The common assumption that poverty causes terrorism, is just a call for Western nations to write more checks to governments of Muslim countries. It’s also demonstrably false. The New York Times reported that “not long after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001…Alan B. Krueger, the Princeton economist, tested the widespread assumption that poverty was a key factor in the making of a terrorist. Mr. Krueger’s analysis of economic figures, polls, and data on suicide bombers and hate groups found no link between economic distress and terrorism.”
CNS News noted in September 2013 that “according to a Rand Corporation report on counterterrorism, prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 2009, ‘Terrorists are not particularly impoverished, uneducated, or afflicted by mental disease. Demographically, their most important characteristic is normalcy (within their environment). Terrorist leaders actually tend to come from relatively privileged backgrounds.’ One of the authors of the RAND report, Darcy Noricks, also found that according to a number of academic studies, ‘Terrorists turn out to be more rather than less educated than the general population.’”
Note also how Channel 4 would rather suffer a fiery, painful death than air a report about how a wave of “Islamist extremism” was a consequence of new attention to Islam’s doctrines of jihad warfare against unbelievers.
“How poverty and corruption fuel terrorism across Africa,” Channel 4, April 16, 2021 (thanks to Henry):
On March 24th, a group of jihadis struck the town of Palma in Mozambique, killing dozens and burning government buildings to the ground.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack – but doubts have been cast over who was behind the siege. With a wave of Islamist extremism sweeping up Africa’s Eastern coast and across the Sahel, the origins of the attack could be far-reaching.
…a consequence of poverty, domestic grievances new and old, and Africa’s resource “curse”, which paradoxically impoverishes people living on land which is rich in natural resources.
Walter Sieruk says
A good number of Muslims who are well educated,as doctors ,who had also lived in wealthy countries ,as the United Kingdom ,had left their Western nations to travel to Afghanistan and Iraq fight and kill “disbelievers.” There is no doubt about their zeal and commitment to engage in the violence of war for the cause of Islam. [an awful cause] Nevertheless, the fact is that they didn’t become violent jihadists because of they suffered from “poverty and a lack in access to resources.” They went to take part in the violence and killing of the jihad for Islam because they are deeply devote Muslims and their Qu ‘ran gives instruction for them to do so. As seen in ,for example ,, Surah 2:191. 4:89. 5:33. 9:5, 111 ,112, 123. 47:4.
Therefore such socialist ideas the economics ,such as “poverty and a lack of access to resources” are the reasons that so many men engage violent ,destructive and murderous behavior are wrong
In other words, such socialist concepts as to the economic causes for despicable violent behavior are are invalid.
.
Such left -wing economic philosophers have ,very much, understatement the motivating power of blind and unquestioning faith in religion. As in this cause ,the religion of Islam.
gravenimage says
True–in fact, Jihadists regularly prove to be better off than those not waging violent Jihad.
born saturday says
of course poverty would make a difference between islam in a richer country and islam in a poor country as the poor have no money to pay the jisya…. but that is only in the beggining and the city guerilla warfair will spread more and more in the western countries as the jisya will not be enough to unsatiable savages of the third world that have invaded… ofcourse, more poverty means cheaper mercenaries for countries like turkey, but as we know from facts, matters not the ammount of money but rather the devotion to satan in order to trigger the terror….
Wellington says
If this claim were valid, then you would expect that an approximate number of poor Christians and animists in Africa would also engage in the violence that Muslims in Africa do because of “poverty and lack of access to resources.”
But this is not the case, nowhere close, actually virtually non-existent. So, it’s excuse making for Islam on display once again.
It’s the ideology, stupid.
Michael Copeland says
Ditto for Haiti.
gravenimage says
Yep.
Rob R (Brit stuck in Britainistan) says
When I watch Channel 4 News (not often) it’s one of those things that make me wonder why we don’t officially identify as Muslim country yet. The way they talk is very terrifying, they’ve been “Israel-haters” for like the last 1 and a half decades if not longer
It astounds me that they still actually even acknowledge “Jihadis”.
Jim says
I think one of the experts on the issue said that when people have enough money to have some leisure to think about becoming terrorists, they are able to do so. If they are being worked to exhaustion every day, they do not have the energy or strength to engage in terrorism. If they have money, they can travel and buy weapons, if they are poor, they cannot afford to be terrorists.
revereridesagain says
Look at all the well-off “social justice warrior” BLM groupies currently infesting the US. That old saying about idle hands is well based. The tony town I live in is full of what one of the Loudon VA school parents tagged “Commie Mommies” pushing the Critical Race Theory garbage like a gang of Chardonay-swilling suburban clones of Mao’s Red Guard.
gregbeetham says
That’s the danger of expecting Muslims to ‘assimilate’ and become westernised because at some point they realize they are no longer following the path that leads to Jannah and who is it that they blame for this? Who placed all the temptations in their way and what is the solution?
Michael Copeland says
That is a very important point. It is this expectation by Western politicians of muslim “assimilation” that is, itself, so flawed. It is the consequence of their not ascertaining what Islam teaches. Of course some muslims, nominal ones, will seem to fit in, but they are not following their ideology’s teachings, and cannot be regarded as role models.
Learning Curve needed.
seelistenunderstandAmir says
I fully support the channelm4 assumption.
I learned it in my travels. The terror is mixed, sometimes with robbery. I faced it is S. Africa in its old days, in S. and central America and also in Europe, in Romania at the communism regime. Not today, thanks god.
This is true.
gravenimage says
The claim that poverty causes Jihad is utterly false. It is Islam itself. Are you pretending that Osama bin Laden was poor?
Giacomo Latta says
And I could find a positive regression between the increase of ice melting in Greenland and the rise in muslim gang rapes in Britain. It does not mean that is the cause of the other. Now, if I were to find a positive regression between knife attacks and muslim immigration, however, …
OLD GUY says
The leadership of the UK must be suffering from the same inbreeding that the Muslim world suffers from.
The way out of poverty is called education and WORK not welfare or violence.
Migration is NOT the answer to getting these Islamic or Muslim people out of poverty.
The answer lies in their ideology and life choices of following ISLAM.
Walter Sieruk says
Those “intellectual expects” who feel that they have the answer to so much jihadist violence for Islam across Africa which they claim is “poverty , corruption and lack of access to resources” have totally failed to understand to entire world situation.
For example, in the nation of India many people also the same three problems .Nevertheless there isn’t a increase in jihadist violence . This because there is more Hinduism in India and less of Islam For its the religion of Islam fuels jihadist terrorism.
Those commentators on that British television channel just don’t see or understand this.
gravenimage says
UK’s Channel 4 says increased jihad activity in Africa is a consequence of poverty and lack of access to resources
……………..
More willful denial. Note that Christians and animists are not waging violent Jihad.