ISLAMIC TERRORISM IN THE CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT

ISLAMIC TERRORISM IN THE CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT Tran Thi Huong Faculty of Mass Media and Cross Cultural Communication Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Thuhuong08051983@yahoo.com ABSTRACT "Islamic terrorism" is a term which is widely used on the international media, especially on the internet. This article is an overview of this term. It presents definitions, causes, natures, tendencies and solutions to this terrorism phenomenon. For the definition, the article analyzes the main features of Islamic terrorism such as having religious terrorism form; pursuing extremist ideology; attacking innocent people. For the causes, the article analyzes the interference of Western countries, the influence of the dictatorship, and the impact of globalization. For the nature of Islamic terrorism, the article states that Islamic terrorism is the most radical political and social movement of Islam and that Islamic terrorism does not represent the Muslim world. For the tendencies of this phenomenon, the article indicates two main ones including the increasing influence of Islamic terrorism through global interactions and the increasing extremism, fanaticism, and brutality of Islamic terrorism. In the final part, the article presents some solutions that should be made by Muslims and non-muslims to deal with Islamic terrorism. For Muslims, there are several measures such as interpreting the Qur an in light of historical and contemporary contexts; being more active and responsible in Muslim communities issues; eliminating the sources that nourish extremism and terrorism; and resolving internal conflicts of the Muslim world. For non Muslims, there are some solutions such as setting aside the political and economic intrigues in the fight against terrorism; integrating Muslim immigrants in the receiving countries; encouraging religious tolerance and respecting cultural differences; and implementing appropriate communication policies on Islam and Muslims. Keywords: Islamic terrorism, definitions, causes, tendencies, solutions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is crucial to distinguish between the religion of Islam and an extremist version of Islam which the Western people call Islamist. Islam is obviously the term used for the religion while Muslim is the word used to describe a person who follows the religion. Islamist normally refers to Muslim political movements that emphasize Islam as central to social and political as well as personal life. Islamists are often used to describe violent extremists. Using the words Islamist or Islamic is not possible when many Muslims find these terms deeply offensive. They prefers to use the word Muslim to describe people, rather than Islamic or Islamist. Therefore, both Islamic terrorism and Islamist terrorism are inaccurate terms because we need to distinguish the faith from its political manifestations. In fact, there is a call to abandon the use of the term Islamic terrorism from all official texts i. The use of this term should be avoided because it is an obstacle to understanding the terrorism phenomenon and it helps terrorist groups to propagandize about the fundamental conflict between Islam and the West. 21

My article is, indeed a critical analysis of Islamic terrorism because of two reasons. First, it is obvious that the term so called Islamic terrorism is used commonly in the media even though the use of this term should be abandoned. Therefore, it is important to see how this term is understood in the media. Second, terrorism made by extremists in the name of Islam is a serious problem because of its threat to national security, the safety of innocent civilians, and the foundations of democratic societies throughout the world. 1. Definition of Islamic terrorism According to Wikipedia, Islamic terrorism refers to terrorist acts committed by Muslim groups or individuals who profess Islamic or Islamist motivations or goals. Islamic terrorists have relied on the tenets of the Qur an and the Hadith, citing these scriptures to justify violent tactics including mass murder, genocide, child molestation and slavery ii. Another definition states that Islamic terrorism means acts of terrorism by individuals who claim to conduct them in the name of Islam iii. In Western documents, the most common understanding of Islamic terrorism is that it poses a massive threat to the security of the West. Marc Sageman defines Islamic terrorism as a new type of terrorism threatens the world, driven by networks of fanatics determined to inflict maximum civilian and economic damages on distant targets in pursuit of their extremist goals. Armed with modern technology, they are capable of devastating destruction worldwide. They target the West, but their operation mercilessly slaughter thousands of people iv. John Esposito also indicates that bin Laden used to issue a fatwa stating that it is the duty of all Muslims to kill US citizens and their allies v. Generally, Islamic terrorism is understood as a form of religious terrorism which is made by radical/extremist Muslims to achieve political purposes in the name of Islam. Islamic terrorism can be identified by the following features: First, Islamic terrorism is a form of religious terrorism. It primarily aims at promoting a radical religious world view. This makes them potentially more dangerous than terrorist