Terrorist Sub-Cultural Group - Coursework Example

Introduction Terrorist sub-cultural groups exist in very many societies around the world. Their actions are triggered by factors such as politics, religion, personal convictions among others. Terrorist sub-cultural groups could have different behavior, clothing, practices, beliefs and activities which always go contrary to the expectation of the people in the larger culture or society. This discussion presents a descriptive investigation of a terrorist sub-cultural group based in Spain best known for jihad type activities. The jihadist terrorism sub-culture in Spain is strengthened by the many terrorist networks operating in Spain. These networks make up the larger group known as the jihadist grand network based in Spain. The grand network happens to be part of the Al Qaeda which is a global network. The sub-cultural terrorist group in Spain is composed of networks of Moroccan, Algerian and Syrian origin. The jihadists see it as their religious duty to offer defense to the believers’ community and wipe out impiety from the earth. In Spain terrorist groups include the armed Islamic group together with the Salafist group for preaching and combat (GSPC). The GSPC is part of the global Al Qaeda net work. It was established inside Spain during the 1990s. It cooperated with another network known as the Abu Dahdah network on particular tasks with relationships with other groups within Spain also being maintained. Past and present life situation The jihadists group in Spain started by forming and spreading propaganda. They started by trying to widen the circle of sympathizers as well as securing material support. Posters, pamphlets, magazines and photocopies of Bin Laden’s communiqués were being distributed in many mosques in Madrid without the Imam consenting to it. Videos carrying jihad messages were shown in homes and small rooms of prayer. Videos of propaganda do legitimize and strengthen the cause by showing that America and allies has military superiority which causes suffering of children and Muslim women in combat scenes where the mujahhadin take the films. Logistics including material support are sent to the other jihad abroad. Through this jihadis have a feeling of being active members in the resistance group Schmid, and Jongman, (1988). Support is given as visa or passport falsification, finance, refuge, equipment for use and location of new camps for training. Funds for the group members are obtained through illegal means. The Abu Dahdah network was involved in robbing shopping centers and fraud with credit cards. For the network members the illicit activities are acceptable for religious reasons if they are used for jihad promotion. They also provide auxiliary support such as provision of visas, residence permits and work contrasts for activists who were being persecuted in different countries as well as former mujahhadin. Combatants were also given temporary accommodation. Jihadists also maintained frequent visits to the other members of the network abroad. These visits police say are used for maintaining contact with other network points and for the exchange of instructions and experiences. Jihadists also recruit volunteers to be trained in Afghanistan or join jihad fights in Chechnya, Indonesia and Bosnia. The existence of Islamic communities inside Spain is very crucial to recruitment. Mosques have been used not just for worship but also to serve as points where potential recruits and members meet Jansen (1997). Non Muslims cannot be recruited because they cannot be trusted by the jihadists. Wahhabi preachers coming from Morocco have been found to be the ones controlling mosques in Spain. The jihadists teach their members to get isolated in the community, get immersed totally in religion and never to get integrated into the Spanish society. Jihadists have been involved in attacks within and out side of Spain with some of their attacks targeting Spain nationals for example the attack on the train in Madrid. The jihadist’s sub-cultural groups in Spain have no fixed profile. There are many levels in the structure of the networks. It is believed that they exist in concentric circles. Senior members are found in the first circle and their job is to coordinate various networks or provision of finances. The circle has few members. They are almost exclusively dedicated to the course of jihad. Some travel frequently abroad and relate closely with other senior Al Qaeda members in the world. Their average age is between 30 and 40 years which gives them superiority over the members of a lower level. Have high levels of instruction in religion and are highly educated. In the next circle the members are involved but maintain a lower level of engagement in operations. They are the confidants to those in the inner circle. Many of them have old relations especially with other members with others having gone through training camps abroad or participated in mujahhadin in Bosnia and Chechnya. The network gains some trust as a result of these experiences. Individual of this circle have non academic professions which help them to provide for their families and themselves Sageman (2004). These jobs also benefit the network. Many of these members have married Spanish women and they have secured Spanish citizenship. They lead very normal lives and neighbors are only surprised when they are arrested. Within the third concentric circle are members who sympathize with jihadists but relate very informally with those immersed inside the network. They live very normally and do specific tasks such as delivering money or propaganda and providing residence papers and temporary accommodation. Some go abroad to get combat and religious training or even fight in jihad. They are single and young many of them below thirty. Beyond the network and exterior to it there exist those people who do things which are important to the members within the network. These people are also linked to the network. They subtract credit cards, sale explosives and falsify identification papers. Preachers can be categorized in this thirds circle since they preach doctrine that favors Muslim auto segregation and spread anti western discourse. The group based at Granada was depending on then man Abu Dahdah as well. First and second circle members maintained relationships like those with other networks of jihad abroad and within Spain. Experiences of cultural difference, discrimination and stereotyping The Al Qaeda organizational dynamic involves the making of a sub culture which is used in the recruitment and maintenance of new members. The sub-culture concept is used in reference to the normative system that minority social groups have. In the sub culture there exist a unique set of social values although it is part of a bigger central value system. People who are deep in this sub-culture view the world from a totally different perspective to that of other members of society. Interaction