"Jihad Generation"

In the aftermath of incidents of terrorism, it is far to easy to first demonize the perpetrators and take everything else from there. Notwithstanding the guilt of those responsible, both directly and indirectly, for terrorist acts in recent years, terrorism as the global phenomenon it has become today cannot be explained away so simply. Remarks like 'they hate our way of life and our values of freedom and democracy' that have been heard time and again from the likes of George W. Bush and now Stephen Harper, are if not outright wrong then definitely simplistic and unverified. And when it comes to what is being called "home-grown" terrorism, the reaction and response needs to be especially subtle and calculated.

Today's Globe and Mail has a piece by Margaret Wente who cites French terrorism expert Olivier Roy in discussing the psyche of those like the alleged terrorism plotters currently being investigated. The synopsis: an identity crisis caused when 'traditional societies and people become decultured by globalization.' These people are caught between two worlds. They live a comfortable life in the West, disconnected with their parent countries and cultures, but concerned about the problems of their fellow Muslims across the globe that they see everyday being glared on TV screens, newspapers and the Internet. The accompanying frustration and the inability to find (or understand) solutions either in Western society or from mainstream religious groups often leads them to embrace simplistic, radical views that provide easy answers. The vast majority of such people will never do anything violent as a manifestation of their emotions and in the hope of furthering their "cause." But some will, and do.

Society at large, both Muslims and non-Muslims, needs to appreciate this phenomenon and look for ways to address it. Playing the blame game, as is very often the case on the part of both Muslims and non-Muslims, and we are seeing it again now, removes the attention and focus from any effort to solve the problem. We need to get out of the déjà vu of simply blaming the government, security organizations, the media, Islam, whatever, every time something like this happens.