Notably, reports show that there is increased in insecurity in the world with the increasing number of homegrown extremist, terrorists and radicalized groups. Extremism refers to the actions and beliefs of people who support ideologies that motivate violence to achieve a political or religious view and radical beliefs. Homegrown extremists can be propelled by different issues including politics, gender relations, and religion among others. Most of the homegrown extremists form terror groups in the long run. On the other hand, radicalization defines individuals or groups that consider violence as a legitimate and a desirable means of action. Push factors such as marginalization, discrimination, inequality, perception thereof or persecution are some of the factors that drive individuals to join the groups. However, there are other push factors that could make individuals join the group such as the existence of a well-organized terror group with an effective program and convincing dissertations that are providing employment, revenues, and other services for members. Notable, individuals can also join this groups to get an outlet for grievances while they also get promises of liberty and adventure. This groups also appear to give their members spiritual comfort, supportive social network and a place of belonging. Arguably, there are key differences between homegrown extremists and terrorists considering different radicalization frameworks.
1. In essence, security is one of the most fundamental aspects of any government. Homegrown violent extremism has however been a challenge to Western government causing a security threat to civilians. Homegrown extremists are individuals driven by ideologies from international terrorist groups but they do not receive a direct order from the terror group. The individual may be a citizen of that country, or a visitor residing in the country. The individual poses security challenge to the government as they use violence affecting civilians. In many cases, they will cause the death of civilians as they execute their operation. For example, in September 2016, Ahmadi Khan Ramisi executed a sequence of attacks and interdicted bombings successfully in New Jersey, New York. Even though there were no reported deaths, civilians' succumbed fatal injuries (Threat to New Jersey, 2017). Homegrown violent extremists cause a high level of insecurity by their violent nature and the government is unable to define their cause. They also make it complex for the government to differentiate between the homegrown violent extremists and terrorists. Similar to terrorist groups, they cause damage to civilian citizen's properties and affect life. In addition, they copy their ideologies from foreign terror groups and hence their operation resembles (Pregulman, & Burke, 2012). Like terrorists, their aim is to pose the security threat to the government to try force their desired way. However, homegrown extremists are different from terrorists. They operate individually not a group and they make their own attacks. While they can be intimidated and encouraged by international terrorist groups to carry an attack, they follow their personal grievances that influence their ideology in many cases. They are also independent on target selection and the violent act to undertake. Therefore, they are not directly linked to terror groups.
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2. On the other hand, radicalization is defined as a process by which individual or a group takes to adapt to an increasingly extreme social, religious or political aspirations or ideas that undermine or reject contemporary expressions and ideas of the nation while on the other hand rejecting the status quo. Radicalization can be illustrated in several models. The first model, the Moghaddam staircase, focuses solely on the individual process of development to a terrorist and proposes a step by step process in form of a staircase. The second one, the Borum's four stage of the terrorist's mindset illustrates the process of how terrorist mind grows from grievances to the terrorist destructive stage. The Moghaddam staircase illustrates in a staircase way stages of terrorist development from the first stage to five stage where an individual has turned to a terrorist and has joined a terrorist organization (Borum, 2011). The two models mentioned have similarities in that an individual is initially a normal person until he realizes his grievances. After the realization of the unfairness, the individual feels oppressed and decides to act on the grievances. This is the point where the individual meets with other people with the same kind of grievances and decides to act against the authority. They join terrorist groups and they eventually are used to undertake destructive missions. The two models have differences, however, the Borum's model illustrates an individual way from when grievances are traced, the not right state, to when a person changes to be evil. This model can well illustrate homegrown extremist who executes evil missions alone. On the other hand, Moghaddam staircase starts with a person psychological interpretation of material condition, grievances, to a stage where the terrorist is now grown and joined a terrorist organization and is now working with the organization.
3. Notably, many terrorist groups pose many grievances that the government has difficulty in telling what they ultimately want. Take for example the Al Qaeda, they lay down different grievances laying broadly that one is incapable to say what their next would look like. Along with their sword, they also instill a pen in their Holy war. In order to rally support from the society and to vindicate their actions, the al-Qaeda have orchestrated many carefully constructed messages. The writer asserts that the messages fall into two genres that reveal different goals. The reason to say that they confuse people with their grievances is supported by the fact that the West which has in several occasions fought with terrorists groups if familiar with only one of the genres that many of the Al-Jazeera communicate of and which is the statement in internet platforms. The grievances are directly fixated towards the West which has inflicted injustice upon the Muslim world. Many will convey complains on western occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel occupation of Palestine, sanctions that led to death of many Iraq children, United States support for dictatorial regimes in the Muslim world and many more. Their leaders would inflict messages that call for war to rekindle the morale of their followers. For instance Osama Bin Laden could argue that the prey has a right to escape when dragged to its slaughter. The prey has the right to fight its slaughter with its blood while being slaughtered. Such terms are very strong to call for many Muslims who feel oppressed to join the group (Ibrahim, 2005). The messages reach brothers and sisters from Muslim world making branches of the terrorists group in many parts of the world. The messages also reach other radicalized people in the community reveling the fight is real. The main inspiration among members is their leader's message that make them feel more oppressed. To fight back, the Al Qaeda community plan different terrorist attacks in the whole world. Therefore, even if there are other message conveyed by member that do not relate to Muslim world oppression by the West, the main cause of formation of this terrorist group was to fight the West so that their ideology can be heard.
To sum up this discussion, insecurity in the world increases with increase in homegrown extremists, terrorist and other radicalized characters. Homegrown violent extremist is an individual who has different ideas with the government or with other. In most cases they copy their ideology from international terror groups but they do not have direct orders from the group. They operate on their own and they can execute an operation that can end up in death or injuries to civilians. On other hand terrorists have groups and they operate on group orders. However, both homegrown extremists and terrorists are radicalized such that they have ideologies different from the government and which they fight for. They form two different radicalization models in which one operates on personal grievances while the other on the group. One of the world's most dangerous terrorist group is the Al Qaeda which fights for Muslim oppression by the West. Although they have different genres, the west is familiar with one which is highly talked of. Their leaders always send messages to motivate their members that the fight is still on and there is a chance of winning.
References
Ibrahim, R. (2005). Al Qaeda's Offensive Rhetoric: What does Al Qaeda ultimately want? Middle East Forum. Retrieved from [http://www.meforum.org/2540/al-qaeda-offensive-rhetoric
Pregulman, A., & Burke, E. (2012). Homegrown terrorism. Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Silber, M. D., Bhatt, A., & Analysts, S. I. (2007). Radicalization in the West: The homegrown threat (pp. 1-90). New York: Police Department.
Threat to New Jersey, (2017). Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs). Retrieved from https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/homegrown-violent-extremists
Borum, R. (2011). Radicalization into violent extremism II: A review of conceptual models and empirical research. Journal of Strategic Security, 4(4), 37.
