Extremism-bred terrorism resulted in 315,000 deaths over 19 years only! (AOCE’s Listen & Talk III, 2024). Being so destructive and lethal, the reasons and grounds behind extremism must be the preoccupation of the bodies concerned worldwide for purposes of treatment and, all the more, prevention.
But what is extremism, to start with? According to the AOCE, it is the promotion and/or advancement of an ideology, whether religious or secular, based on violence, hatred, intolerance, racism, and/or discrimination. As causes of extremism are myriad, it is always a strong possibility to revise that definition from time to time. This has already taken place by adding non-religious extremism to the definition. It is further corroborated by the UK’s March 2014 introduction of a new definition of extremism.
Since 2023, the UN has marked and commemorated the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism on 12 February each year. More importantly, the preamble of the Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Countering Violent Extremism reads, “Noting that CVE/PVE programmes and initiatives generally offer insufficiently clear definitions of ‘extremism’ or ‘and that some governments target journalists, bloggers, political dissidents, activists and/or human rights defenders as ‘extremists’ or ‘terrorists’,”... clearly, unless world nations come to uniform definitions of extremism, violent extremism, and terrorism that are free from political, economic, and ideological biases and interests, further lacunas will have ample room for endless sprawling and exploitation.
Having sought to find out what extremism is, the question should now address its whys and wherefores; a mission so thorny and difficult considering the underlying varying forms, grounds, and practices. This piece is meant to highlight some of the whys and wherefores along with suggested solutions.
(1) Ignorance. Derek Bok once said, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Prophet Mohammad once warned that if ignorance prevails, the unavoidable result will be widespread indiscriminate killings! Relating this to the figure at the beginning of this article, one knows how grave it is to be ignorant or to sit on one’s hands in face of ignorance. Solution. The Qur’an reads, “So, ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” (16: 43) The New Testament reads, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy, 4:16)
(2) Tunnel vision. Away from the medical use of the term, it means here the tendency to focus only on one single or limited view or aspect. For example, many extremists thus view the Prophet’s saying, “For God to choose your to guide a single person shall be more beneficial to you than owning the best of property.” As a matter of extremist understanding and implementation of that saying, they proceed with needless and un-Islamic vilifying of others’ faiths, addressing them in harsh words because of believing in different faiths, and warning them against unavoidable torments in the hellfire after death! Solution. Had they used the full mental potential they are endowed with, they would have understood and implemented the Prophet’s saying the way he himself did: leading by good example! An inclusive, open frame of mind would facilitate the inculcation and implementation of the broad overarching-objectives-based understanding of Islam (and other faiths). According to Mathew 15:18-19, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” We need to always remember that our tongues are reflections of our hearts. If our tongues harm others needlessly, a reconsideration of our thoughts and beliefs should be conducted.
(3) Imperfect Arabic. Trying to figure out, interpret, and/or preach Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings, without mastering Arabic, wreaks havoc! A good example of this fact is the Qur’anic verse used and propagated by almost all extremist and terrorist groups to justify their animosity to and targeting of non-Muslims, particularly Christians! The verse reads, “Fight back those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day—who do not forbid what Allah and His Emissary forbade, who do not follow the religion of truth—from among those to whom the scripture was given, until they pay tribute willingly and humbly.” (9: 29) Mastering Arabic comes into play when addressing the very first word of this verse, قَاتِلوا, which translates to mutually fight/fight back. Extremists and terrorist simply read, understand, and act upon that Qur’anic command as if reading اقْتُلوا (kill, fight). A one-letter variation in the morphology of the word renders the wo meanings worlds apart. If you fight back, then it is clear that you have been wronged by the other party first. This is the meaning intended considering the underlying circumstances and grounds of revelation as well as the other verses on the same question, including, without limitation, “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah does not like the transgressors.” (2: 190) Solution. Either one masters Arabic and the sciences needed to handle the interpretation of authoritative texts, seeks enlightenment from undisputed peace-promoting religious authorities, or remains silent!
