaeda (Home Office, 2011).Therefore, it is clear that Abdulmutallab was absorbed in an protesting setting, and this appeared to him to give rank and objective, to his already pre-existing neo-fundamentalist attitude and personal discontent (loneliness). It is also unpatterned from his previous online statements, that he was vulnerable to the indoctrination I hope to get over my loneliness when I go to university where there are usually Islamic groups and clubs with good Muslims (Islamic Forum, 2005).His obsession with Islam is clearly illustrated with the amount of time he inclined to the group, and after a year of starting university he was already chairman of UCLs Islamic Society (Irvine, 2009). Terrorist groups are also known to use the media to their advantage. As terrorism is not limited to specific locales or regions and the medi a has allowed everybody to witness some form of terror. Knowing this terrorist groups can therefore understand the power of the images and hedge them to their advantage (Martin, 2013).Gus Martin (2013) explains the media frenzy surrounding terrorism, and describes the 21st century as being an era of globalized terrorism. Another key recruitment tool that jihad groups use is the internet (US Department of Defense, 2007). Sites such as Facebook, (Torok, 2011) and the creation of websites that can be regionalised. Although governments monitor the websites and, if necessary shut them down, another website can be made and the process can start again (McNeal, 2008). It is clear that Abdulmutallab was a fan of internet use, with his frequent postings on the Islamic Forum.Awlaki could also be an key element in the jihad internet recruitment process. The media stage him as the Bin Laden of the internet (Madhani 2010 CNN, 2011). He wasa Muslim lecturer and spiritual leader who had been accu sed of being a fourth-year al-Qaeda effective global recruiter (Telegraph, 2012) and motivator. He is thought to have given a series of video link lectures at the East London Mosque (Gilligan, 2010). They however, categorically deny this ever took place, and deny that Abdulmutallab even attended the Mosque (East London Mosque, 2010). The University of Westminster Islamic Society are alleged to have ties with Awlaki.Another Islamic Forum announced him as a guest at University of Westminster Islamic Society Annual Dinner in 2006 (Ummah Forum, 2006). Along with these connections Awlaki is also suspected to have had recruited Abdulmutallab before the attack. According to Fox News, an FBI bulletin states that Awlaki showed Abdulmutallab how to detonate the bomb (Catherine Herridge, 2011). Research carried out by the University of Cambridge suggest that the majority of young British Muslims are opposed to political Islam, and are more likely to join forbearance International (Cambridge University, 2008).This was criticised, when Anthony Glees accused Cambridge of trying to prove that British universities are not hotbeds of Islamic radicalism and called the research flimsy and uncompelling (Lipsett, 2008). Their research was argued against by the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC), who stated that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised at University College London, and goes on to describe British universities as the breeding grounds of Islamic extremism(Centre for Social Cohesion, 2010).They describe themselves as the Centre that has been at the forefront of the debate on what role Universities should routine in ensuring that British students do not fall victim to the political theory of violent Islamism. (Centre for Social Cohesion, 2010). They went on to completely contradict Cambridge Universities make-up, and suggested within the report that Islamic extremism will flourish. This statement was further support when Abdulmutallab became the twenty percent pr esident of a UK Islamic society to face terrorist charges (Weiss, 2011).The vulnerability of Abdulmutallab along with the recruitment tools of jihadist groups illustrate how easily individuals can slip beyond this poriferous boundary rapidly and very often unnoticed. Since the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center, it has become apparent that Al-Qaeda are focusing on mobilising Western Muslims to commit lone-wolf terror (RUSI, 2012). This evidence is supported by the ICSR (2011) who describe Awlakis role as ideological rather than operational and explain that the greatest threat he poses is the mobilisation of Western Muslims through his sermons and therefore expanding the jihadi movement.