groups motivated by other causes. For them, religion is the most important factor defining their ideology and activities. Second, the aim of Islamic terrorism is to build a pure Muslim community. Islamic terrorists tend to speak in terms of an eternal global mission, in accordance with the basics of orthodox Islam. Third, Islamic terrorism is extremely brutal and causes catastrophic damages. Fourth, Islamic terrorism s operations are at the global scale. Fifth, Islamic terrorism poses a massive threat to the security of the world, especially the West. 2. Islamic terrorist organizations Among ten most dangerous terrorist groups in the world has eight Islamic ones including PKK, Hamas, Al Shabaaab, Jabhat al-nusra, Taliban, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, and ISIS vi. These groups can be considered as the most typical examples of Islamic terrorist groups. Currently, ISIS is the most dangerous and well-known terrorist group in the world. ISIS is the Sunni terrorist organization. Since June 2014, the extremist terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levent (ISIL or ISIS) has significantly expanded its power base in a short space of time, bringing entire regions under its control. Their objective is to create a large-scale theocracy made up of Syria, parts of Iraq, Lebanon, and much of Palestine and Jordan. Its mission includes driving away American troops, overthrowing the pro-american puppet regime and establishing an Islamic State. 22

ISIS shows a new level of Islamic terrorism because of the following reasons: First, ISIS is the first terrorist organization which has a great ambition of establishing a state. When it has a state, it will gain political power. Second, ISIS has territory and it has great ambition of territorial expansion. Third, ISIS has finance and its fiscal management apparatus are very professional. Fourth, ISIS has weapons and military troops. It may seek to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction. Fifth, ISIS has residents. Its residential force shows its capability of forming the new generations of jihadists. Sixth, ISIS aim is to build an Islamic state with conservative and radical/extremist Islamic ideology. Seventh, ISIS shows the two new Islamist doctrines: the globalization of the Islamist struggle, and the doctrine of the non-territorial Islamist state (e.g. The Muslim communities in the West should be considered as a kind of Islamic State, lacking territorial dimensions, but following Islamic rules). 3. Main causes of Islamic Terrorism There are many explanations of the main causes of Islamic terrorism namely as poverty, unemployment, low educational background and clash of civilizations. First, if Islamic terrorism is caused by poverty, why very few people who were arrested in the West because of terrorist acts were Palestinian, Afghanistan or Iraqi people who are normally considered as the poor? Second, if Islamic terrorists get involved in terrorist organizations because of money, why Bin Laden who was the embodiment of wealth and power still conducted terrorist attacks? Third, if Islamic terrorists participate in acts of terrorism because of the lack of education, why the leaders of the Islamic State who are highly-educated people are still considered to be more dangerous than al-qaeda leader? For example, the former ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-baghdadi achieved a doctorate at the Islamic University in Baghdad. The new ISIS leader, Abu Alaa al-afri is a professor of physics. Forth, if the Islamic terrorism is facilitated by the clash of civilizations or by the difficulty in coping with Western modernizations and values, why Islamic terrorists are adopting new technology to publicize its terrorist acts and spread its propaganda? It is undeniable that to some extents, all the above mentioned aspects have been contributed to the rise of Islamic terrorism, however, they are not the main ones. It is the ambiguous foreign policy of the West s, especially of the United States ; the dictatorship and the globalization that is the key reasons leading to the rise of Islamic terrorism. Main cause 1: The West, especially the U.S. At different times between the mid-eighteenth century and the mid-twentieth century, the majority of the Muslim world were under direct Western colonial rule. For centuries, Muslims had been ruling in the Middle East but now the Western people played their leading role. Moreover, the creation of Israel in 1948 is considered to be the most provocative example of Western colonialism. These historical facts state that the West has had long influence on the Middle East. Answering the question that what has caused the rise of Islamic extremism in the world, Ryan Mauro argues that modern Islamic extremism grew out the Islamic revivalist movement, which began in the late 19 th century. Islamic revivalism was a response to the perceived weakness of the Muslim world compared to the British Empire, as well as the rise of secularism due to the increased influence of 23

