Citation

Vertigans S. Policing (Oxford) 2007; 1(4): 447-459.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/police/pam054

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Explanations for the development of groups associated with terrorism generally and 'Islamic' terrorism in particular, tend to concentrate upon materialism and forms of brainwashing. Despite considerable evidence to the contrary, the uneducated poor and unemployed graduates are most commonly profiled as Muslim terrorists. To address the over-reliance on economic factors and weak personalities, a broader approach is adopted that examines political opportunities, socialising processes and historical and contemporary experiences. It is argued that if 'Islamic' terrorism is to be fully understood and ultimately defeated, then it has to be acknowledged as a multi-faceted phenomenon that is caused by varying combinations of economic, political, social, cultural and psychological factors.

Language: en