Introduction
Over the recent past, the US has witnessed numerous cases of economic crime committed by the outlawed criminal groups of al-Qaida and Jihad. Globalization has permitted the increased movement of people and goods across transnational borders (Chamoun, 2019). However, such phenomena are associated with deteriorating security on the global scenes. The diaspora communities have continued to face criticism on the alleged involvement in criminal activities. Terrorism and violence have always targeted non-combatants to attain behavioral change and political objectives (Coccia, 2018). Besides, there have been various claims of the influence of state and non-state terrorism in causing migration and radicalization in refugee camps. It is imperative to develop credible evidence concerning the socio-economic and political factors influencing the involvement of minority groups and the diaspora community in enlisting or supporting violent groups. Future research studies on the selected topic should review relevant literature to develop effective interventions against terror groups. This research statement paper will explore the network terrorists use to commit heinous crimes against innocent civilians.
The Motivation for Selecting the Study Area
Economic crimes have far-reaching implications as far as homeland security is concerned. This core question motivates this research since it inquires into the influence of immigration on extremism. In the recent past, there have been increasing cases of the involvement of diaspora communities in contributing to the rising incidents of terrorism, mainly targeting the homeland, government, and people (Coccia, 2018). This research statement is critical to review numerous issues associated with alleged terrorism among the diaspora community due to people’s immigration from different countries. For instance, there is a growing concern that diaspora communities can attack the locals due to perceived discrimination or other subjugation forms (Speckhard, 2017; Coccia, 2018). Secondly, some countries’ absence of integration policy frameworks results in increased radicalization among the assimilated and alienated groups. The majority of the individuals may become interested in committing heinous crimes with no prior involvement in terrorism – such individuals tend to be supportive or sympathetic with the terror groups.
Other vital issues associated with immigration and terrorism include money laundering and other aspects of financial lifelines. Such realities are critical, especially with the advent of globalization. The flow of contributions and financial resources related to specific social support programs is often used to fund terrorism and other criminal acts (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Most importantly, the diaspora communities tend to exert pressure on the host government – the communities breed ground for propaganda and other radicalization forms. Individuals and goods from different countries move seamlessly across different territories’ borders, particularly with the open border policy associated with regional blocks (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Terrorists rely on monetary and moral support from the diaspora communities to commit their heinous acts. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct further research studies to explore the theoretical frameworks associated with diaspora communities’ perceived involvement in crimes.
The main interest in focusing on the selected topic is identifying the terrors’ psychological profile to provide effective interventions for managing the global problem. The existing theoretical models broadly define the profiles of the individual terrorists in society, which is critical in assessing high-ranking terror groups’ operations. Failure to identify the right profile of terrorists can impede counter-terrorism measures, leading to further escalating criminal activities (Chamoun, 2019). It is crucial to develop a systematic conceptualization of radicalization to address contemporary international terrorism, mainly involving complex crime syndicates (Chamoun, 2019). The extremist groups benefit from the diaspora communities’ support in committing a heinous crime against the innocent population. Maintenance and upholding internal security comprise the more significant role of the government. The existence of militia groups or sympathizers tends to worsen security. Thus, this statement of research interest underscores the need to leverage credible evidence in formulating and implementing counter-terrorism measures.
Significance of the Topic
The chosen topic examines the relationship between different concepts (migration, diaspora communities, and terrorism) in the context of globalization and deteriorating world peace as far as economic terrorism is concerned. The rising wave of radicalism activities has forced many countries to beef up homeland security as a way of countering violence. Heinous acts of terrorism are associated with numerous economic consequences (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). The ever-increasing incidents of terrorism have been associated with losing lives and property worth billions of dollars. It is critical to evaluate the underlying factors related to the escalating levels of terrorism on the global scene (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Usually, terrorists tend to draw on religious brethren in other countries, especially fundraising, providing arms, lobbying the governments, and other voluntary services. Diaspora communities engaging in criminal activities make the fight on terrorism challenging and unattainable. The policymakers and other stakeholders should devise approaches to countering the influence of the militant diaspora. Collaborative and partnership approaches among the relevant stakeholders are crucial in attaining desired outcomes as far as homeland security is concerned.
