Identity Politics With A Gun And A Bomb

Over the past few months there has been an incredibly sterile debate within the small circle of counterterrorism specialists. The focus of the debate has been on the importance or even the existence of an overarching command and control cell for Islamist terrorism.

One side, exemplified by former RAND corporation counterinsurgency expert, Bruce Hoffman, has taken the position that global Islamist terrorism has a pyramidal structure. At the top is a command and control authority. (OK, the Geek is a bit too reductionist, but the gist is accurate.)

The other side argues persuasively that the villain is now decentralised, often homegrown terror in which entities such as al-Qaeda serve as inspirations or ideological role models but no more. They deprecate the need to go after a supposed capo. (Again the Geek oversimplifies to save words.)

Reality is in the middle, like a thick post around which both camps trade shots. Terrorism, Islam rooted terrorism, while having some slight semblance of central command as shown in Afghanistan, is primarily diffuse, primarily local, primarily a matter of political identity on the part of participants.

The attack on the US Consulate in Istanbul the other day is a fine example of the decentralised sort. The dead amateur attackers came from economically, socially and politically marginal segments of the Turkish population. The same may be said of presumed associates of the dead men arrested by local authorities. (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-attackers12-2008jul12,0,882041.story)

The image drawn of impoverished, poorly educated, low income, no future also rans in life's race seems perfectly calculated to reinforce the view of those who argue that all Islam-rooted terror would cease if the US and other western countries would only alleviate global poverty, increase educational opportunities, etc, etc, etc.

The problem lies in the fact that so many jihadists and wannabe jihadists come from materially superior backgrounds, have enjoyed good educations and hold good jobs with both decent pay and status. Just think of the heavyweights of 9/11 or the medical types involved in last year's abortive London vehicle bombings and the incendiary drive-in at the Glasgow airport.

What gives?

Simple. There is one factor that links the wretched of Istanbul's slums, the physicians of Glasgow and the new legions rushing to Pakistan's FATA.

Get a grip on it: identity politics.

(The Geek bets you were expecting "Islam.")

And, right you are. Islam is part of it. But, only part. The real deal is Islam as identity.

Roll the word "identity" around your mouth a few times. Stop and think about a question you (along with damn near everyone who possesses a belly button) asked back in high school or the first couple of years in college.

The Question?

"Who am I?" or its close relative, "What am I going to do with life?"

Both of these along with an army of variants focus on the word "identity." The question, the problem of identity, is among the most basic of human dilemmas.

Some of us define identity on organic, internal bases including a judicious use of the dictates and expectations of parents, society as a whole, culture, and peer group. Most of us use a mixture of internal understandings and incorporated, received wisdom of the culture around us and people who are important to us.

Then there are those who derive their personal identity strictly from external sources. The source may be close like parents. It may be more distant and artificial such as an athletic team or a celebrity. It may be totally removed and artificial such as an ideology or a religion, a cause or a belief.

It is this final group of identity seekers which is so well described by philosopher Eric Hoffer's term "True Believer." For the True Believer, the Belief becomes the personal identity. The Believer is to the very core, the Belief. Without the Belief, the Believer ceases to exist.

The potential True Believer is an empty shell in human form. An empty shell waiting, eager to be filled by a Belief. The Belief may take any form. National Socialism, Marxist-Leninism, Environmentalism, Christianity, Islam.

All that is necessary is that the Belief provide meaning. That it provide an inclusive home. That it appear both universalist and sublime. That it provide a purpose for living--and a purpose worth dying for.

The potential True Believer may be one of Franz Fannon's "Wretched of the Earth." But that isn't necessary. True Believers are just as likely to come from mansions as hovels, possess university degrees as be grade school dropouts. They are just as likely to have incomes and status of note as to be shuffling from the unemployment line to the corner.

They simply have to be empty inside.

And, meet a Belief that promises to fill the void within.

Islam promises its Believers a community. It promises rewards both here and hereafter for those who Believe and live according to the rules and strictures of the Belief.

True Believers eschew compromise, tolerance, acceptance, negotiation, as Dracula does garlic and mirrors. True Believers (and the Belief that fills them) find their identity in forcing others to accept the Belief or in killing those who reject it.

To the True Believer any rejection of the Belief, any perceived insult to the Belief, any falling away from the Belief is tantamount to rejecting the personhood of the Believer. Anyone who mocks me, kills me can (and often is) the motto of the True Believer.

Islam is a perfect Belief for any potential True Believer. It promises the most fulfillment to the Believer. It demands fighting for and dying for the expansion of the Belief. It brooks no compromise with the non-Believer. It accepts no peace with the non-Believer. It demands revenge be taken for any rejection.

For a young man who feels adrift (as almost all young men do), Islam promises, even more than Christianity or Communism, a way and a life. It promises a Community, an all-inclusive home.

For the young man feeling empty inside (as so many young men do so often) it promises a feeling of fullness beyond that of any other competing Belief extant today.

It is a Belief worth fighting for.

It is a Belief worth dying for.

It is a Belief in which dying can be the highest form of living.

(The Geek has no problem with that as a concept. In his life and work, the Geek has seen time and time again that death is no big deal. He has seen that the big deal is in the manner of a man's death. Does the death have a purpose or not.)

When a person takes his total identity from a Belief, when he becomes a True Believer, he becomes truly dangerous. He is quite willing to kill with a clear conscious. He is quite willing to die as he is certain of his rightness and reward. He is convinced that his death will provide meaning through its purposefulness.

Since the True Believer is unwilling and unable to accept compromise, to give assent to anything less than total victory, the usual diplomatic and political approaches are bootless.

Compromise or the acceptance of less than total victory for the Belief strips the True Believer of his personal identity. He ceases to exist with greater finality and totality than would be the case with mere physical death.

The Islam rooted terrorist is practicing identity politics in its purest form. That is what makes it easy for Islam to garner more jihadists. It is what makes Islam rooted terror so difficult to defeat.

Make no mistake about it. Islam is a better Belief for the empty than the alternatives today. It promises the most and demands the least.

Remember killing is no big deal for him of clear conscious. Death is no big deal for him of certain mind and spirit.

The True Believer has both.