Sunday, June 17, 2012

“Home-Grown Terrorism” - the issue facing international society By Yukako

By Yukako Ikeoze

I’ll share curious news happening in the international society in this blog. This time is to be home-grown terrorisms. Have you guys heard of this kind of terrorisms before? When I knew about this issue for the first time, I did feel so curious to start researching more about this.

What is home-grown terrorism? It is the terrorisms done in a certain country by the own countrymen. Offenders terrorize in their home countries where they have grown up. They, who are citizens or residences of Western countries, are terrorizing not as a group but as an individual by being inspired the idea of sword. In detail, there are three categories in home-grown terrorists which are immigrants and visitors, the second or third generation members from the Muslim community and converting to Islam. Though they have no formal connections with any terrorist groups in many cases, they get brainwashed easily to attack their homelands because of the great temptations and recruitments by using the extremist videos and materials on website. As we know, website is being very common in our lives and easy to get information. Using this trend of the social network, terrorist organizations are widely spreading their ideas such as on Facebook or Youtube. More strategically, targeting younger generations, they themselves make hip-hop songs or videos calling to join al Shabaab, a terrorist group in Somalia which has connections with al-Qaeda. Those activities are known as cyber-jihad. Thus, there are ways or resources to support for acts of terrorisms more than we know.

Here are cases regarded as home grown terrorisms. On November 2009, the serious home-grown terrorism was occurred in the U.S. An American psychiatrist called Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a son of Palestine immigrants, killed 12 people as well as 31 wounded at the army base in Texas. Also about three years ago, as many as twenty young Somali Americans in the U.S. disappeared suddenly. The young Somali Americans went back to Somalia, their father land, and learned how to use weapons in war-torn Somalia. As staying there, they were greatly attempted and brainwashed to be home-grown terrorists.

Recalling the 9/11 and the death of Osama bin Laden, the fear of the terrorisms were thought to be gotten rid of from people’s minds in the U.S. They might have felt relieved because of the end of the period, terrorism. However it still seems to me that people have to pay attention carefully to terrorisms even after 9/11 and the death of the al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden since there is high risk of influences being homegrown terrorisms. That means that terrorism still remains in the international society and will be increasing in the future, according to the analysis done by Alley Pregulman and Emily Burke from the CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) saying “On the basis of current trends, in the coming years the homegrown movement will likely grow in size and scope while experiencing an overall shift in its composition.” 

Although what I wrote here is only part of the information about home-grown terrorisms, I am quite surprised at the facts that the society is still in tension because of the “home-grown” terrorists. This problem should not be ignored to stabilize the safety in the international society.




Work cited


Kimberley L. Thachuk, Marion E. “Spike” Bowman, and Courtney Richardson. (2008). The homegrown terrorism the threat within. Retrieved from http://www.ndu.edu/CTNSP/docUploaded/DTP%2048%20Home%20Grown%20Terrorism.pdf

Stragetic and international studies, Retrieved from http://csis.org/files/publication/120425_Pregulman_AQAMCaseStudy7_web.pdf

 McNabb, D. (n.d.). Terror suspect due in court in st. paul on friday. Retrieved from http://internationalextraditionblog.com/2011/08/11/terror-suspect-due-in-court-in-st-paul-on-friday/

Joshua , P. (2010). Homegrown terrorism reflects the changing tactics of al-qaeda. Retrieved from http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/homegrown-terrorism-reflects-the-changing-tactics-of-al-qaeda-31520.html


4 comments:

  1. To Yukako. I did not about much about Home Grown Terrorism, so it was very interesting to know about this type of current issue. As you mentioned, the internet technology is now providing mass information to the people internationally. I know Arab Spring was occured same situation. Citizens who protested to the government also were informed by Facebook or some other knids of information providers. I totally agree that terrorism should be focused by people, but as you mentioned, we tend to think this society is safe after the death of Osama bin Laden. Your opinions toward this type of problem is very interesting for me, and I am actually looking forward the next essay!

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  2. Hey, Yukako. After reading this post, few questions came on my mind, may ask them here?
    I didn't get well about the Home-grown terrorism. This indicate people who are trying to brain wash other people in order to make REAL TERRO as 9.11?? And these Somali Americans disappeared, were they carried off by Americans to Somalia? or Somalia people carried them off to brain wash them?
    sorry for many questions XP

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  3. i also can not catch up about the home-grown terrorism. can you explain that more plz

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  4. i didnt know about home grown terrorism so it is suprising for me. thank you for new imformations! i couldnt understand some parts but i agree with you. this problem should not be ignored.

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