the Western values in Muslim countries vii. The interference of the West has caused serious problems in the Muslim world such as the decline of traditional values, the increasing corruption of the dictators, the lack of democracy and the instability of economy. As a result, most of the Islamic world view the West, especially the U.S., as the foremost corrupting influence on the Islamic world. The Hizballah have taken this further by labeling the U.S. as the Great Satan viii. The terrorism experts Jessica Stern and J. M. Berger in ISIS: The State of Terror indicates that the rise of ISIS is, to some extent, the unintended consequence of Western intervention in Iraq. McCants also argues in his book The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State that the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the stupendous violence that followed dramatically increased the Sunni public s appetite for apocalyptic explanations of a world turned upside down. According to Garikai Chengu, much like Al Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS) is made-in-the- USA, an instrument of terror designed to divide and conquer the oil-rich Middle East and to counter Iran s growing influence in the region. The author finally comes to the conclusion that terrorism is the symptom; American imperialism in the Middle East is the cancer ix. All above arguments of different authors imply that the West, especially the U.S. is the root cause of Islamic terrorism. The following causes such as dictatorship and globalization makes the "Islamic terrorism" become stronger and more influential. Main cause 2: Dictatorship The rise of extremist groups and terrorism is a consequence of the link between extremist groups with the rulers or leaders in some Muslim countries. Some leaders are indeed dictators who want to cooperate with the extremist groups to strengthen their dominant power. The dictators support for Islamist terrorist groups is so vital to their success and their financial prospects. Some Islamic Foundations in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have provided long-term funding to the Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-maliki has openly accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of engaging in that kind of support, but the royal families of these countries deny any such official funding x. Moreover, these extremist groups are not only funded by the dictators but also are indirectly supported by the U.S. The dictators have received the U.S. s aid, signed the treaties that serve for the U.S. s interests and ignored the U.S. s ambitious foreign policies in the Middle East. They have allowed the U.S. to explore for oil and gas and interfere with political life of their country. The dictators have indulged in a life of luxury and achieved short-term political goals regardless of the poverty in their countries. They serves the interests of the West instead of its domestic population s. As a result, the inflation is rising. Unemployment and official corruption are rampant. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. It is the dictators and the US who have led many Muslim people into terrorism. The Islamic terrorists are exploiting the chaos that are mainly caused by the dictators. For examples, they exploited the turbulence or turmoil of the Arab Spring to expand their territory. They also are exploiting the confusion and indecision in the policies of Western countries, especially the U.S. to deal with Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. In some Muslim countries, people have sided with terrorist groups to send a message to their government that they cannot bear the dictatorship any more. Syria is a good example for this. The country becomes turbulent under the dictatorial regime of Assad. Muslim people in this country have to make a difficult choice between the dictatorship and the Sunni Muslim extremism. Main cause 3: Globalization In the globalization context, the fact that Ummah is a universal Muslim community based on shared Islamic faith and implementation of its law has been a greater reality. Globalization along with the 24

technological advances has helped to connect the millions of Muslims around the world and contributed to maintaining the identity of this religious community. However, globalization also has had negative impacts on the Muslim world. It is one of the reasons leading to the fact that many Muslims feel the tenants of their faith have been distorted through the actions of its radical elements. The fluctuations in faith are mainly shown through Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic extremism. Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic extremism has emerged as a tendency to reaffirm the position of Islam in the contemporary world. It has been a political reaction to the dominance of the West. Islamic fundamentalists and Islamic extremists have shared the same targets. Both of them have desired to eliminate or minimize new variations of the religion as well as political leaders and non- Muslims who are considered threats to their fundamentalist beliefs and return to what they see as Islam's roots. However, they are different in their operation methods. Islamic fundamentalists have been considered to be conservative and radical in theory; whereas, Islamic extremists have been conservative and radical not only in theory but also in practice. Therefore, Islamic extremists have been closer to Islamic terrorists than Islamic fundamentalists. Globalization has strengthened Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic extremism. The processes of globalization hence proved highly turbulent and have generated new conflicts, hostilities and exclusions throughout the world. Globalization has shaped the way Islamic fundamentalists and Islamic extremists behave in modern societies and they are more likely able to