Introduction
Most individuals fear hearing word terrorism. Terrorism is the unlawful usage of violence and intimidation specifically against civilians in pursuit of political objectives. Over the years, there has been a rise in religious militancy. Religion has been used as a tool to mobilize and unite people throughout the centuries. However, it has also been misused throughout human history; there have been extremist religious movements that have been responsible for tragic historical events that have occurred specifically when such groups feel threatened. Thus, the advancement in the technology sector, specifically the internet, has increased such activities.
Religious militants, especially in the Middle East, conduct terrorist activities and defend their actions through religion. Groups such as Jihad is an example that uses fear to frighten or sway their adversaries. Such groups use religion to influence and attract more followers. The main objective of these terrorist groups is to change the political environment.
Charming leaders often of these groups to manipulate religion through expressing their political objectives in terms of a command from God. The leader convinces his or her followers that they are tools used in fulfilling God’s work. Even though what is asked of the followers is dangerous and can cause harm to other innocent people, the leader convinces the followers that any means used to achieve the goal is legitimate and accepted by God. As a result, chaos, death, and destruction are unleashed because of selfish reasons for one or a group of people. The people who have chosen to perform these heinous acts usually have nothing to lose or are easy to manipulate. Such individuals often end up dying as suicide bombers or preforming dangerous acts where they can be gunned down by authorities. These people die thinking their actions are justified and that they died for their religious beliefs. However, when thinking critically, they died for a selfish cause that exploited their weakness for selfish gains.
Advancement in the technological sector is one of the major factors that led to the increased use of the internet for terrorist activities by religious militants. The terrorist groups use the internet for many purposes, such as recruiting individuals of their cause, financing their operations, training their followers, and inciting people to commits terrorist activities. Additionally, the internet has been used to further the terrorist propaganda and, lastly, gathering information about their targets for terrorist activities. Therefore, even though the internet is beneficial in daily communication between different people from different parts of the world, it can also be used by religious militants to facilitate communication within their groups. And even in transmitting information and material support so as successfully perform terrorist activities.
The following are ways in which religious militants use the internet for terrorist purposes. Firstly, religious militants use the internet to spread their propaganda. The propaganda is in the mode of multimedia communications that provide moral guidelines, clarifications, justifications, and promotion of fanatic activities. Examples of such are; audio and video files, virtual messages, magazines, and video games, which are made by terrorist groups or people who are sympathetic to their cause. The propaganda, however, is not a crime because people are given the freedom to express themselves
Additionally, through the internet, religious militants promote violence, which is a major theme in terrorist-related propaganda. The internet has a broad reach of the audience; thus, the content posted by the terrorist groups potentially reaches many people as opposed to the traditional means of communication such as news services where the information provided is investigated if it is coming from a credible source and is not provocative before it is aired. The internet footage may also contain video footage of terrorism or video games simulating acts of terrorism that encourage a user to role play as a virtual terrorist.
Secondly, the internet has been used as a major platform for recruiting followers by religious militants for terrorist activities. The terrorist groups use the internet as a means to establish relationships and solicit support from responsive people, especially to the targeted propaganda. Terrorist organizations use platforms that include password-protected websites and internet chat groups that have restricted internet access as a means of recruiting their followers. Thus, the internet provides religious militants with a worldwide pool of potential followers. The target populations are minors and vulnerable individuals who have undergone marginalization, injustices, exclusion, and humiliation at some point in their lives.
Thirdly, religious militants use the internet to finance their operations. The terrorist groups can collect funds in different ways, such as direct solicitation, exploitation form online tools, e-commerce, and charitable organizations. Indirect solicitation, the terrorist group uses websites and chat groups to request money from its supporters. In online payment, the group can easily transfer money electronically between different parties through wire transfers, credit cards, or payment platforms such as PayPal. Also, terrorist groups can exploit online payment facilities through fraudulent means such as wire fraud, identity theft, stock, and auction fraud. Lastly, some terrorist groups have established themselves as legitimate businesses in shell corporations as philanthropic groups, thus, getting donations from charitable groups to conduct their dangerous activities. These terrorist groups that hide behind shell corporations claim to be supporting humanitarian goals while the donations they receive are used for financing their terrorist activities.
Fourthly, the religious militant groups have gradually turned to the internet as a training ground for its followers. The training has been conducted through practical guides that are in the form of online manuals, audio, and video clips. Additionally, through the internet, a person has access to multiple languages; therefore, he or she can learn the language of the terrorists if needed. Additionally, topics such as how to join a terrorist group, how to build explosives, and how to use a firearm are easily accessed on the internet. Thus, making it easy for followers to gain knowledge through the internet. Terrorist virtual camps are also found on the internet, where these groups use to share operation methods and techniques for the main aim of committing terrorist acts.
Also, religious militants use the internet to plan their terrorist attacks. Many criminal justice practitioners have established that almost every terrorist attack involved the usage of internet technology. Planning a terror attack involves access to remote communication by different people. The primary function of the internet is to enhance communication. The religious militants are exploiting technologies used in communication to communicate anonymously when planning an attack. An email account can be used for the “dead dropping” of communications, which can be challenging to trace and is easily accessible from any internet terminal worldwide by different individuals who have the correct password.
Lastly, the internet can be used by religious militants to execute their terrorist activities. It is because the internet has logistical advantages such as the likelihood of detection is minimal, and it is difficult to identify the responsible parties. Additionally, it is easy to purchase equipment for the execution of attacks through e-commerce.
Conclusion
In summary, as much as the internet is used by religious militants to facilitate terrorist activities, it can also be used to counterterrorist activities. However, people should remain vigilant about what they watch, listen to or read from the internet because they can unknowingly be a victim used to further the propaganda of the terrorist groups. Therefore, people should use the internet wisely.