Diaspora communities provide four primary categories of support to terror activities. Chiefly, the communities offer grounds for conducting fundraising activities under the pretext of charitable contributions. They also recruit and procure weapons for the radicalized members (Aljamal & Amour, 2020; Chamoun, 2019). Diaspora communities lobby the host governments to obtain some forms of protection and financial aid. For instance, in Europe, the Kurdish Diasporas explain how the diaspora communities tend to get involved in a series of attacks against their adopted governments. The adopted country becomes both the target and battleground for the terror groups (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). The link between terrorism and diaspora communities has been a subject of controversies among different stakeholders, including the adopted government and the community in question. The perceived involvement of the diaspora communities in crime tends to create hostility between them and the native population, thus heightening insecurity.
The relationship between the occurrences of terror-based crimes among the diaspora communities has been a subject of controversy in the public discourse, especially in managing the increasing incidents of terrorism. Deloughery et al. (2016) note that the US Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology (DHS S&T) has developed a multidisciplinary approach to address radical threats. Nevertheless, the country has continued to witness extremism associated with the diaspora communities (Piazza & LaFree, 2019; Coccia, 2018). For instance, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) leveraged the Irish-American community’s links. Most critically, the National Organization of Cypriot Struggle (EOKA) terrorist movements established relations with the international Greek diaspora (Piazza & LaFree, 2019). In the 1970s, Americans in diaspora identified with the groupings such as the Armenian Secret Army, the outfit that sought to liberate Armenia (ASALA), including the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (Piazza & LaFree, 2019). In recent times, Palestinian, Shiite, Tamil, and Lebanese have continued to subscribe to the ideals of the groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE).
Many misconceptions exist concerning the link between the terror acts and the diaspora commonalities. Regardless of the significance of diaspora to terror activities. Irrespective of the importance of the diaspora to terrorist groups, their contributions are often misunderstood. It is crucial to address socio-economic and political challenges facing the diaspora community to prevent or minimize their involvement in terror activities (Coccia, 2018; Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Perceived discrimination in employment and educational opportunities are some of the factors contributing to the increased incidents of terror activities. The majority of the individuals living in diaspora fall under minority groups, thus increasing marginalized and reduced chances of ensuring their advancement in socio-economic and political spheres of life (Coccia, 2018). Politically, the individuals living in foreign countries lack proper representation in political arenas – such challenges limit the adoption of effective support programs to address their issues, including the perceived discriminative practices.
Literature Gaps
It is critical to examine the existing gaps in the past and current preliminary studies concerning the radicalization among the diaspora communities and their involvement in various criminal acts. The research on extremism has grown extensively in the recent past (Chamoun, 2019). Researchers have focused on the underlying causes of violence and terrorism in different countries worldwide, including the radicalization process mechanism. Attainment of improved security has remained one of the top priorities of governments worldwide (Chamoun, 2019; Speckhard, 2017). Developing effective frameworks and approaches are useful in finding lasting solutions associated with terrorism and the radicalization of the diaspora communities. The management of homeland security requires joint efforts from the relevant stakeholders to address the perceived socio-economic and political challenges facing the individuals at increased risk of becoming radicalized.
The existence of significant and overarching research gaps, especially those relevant for all focus areas, adversely affects global security threats. Although a considerable amount of preliminary research on violent radicalization and measures to counter such movements, the absence of sufficient knowledge and data concerning the radicalization process remains apparent (Speckhard, 2017). Such shortcomings arise from different social science paradigms applied to this field of security. Most researchers and practitioners in technology have not delved deeper into examining theoretical models to explain the ever-increasing rate of radicalization (Speckhard, 2017). Currently, there exists a consensus among the researchers and academics on the need to conduct further research studies to enhance understanding of the causes, processes, and mechanisms of radicalization to facilitate the development of preventive and counter-measures against terrorism (Speckhard, 2017). Adopting such interventions requires theoretical and practical frameworks to enhance seamless processes in managing security and preventing or limiting terror groups’ actions.