turn into Islamic terrorists. Globalization has also intensified the difficulties in coping with the technological, cultural, or economic aspects of Western modernization, changing and dismantling of traditional values and of family ties. The influence of these factors on the Muslim community is particularly great. This has brought about the tendency to blame the secular cultures and ideologies that have caused the poverty, crisis or chaos in the Muslim world and many Muslims have distanced themselves from the Western secular modernization and the institutions of the modern state. This has also lead to a trend to find salvation in the return to Islam and its glorious past. Muslims can look back with pride to a number of Golden Ages such as the first Islamic state created in Medina, the Abbassid Dynasty based in Baghdad, and Islamic rule in Spain. They are painfully aware of the decline of the Muslim world in relation to Europe that began around the sixteenth century, and are very conscious of the weakness and humiliation of the Muslim world today xi. The Muslims, as a consequence of globalization, tend to adopt motives that normally lack religious rules or norms. The Islamist groups have taken advantages from these factors and they have convinced Muslims to stand against the alleged global enemies and conspirators including the U.S., Western crusader, and heretic culture. Globalization has also increased the diversity of Islam. Some scholars argues that the success of the Islamist movement lies in the basic diversity of Islam. In fact, there is no a single Islamic center that raises the voice of the vast majority of the Muslim World. Therefore, the Islamist groups have made use of this and maintain a great deal of power and influence. 4. The nature of Islamic terrorism Islamic terrorism is considered as an example of new terrorism. It is controversial that the strategy of the new terrorism is the same to the traditional one. However, the level or intensification of the new terrorism is higher than the old one. In other words, new terrorism does not change the nature of terrorism. It only becomes more dangerous and brutal than the previous one. In the case of Islamic terrorism, there are two facts relating to the nature of its. First, 25

Islamic terrorism is the most radical political and social movement in the name of Islam. Second, Islamic terrorism does not represent the Muslim world. Nature 1: Islamic terrorism is the most radical political and social movement in the name of Islam. Basically, Islamic terrorism is quite similar to Islamic extremism. They differ only in the level of extremism and violence. Islamic extremism is conservative in implementing the teachings of Qur an and in applying Sharia law. It can keep its conservative ideas without using violence. While, Islamic terrorism often uses violence such as suicide bombings to achieve religious and political goals. Islamic terrorists are certainly radical. However, Islamic extremists in many cases are not terrorists. Islamic terrorist s barbarism is historically unprecedented. It is a new and dangerous trend in modern terrorism. It has brought the heartlessness and savagery of terrorism to inconceivable extremes. For example, on June 15, 2014, ISIS captured the city of Tal Afar in Nineveh province and brutally executed 1,700 Iraqi government soldiers. On August 5, 2014, the Islamic State began its ethnic cleansing of the Yazidis who lived in the Sinjar region of Iraq xii. They killed all men who refused to convert to Islam and took Yazidi women as their sex slaves. As Thomas Copeland argues new terrorism is primarily motivated by religion and is largely unsupported by the evidence xiii. From this, it may refer that Islamic terrorists are irrational fanatics, who mindlessly kill innocent civilians. Nature 2: Islamic terrorism does not represent the Muslim world According to newly released data that the Pew Research Center collected in 11 countries with significant Muslim populations, people from Nigeria to Jordan to Indonesia overwhelmingly expressed negative views of ISIS xiv. It is obvious that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject terrorism and view jihadist or radical Islamist beliefs as a perversion of Islam because Islam is a religion of love, forgiveness and peace. Islamic terrorism also has no direct cause from the interpretation of the Qur an. The Qur an forbids terrorism against innocent civilians and random attacks on people of different faiths. Moreover, the Qur an itself can help us address the causes and perpetrators of terrorism. It upholds the value of human life and only allows the use of violence in particular situations such as to protect the Muslim community against the invaders. The fact that innocent civilians are the targets of terrorist attacks is a doctrine that goes against Islam. For example, in this verse and if they incline to peace, then incline to it and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing (Qur an 8:61), Allah orders Muslims that if the enemy were to incline to peace, then Muslims have incline to peace as-well. But, if the enemy does not want peace, then Allah gives Muslims to engage the enemy until there is no more persecution against Muslims. Therefore, Islamic terrorism has gone far from Allah's teachings. In other words, terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam is not the real Islam. Because of the fact that Islamic terrorists often call their murder actions as Jihad, many Muslims and people around the world wrongly believe that terrorism is a part of Muslims war against the rest of the world. For example, the conflict in Syria has led to confusion about the obligation of jihad among many Muslims. Many Muslims are being misled into thinking that fighting in Syria is an act of jihad xv. Moreover, the fact that ISIS always worships the doctrine of Jihadi Soldiers of God makes many Muslims and the rest of the world misunderstand more severely the concept of Jihad. Bernard Lewis states that for most of the fourteen centuries of recorded Muslim history, jihad was not most commonly interpreted to mean armed struggle for the defense or 26

