In the last one month, after the Boston Bombings by radicalized youths, the issue of radicalization has taken center stage in political discourses around the globe.
As an academic exercise, it will be useful to examine the phenomenon of radicalism and radicalization, in order to explain the remote and immediate causes of this scourge of the 21st century.
The history of human struggles for emancipation from tyranny, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, racism, poverty, denigration, oppression, suppression, exploitation, marginalization, ethnic cleansing, racial discrimination, religious bigotry. Xenophobia, irredentism, torture, incarceration, are proven factors that lead to radicalism and radicalization.
Where these affect social humans in any society, for a long time, revolutions are known to have taken place. This was the case in America, France, Russia, China and in many African countries under colonial rule.
If Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Madison and other brave American leaders were not radicalized, America probably would have remained a British colony!
If the French revolutionaries had not been radicalized to proclaim a new Republic, the French would not have been liberated from monarchical oppression.
If V.I Lenin and the Bolshevik Party did not imbibe radicalism, the Romanovs could have been in power till this day.
If Mao and his comrades did now bow to radicalism resulting from German, French and British colonialism, the British would have still “owned” Hong Kong.
If African states had not fought in the 2nd World War and got radicalized by Hitler’s madness, there would have been no positive response, when they demanded independence from France and Britain.
The crises in the world capitalist system of economy have radicalized social and political groups in Europe and elsewhere.
As the above logical, deductive, postulations have pungently shown, radicalism and radicalization, could lead to political change. The radicalization of pious Muslims in North Africa and in the Middle East, caused by social injustice, is proof that social humans can be pushed to revolt.
What is the meaning of radicalism? The word radical comes from the Latin word radices, meaning root. The French believe that all matters must be probed to the root for the matter to be well understood.
Monarchist philosophers and government protectors, regard vocal citizens as radicals, in order to neutralize them through dirty tricks.
Radicalization is a reaction to prevailing social injustices of historical and contemporary nature. There have been events in the last twenty years that have shocked humankind. There have been wars, rapes and other indubitable wrongs prevalent in contemporary society. The mindset that is careless about the welfare of the people radicalizes them to take direct actions against their rulers.
When the states of Portugal, France, Britain, The Netherlands, Spain, used terrorist methods to attack and colonize helpless and harmless people in overseas countries, little did they know that karmic consequences will manifest in the 21st century. It is written that what nations and people sowed they shall reap.
Colonialism, slavery, imperialism could be construed as terrorism in historical times. Those, who watched the destruction of Carthage, Kosovo, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan, are left with gory memories that can inflame passions to radicalization.
Fire and bombings, indiscriminate killings, the actions of gunmen around the globe have created social humans that now take destruction of peoples lightly.
Mankind must return to righteous living according to God’s ordinances, His testimonies and judgments. No man can share God’s glory. He alone is HOLY.
