Subodh Mathur3 days ago
Who is attracted to terrorism?
A few days ago I had written that poverty and terrorism are not correlated. Few terrorists are poor.
Today, the New York Times reports on a European bombmaker who was drawn to ISIS. Key points:
- Blew himself up in Brussels Airport
- Part of Muslim immigrant family from Morocco, who grew up in Belgium
- Went to Catholic school
- Studied electrical engineering
- Brother carries the Belgian flag as a national martial arts champion
- Felt like an outsider, deeply conscious of two worlds, separate yet side by side.
I think the key is that he never identified with the life around him. It never satisfied him.