advancement of Muslim power xvi. "Jihad" has many meanings. According to The Islamic Supreme Council of America, Jihad can refer to internal as well as external efforts to be a good Muslim or believer, as well as working to inform people about the faith of Islam. If military jihad is required to protect the faith against others, it can be performed using anything from legal, diplomatic and economic to political means. If there is no peaceful alternative, Islam also allows the use of force, but there are strict rules of engagement xvii. That is the reason why ISIS has never represented the Muslim world. 5. The tendencies of Islamic terrorism There are two main trends of Islamic terrorism. First, that is the increasing influence of Islamic terrorism through global interactions. Second, that is the increasing extremism, fanaticism, and brutality of Islamic terrorism. Tendency 1: the increasing influence of Islamic terrorism through global interactions The rapid development of global communications and the Internet have facilitates the globalization of Islamic terrorism, both on the operational level and in the spread of extremist doctrines. Exploiting the Internet for propaganda, recruiting, fundraising, and cyberattacks is globally interacted. Chatham House describes al Qaeda as a network of networks and affiliates with a presence in at least 60 countries xviii. ISIS is the most typical example for this trend. No terror organization uses the Internet as successfully when it comes to marketing itself and recruiting supporters as the Islamic State does. The Islamic State is more strategic online, demonstrates greater social media sophistication, and operates in cyberspace on a larger scale and intensity than previous terrorist groups xix. The technologies of globalization offer contemporary radical extremists various opportunities to reach mass audiences that their predecessors could never have imagined. This has been dubbed techno-terrorism or the use by terrorists of satellite communications, email, and the World Wide Web xx. ISIS is strategically recruiting young men and women worldwide, using Internet sites, online magazines but mostly social media tools, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Ask FM. The fact that more than 20,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries have gone to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS and other jihadist organizations xxi has shown the success of ISIS in using technology to recruit fighters. Tendency 2: the increasing extremism, fanaticism, and brutality of Islamic terrorism What makes the differences between ISIS and other Islamic terrorist organizations is that ISIS pursues the establishment of an Islamic state while other Islamic terrorist organizations only aim at the West and they will withdraw after they have finished their terrorist attacks. Establishing a separate state is the latest trend of Islamist terrorist organizations. It shows the greater ambition of Islamist terrorism. As Burke writes in The New Threat: The Past, Present, and Future of Islamic Militancy, Zarqawi s strategy was simple: to seize and hold real ground to endure and expand, as the Islamic State s motto later put it. Therefore, ISIS represents a more dangerous evolution in the jihadist movement. Islamic terrorism is driven by hatred, fanaticism and extremism rather than by political ideology. Religious inspired Islamic terrorists are determined to cause mass casualties among civilians, are driven to sacrifice themselves in murderous suicide attacks. Methods or techniques that Islamic terrorists employ today makes threat of attack worse than ever. They have been no longer terrorists who use simple car bombs and explosives. They have become terrorists who use more sophisticated devices that cause greater damage. They would be ready to employ nuclear, biological 27

and chemical weapons. It is therefore a more murderous form of terrorism than the world has seen before. According to The Fiscal Times, ISIS s 10 most extreme acts of terror include slaughtering children; killing gay men by hurling them off buildings; murdering Shiites who pray in mosques; executing their own soldiers; kidnaping women and sell them as sex slaves or force them to marry ISIS fighters; burning pilots in cages; trafficking in black market organs; recruiting child soldiers; destroying ancient cities and priceless artifacts xxii. These acts make ISIS become the cruelest terrorist group than ever. Another thing makes Islamic terrorists become more dangerous is the capability of implementing cyber terrorism (the act of Internet terrorism). A cyber terrorist can corrupt a government computer system, steal money or change information. Therefore, it can cause massive threat with very little effort. Finally, the fact that Islamic terrorists operate at an international level, no longer concentrating on a particular region or a country makes them become more influential, threatening and unpredictable. 