between group members and the internal coherence of arguments helps to justify the cognitive dissonance. The jihadist and their sub-culture feed on family ties, experiences in training camps, friends, fighting in jihad, clandestine operations and propaganda. The brotherhood spirit is generated through community ideas and effective ties Gunaratna (2002). The birth of this subculture is strengthened by socialization in environments that are radically Islam in which some have grown since childhood. With the growing cases of terrorism in Spain and outside the country many people have developed a fear of the jihadists who happen to be Muslims in their totality. As a way of reacting to the activities of these sub-cultural terrorist groups people tend to avoid them and do not want to show close association with them. Jihadists in Spain tend to hide behind religion as they perform their activities under the cover of the Islamic religion. It becomes hard to identify them since many of them pass as ordinary peace loving Muslims. However, suspected members of the sub- culture constantly face stereotyping and discrimination since many people avoid involvement with them. Such people are common police targets in security operations. Many people believe that they are murderers who are out to kill and destroy for no reason. There is a clear gap maintained between the jihadists and the rest of society especially among those who are non Muslims Hoffman (1998). Non Muslims have very superficial interactions with them and this only happens in places where it is unavoidable such as in work places. Those who do not know or believe in the course of the jihad are in one way or another discriminatory in their actions towards the network members. Since the level of police crack down on such members is high many people would prefer a limited association with them lest they be victimized. Mosques have been identified by police as central places where provocative preaching and instructions are given to jihad members. The ban on opening new mosques has therefore been maintained and even tightened by the government. New mosque opening is being monitored closely and in the past anti mosque movements have also led to the closure of some mosques. As a result prayers and other planning activities by members of the net work are carried out in abandoned structures and tiny rooms which do not measure up to the standard of an ordinary mosque. Others pray in run down places and make shift garages. It is important to not that since all the jihadists are Muslims the rest of the Muslims find themselves bundled up in the same group and discrimination and stereotyping affects all of them together. Discrimination is carried out by way of victimization in which some of the members are accused of terrorist acts not actually performed by them and as a result they end up suffering for them. Many suspected sub cultural group members have faced police harassment and some of them have been arrested and charged. Many Muslim women have also been discriminated against in ways that violet their human rights. Wearing of the veil has been banned in certain places in Spain for purposes of identification in public. Although the terrorist sub culture does not have many active women it is believed that those who are spouses, confidants and relatives of the committed members aide in the activities the network members. Suspects intending to perform terrorist activities have often used the veil to hide their identity. The sub culture of terrorism in Spain is represented in the Spanish media in a very biased manner. The mass media propagates messages that promote the fear of this group. As a result there is hostility which is also extended to the entire Muslim community, and verbal and physical abuse done against Islamic symbols and Islamic jihadists Atran (2010). The Spanish media portrays an image of prejudice of men as violent and women as passive, victimized and submissive. Men are portrayed as anti-democratic immigrants with their women being seen as passive, dominated and unable to participate actively in the community. They bad Muslims are shown as speaking a non western language or Arabic and spotting beards. The media shows them as people lacking individual attributes that support and practice violence against women. The veil is seen as a sign of oppression, mystery and submission. As a result the members of the net work are portrayed as human rights violators, killers and violent people. This is the way in which fear is instilled in people for these sub cultures. The result is that many people who are not close associates avoid them. Mosques which are the official prayer places for the members of the net works are also used as objects of discrimination and stereotyping. International sources of funds and make shift mosques are portrayed as negative and they are associated with fear for terrorism. Mosques are seen as places where terrorism and related activities are planned. Many other religious restrictions have been instituted in Spain to target the jihadist sub-cultural groups within the country. There is no availability of halal food in Spain. This is in spite of the fact that there exists a big population of Muslims. There is no freedom for these people to perform burial rights according to their religion of Islam Hoffman, (2002). When they die their corpses are taken back to their countries of origin for burial. There is no freedom for expressing views or performing various religious although they are within the requirements of legal freedom of worship. Immigration of people suspected to be members of the network has been restricted. Funding to Muslim societies has also been reduced to zero. The Muslim society which is believed to harbor the sub cultural group is denied the privilege of funding to finance its activities. The church in Spain and particularly Catholics get much funding to operate their systems. In the unfavorable treatment of the members of the net work the country’s laws as well as the international law is being violated. Conclusion In conclusion the paper has a discussion on the sub-cultural terrorist group in Spain which is made up of a number of net works allied to Al Qaeda. The existence of a terrorist sub-cultural group in Spain is something that has been felt by everybody especially through their attacks around the country. The group is made up of immigrants from Algeria, Syria and Morocco. The members maintain close relationships between themselves and little association with non Muslims. Members of the group face discrimination and stereotyping because of the negative perception of the non Muslims and the mass media in Spain. Many of them are victimized and discriminated against in matters of immigration, religious freedom and worship. To the government and other citizens this treatment is warranted given the level of terrorist activities taking place. 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