How to Defeat Terrorism 101

 

Anti-imperialism sign. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Artist: Ssolbergj

By Dr. Majed Ashy, Guest Author

Terrorism emerges in environments that feed it. Such environments provide intellectual, financial, and personnel support and supplies. The main intellectual supply comes from a few branches of Islam in which some members are intolerant of other religions and sects and tolerant of coercion–even violence. The main financial and personnel supports come from governments pursuing their own interests.

Terrorism can be defeated if governments stop providing both direct and indirect support to violent groups. History has shown repeatedly that when the US government supports a group in its  fight against a perceived “enemy,” this group starts to have a life of its own and turns against us. Destabilizing countries, governments, institutions, and cultures creates fertile environments for the spawning of terrorist and criminal groups.

The goal of international terrorism is to weaken the US militarily, economically, and image-wise.  They try to do this by creating multiple hot spots internationally, and shocking the American public with atrocities intended to pressure the American government into ever expanding military involvements. Such involvements stress the economy and, given the nature of terrorism, rarely if ever end with a victory.

We need a new concept to replace that of the “sovereign nation state,” which is the basis of the UN and international affairs. Many developments are weakening the “nation state,” such as the Internet, media, globalization, communication, and terrorism.  Defeating terrorism requires more than aggressive responses from individual nation states; it needs a coordinated international effort that is holistic and cooperative. The best antidotes to terrorism include inter-group tolerance and pluralism, as well as the establishment of justice and better living conditions, less war, and more hope for all.

Dr. Ashy is an assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and a research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He was born in Lebanon and is a Saudi. He earned his B.A., M.A, and Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University. His research in psychoneuroimmunology and political psychology focuses on childhood experience of adversity and its psychobiological consequences.