6. How to deal with Islamic terrorism It is obvious that both Muslims and non-muslims should get involved in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Islamic terrorism is not only the problem of the Muslim world but also the problem of the rest of the world, especially the West. It has become a global issue, so all countries must work together to successfully combat it. For Muslims There are several measures such as interpreting the Qur an in light of historical and contemporary contexts; being more active and responsible in Muslim communities issues; eliminating the sources that nourish extremism and terrorism; and resolving internal conflicts of the Muslim world. First, interpreting the Qur an in light of historical and contemporary contexts. One of the causes leading to extremist ideology, fanaticism, stagnation, backwardness or crisis in the Muslim world is the misinterpretation of the Qur an. It should be emphasized that the Qur an is everlasting and it does not change over time. Therefore, the interpretation of scriptures must be flexible and adaptable to changes in the political and social environment. It is necessary to base on four sources to interpret the Qur an including: the Qur an, Sunnah, the consensus among the scholars throughout the history of the Ummah, and personal inference and spiritual experience. The consensus among the scholars and the personal inference should be based on the different contexts and they express democracy feature of Islam and they used to contribute to prosperity of Islam. Second, eliminating the sources that nourish extremism and terrorism. Islamic terrorism has been nurtured by the dictatorship. It also has fed by the poverty, the lack of education, and the feeling of being marginalized. Therefore, eliminating all those sources will reduce the threat of Islamist terrorism. Moreover, to eliminate those sources, the Muslim communities need to improve education, science and technology and promote democracy and modernity. Third, being more active and responsible in Muslim communities problems. To fight against Islamic terrorism, moderate Muslims should be more active and responsible in their community s problems. They should not keep silence before the events that are eroding the reputation of the Muslim world. They should take the leading role in fighting extremism in their communities. Zayne 28

Baran suggests that a central counter terrorism task is to find ways of helping moderates win the theological and ideological civil war currently taking place within the Muslim world xxiii. Muslims need to confirm their position as the representative force of the Muslim world. They are those who define the soul of Islam. By this way, Islamic terrorists will not be able to define Islam in their view. Fourth, resolving internal conflicts of the Muslim world. To deal with Islamist terrorism, one of the urgent jobs is to solve the internal problems or conflicts of the Muslim world. In fact, the conflicts that we are witnessing in the Muslim world are not only the conflict between Islam and the West but also the internal conflict between the peaceful and progressive Muslim forces and fanatical and extremist Muslim forces. In other words, the struggle for the heart and soul of Islam today is taking place between the moderates and the extremists, between the democrats and dictators, between those who look only to the past and those who look to the future. For non Muslims There are some solutions such as setting aside the political and economic intrigues in the fight against terrorism; integrating Muslim immigrants in the receiving countries; encouraging religious tolerance and respecting cultural differences; and implementing appropriate communication policies on Islam and Muslims. First, setting aside the political and economic intrigues in the fight against terrorism. According to MAJ Wael, although the strategy of the US-Led coalition to target ISIS by military, economic, and ideological means seems to be comprehensive, it is not politically coordinated. Many of the participants reportedly have joined the alliance for goals "unrelated to the degrading of ISIS xxiv. That is why the US-Led Coalition's Strategy in the fight against ISIS is failing. If each participant pursues its own interest in the fight against terrorism, it will lead to the failure. Therefore, setting aside the political and economic intrigues in that fight will help all participants to get more solidarity and become stronger. Second, encouraging religious tolerance and respecting cultural differences. It is obvious that religions differ greatly in their beliefs and practices. The religious diversity is undeniable. Many Islamic terrorists have made use of the differences between Islam and the West to implement terrorist attacks. Charlie Hebdo attack on January 7, 2015 is an example for this. Therefore, it is crucial to foster the respect of cultural and religious diversity. Third, implementing appropriate communication policies on Islam and Muslims. To some extents, Islam has been portrayed by global media as a violent-prone religion that is completely opposed to the West. Muslim groups through different media outlets are trying to build a positive image of Islam and Muslims, but in comparison to the global