(4) Driftage. Unless a person has and employs sound critical thinking skills, s/he will be drifted away by disinformation and mal-information about others and their creeds, intentions, etc. Jumping on the band wagon of disinforming cannot be overstated in today’s world. This is being used by extremists and terrorists across several developed and developing countries. Consider, for example, how Muslims are framed by far-right groups in Europe, how some Christians are declared as infidels by Boko Haram, etc. Solution. The Qur’an reads, “O you who believe, if an iniquitous person comes to you with tidings, make sure [of the evidence] lest you should harm [a group of] people unknowingly, and then you would become regretful for what you have done…” (49: 6). Surely, “The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.” (Proverbs 14: 15)
(5) Obsessive followership. If a religious person is so obsessed with a religious figure, s/he will be an ardent follower. From the Waco Siege to Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda, and from Nazi massacres to Baghdadi’s suicide bombers, obsessive followership is unspeakable. This is the reason why faiths, in which names such atrocities are committed, are so clear about the fact that “And all of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection, [each] all alone” (Qur’an 19: 95), a rule priorly captured in the Biblical maxim, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14: 12) This principle is also echoed by the legal principles of individualization of punishment and proportionality. We are endowed with God-given intellect. By turn, it is not an upholdable defense, either in the eyes of God or law, to cite one’s fixation on a spiritual leader as an excuse.
(6) Wrong recantation. This term refers to a state when a person recants on an earlier belief only to take a misguided path in seeking redemption. In an earlier piece (see StepForward 5 – Radicalization: Key Tactics), the case of Eslam Yakan was addressed. Yakan was the unlikely terrorist. But when he sought to recant on his earlier ‘profanities’, he wrongfully thought that joining Daesh would be the only and shortest way! On the diametric opposite, this applies to several cases seen by the AOCE who took the plunge into a state of total disbelief in any faith just because of the shock they have emerged with from joining religious groups. Such wild reactions are equally harmful and costly. Relevantly, this raises the question of returnees and recanters and how to best handle them. Solution. Awareness raising and mastering of critical thinking skills. Returnees, recanters, and the likes need to be inculcated with the unavoidable distinction between textual authorities, clergypersons, and extremist/terrorist acts. Is it a person or the Qur’an that should be taken as the standard for judgement?! Should we account for extremist/terrorist acts as the outcomes of textual authorities or misled humans? Sound judgement saves us from misguided calculations.
(7) Bigotry. Bigots are blind to anything beyond their own beliefs. They simply hold themselves as the only salvageable group. Such an eliminative perspective is conducive to physical elimination. Solution. Oddly enough, bigotry is claimed to be God-oriented while it fails the test of simple verification against God’s words. It is a well-known joint ground between the divine revelations that wisdom and other human values are cherished regardless of their temporal and/or spatial origins. Prophet Mohammad once said, “I have been sent to perfect good morals and values”; a proclamation involving the acknowledgement that a long tradition of good morals, values, qualities, etc., did exist before and are embraced by Islam. These words have a strong resemblance in the Bible, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Mathew 5: 17) Eliminative mindsets are too dangerous to be left unaddressed or, even more perilously, condoned.
(8) Lack of goodwill. If one believes that only the people of her/his faith are good, God-favored, and/or salvageable; and seeks to prove or put into action such a belief, graveness will ensue. Solution. In fact, Prophet Mohammad preaches otherwise as he said, “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; and do not look for the others’ faults and do not spy, and do not be jealous of one another, and do not desert (cut your relation with) one another, and do not hate one another; and O Allah’s worshipers! Be brothers (as Allah has ordered you!”). The earlier divine revelation has echoing teachings, including “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Mathew 5: 8)
The above is a non-exhaustive attempt at spotting and providing solutions to some of the whys and wherefores of extremism. In a globalized world, solutions cannot and should not remain individualistic. Institutional approaches and interfaith cooperation should be used in full swing. Finally, is it an extreme way of thinking to hope for an extremism-free world?