The inadequate understanding concerning theoretical perspectives associated with the ever-increasing occurrence of terrorism negatively impacts the collective efforts aimed at preventing or minimizing terrorism. Social movement theory provides theoretical perspectives concerning the underlying reasons and causes of radicalization among the diaspora community. Usually, the theory describes an interdisciplinary study within the social sciences that explains why social mobilization occurs, including various manifestations and potential socio-economic and political consequences (Chamoun, 2019; Aljamal & Amour, 2020). It is vital to determine how rational choice models are associated with micro and macro-levels within societal settings. Social movement theories provide significant insights into the motivation of the radicalized groups to participate in criminal activities. The majority of the terrorist groups benefit from and rely on diaspora communities. Such support explains why terror groups will continue to function, including the patterns of criminal activities.
The absence of effective government intervention programs has negative implications in the fight against terrorism on the global scenes. Diaspora connections are critical concerns as far as the management of the worldwide issue is concerned (Chamoun, 2019; Speckhard, 2017). Such relationships have been instrumental among the terrorists in resisting government efforts to terminate such organizations through military efforts or law enforcement. The diaspora ties most significantly protect organizations from external threats, especially in improving the terror movements’ internal resilience (Speckhard, 2017; Aljamal & Amour, 2020). The adoption of counter-terrorism should mainly target the diaspora ties within the host countries. In this regard, future research studies should focus on approaches to devising multi-dimensional strategies to counter the establishment of diaspora connections. Terrorists seemed to enjoy protection from external threats due to enhanced internal resilience in their organization.
The limitations in constructing profiles for individual terrorists affect the management of security. The findings from preliminary studies reveal the challenges and theoretical implications associated with adopting effective strategies of identifying the specific attributes of individuals who are at increased risk of becoming radicalized or recruited by the terrorist groups (Speckhard, 2017). Future studies must examine the different roles and functions engaged in by individuals in other terror groups. It can be misleading to assume that terrorists can fit in a single profile. Socio-economic attributes influence people’s decision to get involved in crime or become members of radicalized groups (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Thus, the current models of assessing an individual’s likelihood to participate in outlawed or criminal groups are flawed and are mostly ineffective in fighting terrorism in contemporary societies.
Moreover, the past and current preliminary studies have adequately addressed the critical roles of ideology in explaining the inclination to join terror movements. Individuals join terror organizations with varied intentions. It is imperative to understand the significance of ideological indoctrination or individuals’ motivation to support the terror groups’ overarching ideologies (Piazza & LaFree, 2019). Few researchers have focused on the importance of ideological background and affinity factors in explaining the decision of people to support or enlist in terror movements. It is imperative to identify the significance of familiarity and emotional connection to particular ideological frameworks and reemphasize the socio-economic factors influencing marginalized groups’ decisions to participate in terror activities (Piazza & LaFree, 2019). Therefore, effective management of the terror movements or terrorism depends on the adequate understanding of ideological indoctrination’s implications in influencing the people to enlist in terror groups.
Methodological limitations contribute to an insufficient understanding of how radicalization work. Although numerous research studies are available concerning diaspora communities’ involvement in crime syndicates, the primary data are inadequate. The majority of the studies leverage single case studies, anecdotal evidence, or no data. Currently, there are many concepts and theoretical frameworks that have no factual backing. Evidence-based approaches are critical in creating effective prevention and counter-radicalization measures and programs (Aljamal & Amour, 2020; Piazza & LaFree, 2019). The adoption of counter-terrorism interventions should be based on systematic primary data rather than assumptions and public opinion. The absence of evidence-based studies to evaluate the existing efficacy of counter-terrorism measures remains a significant barrier in managing the identified health issue. Overreliance on public opinion and unsubstantiated evidence adversely affect the implementation of critical interventions to address the menace.
