Rapes in India

Radicalization of Youth

From socializing and entertainment to homework, the Internet is an essential part of life for young people today, opening vast new opportunities for connecting and learning. At the same time, the Internet provides violent extremists with powerful tools to propagate hatred and violence and to identify and groom potential recruits, creating global online communities that promote radicalization.

Radicalization refers to the phenomenon by which individuals or group of individuals exhibit radical political, social or religious ideology and aspirations that oppose and reject contemporary ideas of mainstream society of the nation. Simply Radicalization is the process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly radical views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. 

Radicalization can be both violent and non violent however in general instruction radicalization is more focused on violent extremists ideologies and activities; Allergies and activities are adopted and in order to fulfill their material needs. 

Radicalization has become contagious among youngsters with majority of radicals opting for aggressive and extremists approach to achieve the goal. In case of India number of states have been the victims of radicalization and the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been more in focus due to many reasons. From the beginning, Pakistan has played fiendish to radicalise Kashmiri youth as a result Kashmir has been going through the misery of violent separatist movement since decades. The youth of Kashmir have been constantly living in an uncertain and stressful atmosphere and the culture and tradition of Kashmir has suffered due to the upheaval in the valley. Moreover, False religious teachings to accept beliefs and notions of foreign extremist groups in the name of Jihad(Jihad is a term used for "struggling" or "suffering") and increasing religious fanatism have been the misleading factors that have guided the Kashmiri society towards radicalization. A narrow literal interpretation of Jihad and Islamic Scriptures supported by Pakistan method of Stirring up insurgency in Kashmir have been striving to convert the multi-cultural Sufi characters of the valley into a hard-core Islamic one. Now here on the contrary Islamic scriptures are not to blame, but the interpretation assumed and accepted by the people. 

However it would be drawn to attach the phenomenon with any single community or religion or region. The 2019 mosque attacks in New Zealand and large number of mob lynching incidents are examples that radicalisation has other factors too at play. Radicalisation has been initiated due to other factors like economic crisis, identity crisis, alienation, suppression of freedom of expression, curbs on civil liberties, etc.

Types of Radicalization

Radicalization leading to violence may take diverse forms depending on the context and time period, and may be associated with different causes or ideologies.

Right-Wing Extremism

A form of radicalization associated with fascism, racialism/racism, supremacism and ultra-nationalism. This form of radicalization is characterized by the violent defense of a racial, ethnic or pseudo-national identity, and is also associated with radical hostility towards state authorities, minorities, immigrants and/or left-wing political groups.

 

Politico-Religious Extremism

A form of radicalization associated with a political interpretation of religion and the defence, by violent means, of a religious identity perceived to be under attack (via international conflicts, foreign policy, social debates, etc.). Any religion may spawn this type of violent radicalization.

 

Left Wing Extremism

A form of radicalization that focuses primarily on anti-capitalist demands and calls for the transformation of political systems considered responsible for producing social inequalities, and that may ultimately employ violent means to further its cause. This category includes anarchist, maoist, trotskyist and Marxist–Leninist groups that use violence to advocate for their cause.

 

Single Issue Extremism

A form of radicalization essentially motivated by a sole issue. This category includes: radical environmental or animal rights groups, anti-abortion extremists, certain anti-gay/anti-feminist movements, and ultra-individualist or independent extremist movements (such as Free Men on the Land and sovereign citizens) that use violence to promote their causes. Mass murderers whose motivations are partially or wholly ideological may also fall under this category.

When it comes to “religious radicalism” within strands of contemporary political Islam or Islamism, as both ideology and movement, one can for instance find Salafist groups which are non-violent. Some of these groups are even reluctant to become involved in politics. Religious radicalism uses various strategies that may include political and reformist actions, cultural struggle and the strengthening of the community of believers through missionary work. Violence against heretics and non-believers is not an automatic outcome of every kind of religious radicalism.

UNESCO recommended media and information literacy as among the most effective responses to online hate speech and youth radicalization at an international conference on youth and cyberhate held last week at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. The study on radicalization and social media, which UNESCO plans to publish this spring, falls within the Organization’s work to prevent violent extremism and to empower youth to build peace.

In order to investigate the alleged role of social media in the process of radicalization leading to violent extremism, a team of researchers commissioned by UNESCO studied the existing literature through a review of more than 4,000 articles published in the last 15 years in English, French and Arabic.
“The existing literature shows no clear causal link between online propaganda and youth radicalization,” stated Ms Pollack Ichou in her presentation. “In reality, the Internet seems to constitute a favorable environment more than a driving force in the radicalization process.”
The study also found a gap in research on the role of women as victims or perpetrators of violent extremism and in research on Africa and the Arab region, which are, however, among the areas most affected by radicalization.
Preliminary recommendations stemming from the study included a call for greater media and information literacy and for a holistic response to youth radicalization based on knowledge and a respect for human rights.

The study also maps a variety of social responses, including efforts for monitoring and discussion, mobilizing civil society, and putting pressure on Internet intermediaries to improve reporting and response mechanisms. Given highlighted the essential role of media and information literacy in building young people’s skills to identify and react to hate speech.