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallabs extremist views are apparent very early on. Although, as his loneliness grew, so did his radical views. It appears that he was trying to fight his urges to act upon these views time after time. Abdulmutallab was quite clearly an extremist turned terrorist, as i t is clearly defined by Martin (2013) extremists who violently act out their extremist beliefs are terrorists. It is clear that his time at UCL and within the Islamic Society unquestionably played a part in Abdulmutallabs further radicalisation when examining the evidence discussed.It is also remarkable to see that UCL was among the list of supporters of the Stop Police Terror campaigns, almost condemning themselves of the radicalisation. They contradicted themselves when they released their findings that no evidence to suggest that conditions at UCL are conducive to the radicalisation of students. (UCL, 2010). It is noted that Cambridge Universitys flimsy research could support the UCLs outcome, but then could this research, with their problematic press, also diminish their findings.Overall, there are many factors that led to the radicalisation of Abdulmutallab, his state of mind, his vulnerability, and the people that he was associated with within the Islamic Society. Therefor e, the UCL was not completely at fault, it was also the fundamentalists, that infiltrated the system and took advantage of a vulnerable, young Muslim. References Caless, B (2012) act of terrorism and Political Violence Introduction, Overview and the Problem with Definitions. (Accessed 5 December 2012). Cambridge University (2008) Campus radicalism fears too extreme? open at http//www. cam. ac. k/research/news/campus-radicalism-fears-too-extreme/ (Accessed 5 December 2012). CNN Online (2011) Al-Awlaki Who was he? , CNN Online, addressable at http//security. blogs. cnn. com/2011/09/30/al-awlaki-who-was-he/ (Accessed 5 December, 2012). De La Corte, L (2007) Explaining Terrorism A Psychosocial ApproachPerspectives on Terrorism, North America, Vol. No. 2 Online getable at . (Accessed 5 Dec. 2012). East London Mosque (2010) East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre Statement on Anwar Awlaki Online ready(prenominal) at http//www. astlondonmosque. org. uk/uploadedImage/pdf/2010_11 _07_15_44_46_Awlaki%20Statement%206%20Nov10%20-%20Full%20Statement. pdf (Accessed 5 December, 2012) East London Mosque (2010) Sunday Mirror publish ELM letter Online procurable at http//www. eastlondonmosque. org. uk/archive/news/243 (Acccessed 5 December, 2012). Forest, J (2012) Perception Challenges set about by Al-Qaeda on the Battlefield of Influence Warfare. Perspectives on Terrorism, North America, Vol. 6, No. 2. Online Available at . (Accessed 05 Dec. 2012). Ganor, B. (2002) Defining Terrorism- Is One Mans Terrorist Another Mans freedom Fighter? . International Institute for Counter-Terrorism Online. Available at http//www. ict. org. il/ResearchPublications/tabid/64/Articlsid/432/Default. aspxDefining_Terrorism_The_Present_Situation (Accessed 1 December 2012). Gardham, D. (2009) Detroit bomber internet forum traces journey from nongregarious schoolboy to Islamic fundamentalist, The Telegraph, 30 December 2009 Online. Available at http//www. telegraph. o. uk/news/worldne ws/northamerica/ ground forces/6910776/Detroit-bo mber-internet-forum-traces-journey-from-lonely-schoolboy-to-Islamic-fundamentalist. html. (Accessed 5 December 2012). Gilligan, A (2010) East London Mosque the terrorist question and the lies, The Telegraph, 2 November 2010 Online. Available at http//blogs. telegraph. co. uk/news/andrewgilligan/100061920/east-london-mosque-the-terrorist-connection-and-the-lies/ (Accessed 5 December 2012). Gregory S. McNeal (2008). Cyber Embargo Countering the earnings Jihad, Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, vol. 9, pp. 789-826. Online Available at http//works. bepress. com/gregorymcneal/15 (Accessed 1 December 2012) Herridge, C (2011). Awlaki Trained venture Christmas Jet Bomber How to Detonate Underwear, Document Reveals. Fox News, 4 October 2011 Online Available athttp//www. foxnews. com/us/2011/10/04/al-awlaki-trained-suspected-christmas-day-jet-bomber-how-to-detonate-underwear/ixzz2ECpGaSXS (Accessed5 December 2012). Hitchens , A (2010) The devising of the Christmas Day Bomber, Current Trends in Islamist Ideology, Vol. 10 Online. Available at http//currenttrends. rg/research/detail/the-making-of-the-christmas-day-bomber (Accesed 29 November 2012). Home Office (2011) Contest The United Kingdoms Strategy for Countering terrorism. London The Stationery Office. (Cm. 8123). Online Available at http//www. homeoffice. gov. uk/publications/counter-terrorism/counter-terrorism-strategy/strategy-contest? view=Binary (Accessed 2 December 2012). ICSR (The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)(2011) ICSR brainwave How Anwar al-Awlaki Became the Face of Western Jihad. Online Available at http//icsr. nfo/2011/09/icsr-insight-how-anwar-al-awlaki-became-the-face-of-western-jihad/ (Accessed 5 December, 2012). Irvine, C (2009) Detroit terror attack suspect president of university Islamic society, The Telegraph, 29 December 2009 Online. Available at http//www. telegraph. co. uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the -uk/6902785/Detroit-terror-attack-suspect-president-of-university-Islamic-society. html (Accessed 5 December, 2012) Ikhwan Web (2005) International ghostly Freedom Report 2005. Available at http//www. ikhwanweb. com/article. php? id=13543&ref=search. php