Radicalism rooted in an inferiority complex<\/p>\n
Asher Tauran, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Finally our public debate about terrorism has reached a
\nreasonably transparent level. Many may doubt whether the articles
\nentitled Poverty not a cause of terrorism and enlisting clerics
\non war on terror is strategic (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 5) could
\nhave been published some years ago as an eye opener for the 2000
\nChristmas bombings or the Maluku and Poso sectarian violence.<\/p>\n
While in those days the people in Maluku and Poso were facing
\nthe realities of religious fanaticism on a daily basis, the
\ngeneral public and government at that time were busy competing in
\nexpressing their most fanciful conspiracy theories, linking Tommy
\nSoeharto's jailing, Gen. (ret) Wiranto's hunger for power, Lt.
\nGen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto's megalomania, the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) and much more.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, many clerics in our country were totally
\nconvinced that their law-abiding, God-fearing, pious and
\nreligious followers simply could do no wrong and quickly pointed
\ntheir fingers to their favorite whipping boys, the perpetually
\nnaughty Americans.<\/p>\n
Now, we have finally stopped burying our heads in the sand and
\nare all wondering why? What sort of people become terrorists and
\nwhy? Now this is tricky. Without clearly defining \"terrorism\" any
\ndiscussion regarding the subject may be more often than not an
\nexercise of finding common ground in its definition.<\/p>\n
The essence of terrorism for a large part lies in the
\nunwillingness and\/or inability to achieve one's objective through
\npeaceful means. One can only guess about the reasoning for
\nfollowing a path of violence as a consequence.<\/p>\n
When we talk about people who do not get what they want and
\nthen react using violence as a consequence, we are merely talking
\nabout the human psyche. Religion, ideology, politics all matter
\nand are all relevant, but it would be wise to scrutinize the
\npsychology behind the killer in greater detail.<\/p>\n
I remember my college days when the \"Mr. A\" and not \"Miss B\"
\nquestion regarding Nazi cruelty was highlighted from a
\npsychological angle. Central to this theory was a sense of pride
\nand belonging, (the Nazi party, the SS, Hitler Jugend and other
\nselect affiliated organizations, etc.), loyalty to one leader
\n(Hitler) and one credo (Heim ins Reich), an easily identifiable
\nand vulnerable enemy (the \"bloodsucking\" Jew, untermenschen in
\ngeneral), a vision of greatness (the Third Reich), symbols (the
\nHitler salute, reverse swastika, the black, Totenkopf SS
\nuniforms) reference to past glories (Bismarck) and a sense of
\nbeing unjustly victimized (treaty of Versailles).<\/p>\n
The bottom-line of the psychology behind the Nazi madness was
\na longing for greatness. What more could trigger such longing
\nthen a long period of a (perceived) sense of inferiority? For
\nsome that sense of (perceived) inferiority is simply unbearable.<\/p>\n
To escape that sense may be worth killing for, or better yet,
\ndying for as a (superior) martyr for whatever religious,
\nideological or political reason.<\/p>\n
The writer is a graduate from the University of Amsterdam
\n(European Studies). He can be reached at
\nprincipe@indosat.net.id.<\/p>",
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