Why are we ignoring the root cause of extremism?

Reading comments on social media channels and to a certain extent in print media, too, regarding recent terrorist activities around the world, one can’t help but get a feeling that there is an inherent reluctance by people to look into the root cause of what drives these people to resort to such extreme and diabolical measures? Thus, we have a myriad of groups such as Boko Haram, Al Qaida, Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and unaccounted number of individuals who operate by drawing on false and violent ideologies.

In recent times, more than any other country, European states have become victims of these atrocities of self-proclaimed guardians of supposedly puritanical religious views. It is far worse now because unlike in states where socio-political and economic conditions are still not advanced and when terrorism strikes at the doorstep of liberal, secular and progressive societies with sustainable economies like those in Europe, all our hopes are at stake.

It has taken centuries for Europe to reach their status in terms of achieving scientific, social, arts and political advancement and the rest of the world has benefitted immensely from the contributions that Europeans have made through ground breaking technological and scientific inventions.

It is not to deny there were a few blemishes Europe must own up to such as becoming the epicentre of two World Wars that witnessed huge destruction and took thousands of innocent lives and these are apart from the colonial and expansionist ambitions that they demonstrated later.

While looking at the negativity on the moral and ethic side of their actions, it is an undeniable fact that most of the countries that were colonised, came to experience fist-hand infrastructural developments, health improvements and educational opportunities.

However, one of the most significant achievements was not related to the scientific or technological advancement created, but the sweeping changes in philosophy that dealt with religions, ethical and political viewpoints and how they tried to interpret everything from spirituality to the idea of individual freedom. Yet, such thought process did not happen elsewhere in significant proportions, so anything that could destroy the fabrics of Western society will definitely have an impact on the rest of the world.

— The reader is an Indian business development coordinator based in Dubai.