The socioeconomic adversity combined with political challenges were bound to have a detrimental impact on the psyche of the average Pakistani. A terrorist adopts a dichotomous way of identifying their victims, the black-and-white thought that ‘I am good’ and ‘you are evil,’ with no intermediary shades of grey. This thinking leaves no doubt in their minds and they find it easier to kill their opponents with little or no sense of remorse or guilt.
The unmanned army drone strikes killed and maimed thousands of innocent civilians in poor and difficult to access regions of Pakistan. This infuriated people, leading them to take up arms against the perceived aggressors. This triggering of the relatives of the deceased to engage in such activity is the culture of revenge in Pakistan, which unfortunately can last for generations.
“In Australia, Living Safe Together reported that people who radicalise and promote violence often do not have a genuine understanding of the ideology they claim to represent” (C. Angus, NSW, 2016).
Psychologist John Horgan discovered that those more open to terrorism:
Felt angry, alienated, disenfranchised
Believed that their current political involvement does not give them the power to effect real change.
Identify with perceived victims of the social injustice they are fighting.
Feel the need to take action rather than just talking about the problem.
(J.A. Abrahams, 2017)
Some participants referred to the 9/11 terror attacks and held the US government responsible: “I think it’s too late and deep and goes back too far to the 9/11 and the American government. I think the American government have created their own problems and they’re creating anger amongst Muslims by bombing innocent people.” (Interview 3), “It’s not simple as let’s get rid of ISIS. It’s all come from 9/11.” (Interview 7).These findings are consistent with a survey poll of 3040 British Muslims which found that nearly one third of respondents thought that the US government was responsible for 9/11 (Goins-Phillips, 2016). Islamophobia has significantly increased since the 9/11 which has caused much anger among Muslim communities. Another participant blamed the Syrian president for the killing of innocent people and felt that something needed to be done about corrupt world leaders and the Syrian conflict: “The governments need to address why Muslims are so angry. Innocent people are dying in Syria every day and it’s not a clear battle. President Assad is a joke.These leaders should be going to jail for war criminal charges.” (Interview 7).
There is a plethora of research which contends that political revenge is a driver of terrorism (Schmind & Jongman, 1988; Crenshaw, 1981; Cota-McKinley, Woody & Bell, 2001; Richardson, 2006). As suggested by a participant in the current study, Muslims are “killing in revenge for bad things that have happenedto other Muslims.” (Interview 2).Juergensmeyer (2001) states that if Muslim believes that the ummah is oppressed or has been wronged by those in power, this may create feelings of humiliation and revenge, thereby pushing some Muslims towards political violence.
Muslims are more probable to be victims of hate crimes due to preconception bystanders. Mistreatment of Muslims has unquestionably increased and has taken a toll on Muslim population, making them feel unwanted in society. Many of those who immigrated to Europe seek for a fresh beginning and better opportunities. These entities are leaving their home countries for political, economic, or safety reasons. Their idea of Europe being egalitarianism soon disappoints them once being pulled apart from discernment. Once you anguish somebody
“Your democratically elected governments continuously perpetuate atrocities against my people all over the world. And your support of them makes you directly responsible, just as I am directly responsible for protecting and avenging my Muslim brothers and sisters. Until we feel security, you will be our targets. And until you stop the bombing, gassing, imprisonment and torture of my people we will not stop this fight. We are at war and I am a soldier”.1 -7/7 Bomber
… radicalized societies are permeated by a deep sense of collective frustration, humiliation, and deprivation relative to expectations. This radicalized social habitat is easily exploited by terrorists (or politicians)
“Every year, Western donors deploy vast sums of development assistance to dampen the appeal, among the world’s youth, of militias, pirates and terrorists. But guided by little in the way of empirical evidence, it is an enterprise plagued by unclear payoffs and unintended consequences. Drawing on interviews and surveys with youth in Afghanistan, Colombia and Somalia, the report points out that the principal drivers of political violence are rooted not in poverty, but in experiences of injustice: discrimination, corruption and abuse by security forces. For many youths, narratives of grievance are animated by the shortcomings of the state itself, which is weak, venal or violent. Young people take up the gun not because they are poor, but because they are angry.”