Few researchers have a focus on evaluating the mechanisms for radicalization. Usually, understanding the concept of radicalization and how it manifests itself is crucial in devising effective counter-terrorism measures (Aljamal & Amour, 2020). Different perspectives exist concerning the radicalization – causal factor to terrorism or processes that enhance vulnerability to terror groups’ involvement. It is crucial to attaining conceptual clarity to allow the law enforcement and criminal justice system to implement the most appropriate measures to address the ever-increasing rate of radicalization (Piazza & LaFree, 2019; Coccia, 2018). It is imperative to create a new conceptualization of radicalization and how it works to enable the relevant stakeholders to match the emerging extremist groups’ contemporary realities. The fight against terrorism requires the adoption of interventions based on the available evidence from preliminary studies. The increased complexities and approaches of radicalization pose significant challenges in the management of the identified global issue.
The existence of literature gaps concerning the need to address radicalization’s false exceptionalism negatively manages the ever-increasing incidents of terrorism. Currently, there exist overlaps and opportunities, especially in the adoption of existing evidence concerning critical areas such as crime, gangs, and subcultures. It is apparent that radicalization is not an isolated matter; it entails social and psychological processes in society – it affects the implementation of concepts and theories in criminology and sociology. The ideas of radicalization and terrorism cater to different disciplines, including criminology, psychology, and sociology (Piazza & LaFree, 2019). The insights from research studies are crucial in implementing effective anti-terrorism interventions. Therefore, future studies need to establish the impacts of false exceptionalism of radicalization, especially in promoting misconceptions about the involvement of diaspora communities in crime.
Potential Research Questions
Developing research questions is critical in limiting the study scope and generating evidence to address the identified global security challenge. The concepts of terrorism and radicalization are useful in explaining the ever-increasing incidents of violence and criminal activities. Some of the potential research questions include:
- What are the economic consequences of terrorism?
- What are the contributions of the diaspora community in facilitating acts of terrorism?
- What are the challenges associated with the fight against economic terrorism?
Conclusion
Therefore, it is imperative to note that economic terrorism remains a critical threat in the US and globally. The extremist groups such as al-Qaida and Jihad are wreaking havoc on the economic development of various countries across the globe. Future studies should address the motivation of radical groups to participate in criminal activities. It is essential to address the perceived discrimination and the impacts of socio-economic and political issues affecting the diaspora community that can influence their decisions to support or enlist in terror groups. In this regard, the motivation of future studies will leverage existing preliminary studies to address the literature gaps as far as the concepts of terrorism and radicalization are concerned. The adoption of counter-terrorism measures should influence the need to adopt an improved conceptualization of radicalization among the diaspora communities. Collaborative and partnership approaches among the practitioners and researchers in criminology, sociology, and psychology are crucial in gaining more significant insights for effective management of extremism.
References
Aljamal, Y. M., & Amour, P. O. (2020). Palestinian Diaspora Communities in Latin America and Palestinian Statehood. Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, 19(1), 101-120. Web.
Chamoun, M. (2019). The Chaldo-Assyrian split: Explaining a fragmenting identity through social movement theory [Undergraduate senior thesis]. Academia. Web.
Coccia, M. (2018). Terrorism driven by high population growth. Contemporary voices. St Andrews Journal of International Relations, 1(1), 1-13. Web.
Deloughery, K., Owens, R., Evans, J., Foley, J., & Lee, J. S. (2016). Countering violent extremism – developing a research roadmap: Literature review. Web.
Piazza, J. A. & LaFree, G., (2019). Islamist terrorism, diaspora links, and casualty rates. Perspectives on terrorism, 13(5), 2-21.
Speckhard, A. (2017). Understanding suicide terrorism. Nervenheilkunde, 36(4), 45-250.