dominance of the western media, their efforts are somehow producing no result. Misunderstanding and prejudice seem to grow on both Muslims and Non-Muslims because of media. Islamic terrorists have been made use of this to propagandize about the war between Islam and the West and to recruit more fighters. Therefore, it is crucial to give accurate and un-biased information about Islam and Muslims. Fourth, integrating Muslim immigrants in the receiving countries. Tensions between Muslim immigrant communities and the majority populations are increasing in many European countries. Islamic terrorism and extremism by Muslims living in Western societies is largely due to lack of integration, alienation, unemployment, the failure of multiculturalism or the radicalizing influence of foreign Jihadists xxv. As a result, many Europe s young Muslims have become more 29

radicalized and many of them have joint ISIS. In June, 2015, about 4,000 Europeans are estimated to have joined ISIS, which continues to attract young people from European countries to join the jihad in the Middle East xxvi. Therefore, integrating Muslim immigrants in the receiving countries will prevent them from radicalization and extremism. Acknowledgement This paper is under the 911 scholarship of the Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam. References i Zaman Online (2006), EU Removes Islamic Terrorism from its Dictionary, Retrieved May 22, 2006, from http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=31952 ii Wikipedia (n.d), Islamic terrorism, Retrieved April 13, 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/islamic_terrorism iii Common Ground News Service (n.d), Islamic terrorism, Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.commongroundnews.org/term_en_islamic_terrorism.php?lan=en iv Marc Sageman (2004), Understanding Terror Networks, University of Pennsylvania Press, p.7. v John L. Esposito (2002), Unholy war, Oxford University Press, p.21 vi The Richest (2015), 10 Most Dangerous Terrorist Groups in the World, Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/10-most-dangerous-terrorist-groups-inthe-world/?view=all vii Ryan Mauro (2014), Understanding Islamist Extremism, Retrieved March 17, 2016 from http://www.clarionproject.org/understanding-islamism/islamic-extremism# viii P.R. Rajeswari (n.d), US Policy on Terrorism, Retrieved March 18, 2016 from http://www.idsaindia.org/an-oct8-7.html ix Garikai Chengu (2014), America Created Al-Qaeda and the ISIS Terror Group, Retrieved March 16, 2016 from http://www.globalresearch.ca/america-created-al-qaeda-and-the-isis-terrorgroup/5402881 x Dong Manyuan (2014), The Rise of ISIS: Impacts and Future, Retrieved April 16, 2016 from http://www.ciis.org.cn/english/2014-11/14/content_7369551.htm xi Colin Chapman (2007), Christian respones to Islam, Islamism and Islamic terrorism, The Jubilee Centre, 16 (2), June, 2007, p.2. xii Dong Manyuan (2014). See x xiii Thomas Copeland (2004), Is the New Terrorim Really New? An Analysis of the New Paradigm for Terrorim, Journal of Conflict & Terrorim, 27(5), pp. 435-54 xiv Jacob Poushter (2015), In nations with significant Muslim populations, much disdain for ISIS, Retrieved April 23, 2016 from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-withsignificant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ xv Jordantimes (2014), IS has executed 100 foreigners trying to quit, Retrieved April 20, 2016 from http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/has-executed-100-foreigners-trying-quit-%e2%80%94- report xvi Bernard Lewis (2004), The Crisis of Islam: Holy war and Unholy Terror, Phoenix, p.27 xvii Islamic Supreme Council of America (n.d), Jihad: A Misunderstood Concept from Islam, Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-amisunderstood-concept-from-islam.html?start=9 30

xviii Frank Gregory and Paul Wilkingson (2005), Riding Pillion for Tackling Terrorism is a High risk Policy, Security, Terrorism and the UK, Chatham House ISP/NSC Briefing Paper 05/01, July, p.2. xix David P. Fidler (2015), Countering Islamic State Exploitation of the Internet, Retrieved April 22, 2016, from http://www.cfr.org/cybersecurity/countering-islamic-state-exploitation-internet/p36644 xx Benjamin R. Barber (2003), Fear's Empire War, Terrorism, and Democracy, Little Falls, New Jersey, United States, p.249 xxi BBC News (2015), UN says '25,000 foreign fighters' joined Islamist militants, Retrieved May 2, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32156541 xxii The Fiscal Times (2015), ISIS s 10 Most Extreme Acts of Terror, Retrieved May 12, 2016, from http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/22/isis-s-10-most-extreme-acts-terror xxiii Zeyno Baran (2005), Fighting the War of Ideas, Foreign Affairs, 84(6), p.84 xxiv MAJ Wael Abbas (2016), The US-Led Coalition against ISIS: Strategic Difficulties and Political Will, Retrieved May 12, 2016 from https://globalecco.org/the-us-led-coalition61#65_up xxv UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Home Office (2004), Draft Report on Young Muslims and Extremism, Retrieved May 2, 2016 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/report/2004/muslimext-uk.htm xxvi Kukil Bora (2015), ISIS Recruiting 'Increasingly Young' Europeans; About 4,000 Joined Islamic State In Syria: EU, Retrieved May 5, 2016 from http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-recruiting-increasingly-youngeuropeans-about-4000-joined-islamic-state-syria-eu-1972462 31