Looking for the roots of terrorism

[El Kabong]

One mans terrorism is another mans freedom fighter.

ISIS execute 13 football fans for watching Iraq play Jordan on TV | Daily Mail Online

[Gandalf]

I haven't read the article as I haven't read anything except the previous posts yet, but my immediate impressions are somewhat in line with those of Master. Terrorism seldom emerges from a vacuum and most typically is the result of oppression and not being listened to. Participants in the American revolution would today be labelled extremists, but of course they were not so to any man that craves freedom from tyranny. The same here with statues dedicated to the proud patriots who resisted Japanese occupation. They too were called terrorists, but of course hindsight tells us very clearly that they were freedom fighters resisting empire and occupation. You can apply the same logic to dozens of conflicts in times past. Most empires are notorious occupiers of stolen lands and thus to them everyone who resists is an extremist or a terrorist.

[ryanman]

I haven't read the article as I haven't read anything except the previous posts yet, but my immediate impressions are somewhat in line with those of Master. Terrorism seldom emerges from a vacuum and most typically is the result of oppression and not being listened to. Participants in the American revolution would today be labelled extremists, but of course they were not so to any man that craves freedom from tyranny. The same here with statues dedicated to the proud patriots who resisted Japanese occupation. They too were called terrorists, but of course hindsight tells us very clearly that they were freedom fighters resisting empire and occupation. You can apply the same logic to dozens of conflicts in times past. Most empires are notorious occupiers of stolen lands and thus to them everyone who resists is an extremist or a terrorist.

But it is also more nuanced.
For instance the foreign policy often cited. Well, I'd say that South and Central America have suffered more than the Middle East from western governments. Yet there isn't the same issue with terrorists groups from there.

Also there are Islamist groups with no anti-west agenda. All they want is the west to let them carry on their (evil) business.

Even among those that cite anti-west motivations the truth is not so clear. It is often just a useful soundbite for recruitment of largely ignorant people.
The anti-west Jihadi groups actions have no real logic. If you were to sit with them and try to logically follow their arguments, and they were to answer your questions, they would soon get to point of circular non-rational arguments. The thing is they won't let you get to that point.
One of the biggest recruitment tools of terrorists is ignorance.