I can't think that there is any doubt that there is a world of difference behind attempts to try to understand the motivations between these two different groups of terrorists. For the first two, the reports in the media try to make a concerted effort to uncover any mental insanity. In Breivik's case it went as far as his lawyers trying to convince the court, media and world that he was suffering from some variation of schizophrenia, personality disorder, or something else in relation to his mental health. I have already seen in depth investigation in the media and wider online community to understand what must have been broken in Dylann Roof's mind.
By contrast, no attempt was made to understand what must have been broken in the mind of Bin Laden or Emwazi. Seems ridiculous, doesn't it, to suggest that Emwazi committed his beheadings whilst in the midst of a severe psychotic episode, or that Bin Laden plotted the murders of thousands of individuals due to voices in his head. But when it comes to a white male....
Maybe I am wrong, but to me this seems to come down to a very clear case of an inability to escape colonial thinking when it comes to assessing the minds of white westerners and brown and black easterners. White westerners could not have committed this action without being insane.
It gets even worse. The black or brown easterner could not have committed this act without being warped into this thinking by the colonial overlords. They lack the capacity to think for themselves, an inability to become radicalised by ideas that have no connection to the words of people in places such as Washington and Tel Aviv. There has been no end of articles and words written about how Bin Laden and Emwazi would not have committed these actions if the West had not 'driven' them to it. This debate about how the actions of the west have 'driven' the perceived downtrodden to evil has been a continuous debate in our generation.
However, point out to me the articles and words written about how Roof and Brievik would not have committed these actions had it not been for threat to the Confederate Flag, the proposed introduction of a Muslim majority country (Turkey) into the EU, the rise of ISIS. Anyone? Anywhere? There is none. It sounds ridiculous, it is ridiculous. But it doesn't seem that way when applied to Bin Laden and Emwazi.
It seems to me nothing less than old fashioned colonial attitudes (and dare I say, racist attitudes) that further serve to drive a division between East and West. It worries me that this is not seen, when it is demonstrated so vividly when we compare the contrasting attitudes to these four people.
By contrast, no attempt was made to understand what must have been broken in the mind of Bin Laden or Emwazi. Seems ridiculous, doesn't it, to suggest that Emwazi committed his beheadings whilst in the midst of a severe psychotic episode, or that Bin Laden plotted the murders of thousands of individuals due to voices in his head. But when it comes to a white male....
Maybe I am wrong, but to me this seems to come down to a very clear case of an inability to escape colonial thinking when it comes to assessing the minds of white westerners and brown and black easterners. White westerners could not have committed this action without being insane.
It gets even worse. The black or brown easterner could not have committed this act without being warped into this thinking by the colonial overlords. They lack the capacity to think for themselves, an inability to become radicalised by ideas that have no connection to the words of people in places such as Washington and Tel Aviv. There has been no end of articles and words written about how Bin Laden and Emwazi would not have committed these actions if the West had not 'driven' them to it. This debate about how the actions of the west have 'driven' the perceived downtrodden to evil has been a continuous debate in our generation.
However, point out to me the articles and words written about how Roof and Brievik would not have committed these actions had it not been for threat to the Confederate Flag, the proposed introduction of a Muslim majority country (Turkey) into the EU, the rise of ISIS. Anyone? Anywhere? There is none. It sounds ridiculous, it is ridiculous. But it doesn't seem that way when applied to Bin Laden and Emwazi.
It seems to me nothing less than old fashioned colonial attitudes (and dare I say, racist attitudes) that further serve to drive a division between East and West. It worries me that this is not seen, when it is demonstrated so vividly when we compare the contrasting attitudes to these four people.
via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1CtZgnZ
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