Anyaeze, Regis Chima. 2020 “Terrorist Framework and Inclination: The Behavourial Pattern of Boko Haram in Nigeria.” International Relations 8(04): 127-141. Web.
In the article, the author examines the effects of terrorism, specifically Boko Haram in Nigeria. Although the author argues that before 2008, violent extremism in Nigeria had nothing to do with politics, Boko Haram has evolved to be politically fundamentalist. Anyaeze (2020) writes that violence in Nigeria before the turn of the millennium resulted from religious animosity between Christians and Muslims. However, the author concedes that nowadays, Boko Haram, which has killed more than 56 000 innocent people, is inclined towards political freedom. Notably, the article claims that Boko Haram is against the western infiltration of Nigeria, especially northern parts where they have settled. In support of the argument, the author says Boko Haram means “western education is evil.” Hence, the proponents of the idea want to eliminate any concept related to European nations, including democracy. Therefore, the article is an essential source as it provides a crucial case study and example that confirms terrorism is a form of political violence. From the source, an individual can form an opinion on whether terrorism is justifiable for political violence or not.
Davenport, Christian, Håvard Mokleiv Nygård, Hanne Fjelde, and David Armstrong. 2019. “The consequences of contention: understanding the aftereffects of political conflict and violence.” Annual Review of Political Science 22: 361-377. Web.
In the article, Davenport et al. (2019) focus on the effects of violent behaviors related to politics in a country. While the author maintains that most of the literature has centered on specific contention such as terrorism and Civil War, their collective effects have not been examined. Furthermore, the source analyzes the intrastate political conflict and violence. However, what is more intriguing in this article is the study of various types of contention and respective consequences. It is within the study of the different forms of political contention that provides insights into the relationship between terrorism and political violence. Therefore, Davenport et al.’s (2019) article is vital in assessing how extremism and political aggression relate. The source offers the basis for understanding how hate groups emerge and how those in the authority fuels it. One of the ways people are displeased with leadership is marginalization or unequal distribution of national resources. Individual responsible for delivering services only give it to selected group while others are left out. It is a crucial source for writing the literature review section as it offers a different perspective on the topic. The research paper meets the requirement for use in college-level research based on its credibility, recency, and relevance.
Wikan, Vilde Skorpen. 2018 “Is one man’s terrorist another man’s freedom fighter.” E-International Relations Students. Web.
Wikan (2018) examines whether the supporters can view a terrorist as a freedom fighter. By analyzing former President Reagan’s claim that “freedom fighters do not need to terrorize a population into submission,” the author attempts to confirm or refute whether terrorism is a justifiable form of political violence. Wikan (2018) explains the slogan “one man’s terrorist another man’s freedom fighter.” In most cases, the supporters of aggressive groups perceive them as liberators and not violent and unlawful individuals. Therefore, there is a controversy surrounding the understanding of the adage. However, the most exciting concept of the source is the criteria for judging the legitimacy of political violence. The author utilizes the Just War Theory to outline the qualities of justifiable violence. From the principles of the theory, the author confirms that terrorism differs from other forms of political violence since it focuses on noncombatants. Thus, the source is vital as it directly relates to the research topic. The argument suggested and the theory utilized are essential in answering the primary question.
Darden, Jessica Trisko. 2019. Tackling Terrorists’ Exploitation of Youth. American Enterprise Institute. Web.
The author examines in detail the vulnerability of youth to terrorists’ exploitation. Darden (2019) claims that young people are an essential source of support to various terrorist groups as they are used as fighters and even cooks. However, the author quickly realized that political marginalization, economic challenges, and proximity to terror groups are the significant factors compelling youths to join the violent extremists. Nonetheless, what is essential in the article is how the author connects political exclusion to the increased recruitment of young adults by terrorists. Young people are looking for opportunities and the fundamentalists seems to have lucrative deals. Therefore, the article is relevant to the topic since it explains how political dissatisfaction compels a section of the population to consider violence. Hence, as a reliable, recent, and authoritative source, the journal qualifies to be used for the research.
Gabriel, Trip, Kanno-Youngs, Zolan, & Benner, Katie. 2020 “As Trump’s Language Grows More Heated, Fears Rise of Political Violence.” New York Times. Web.
The newspaper article assesses the events surrounding the 2020 presidential polls. The authors claim that Trump’s rants about election irregularities triggered political violence in various regions across the country. The former president’s supporters threatened their rivals by vandalizing posters and other signs related to democrats. In what is perceived as domestic terrorism, the authors view the happenings as political violence. While American elections have always been peaceful, the 2020 polls were unique. Trump’s adherents chose to use threats and intimidation to scare their rivals. It appeared as though the nation was gradually sliding into political violence after the right-wing groups engaged in brutalities. Therefore, the newspaper item is crucial as the source provides actual examples of political occurrences associated with terrorism. It is an important source in explaining how politics in the U.S has led to domestic terrorism.