As we all know, terrorism is by no means new phenomenon, as it first appeared with the dawn of the recorded history of the humankind. But with the development of the new technologies, such as scientific, social and economical, terrorism got an opportunity to escalate and expand the sphere of its agency.
Terrorism is something more than a usual crime, which’s addressed against a particular person, or a group of people. Sri Lankan former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar noted that: “the terrorist act is seen as an attack on society as a whole, on democratic institutions. A terrorist attack is an act of war against society”. That’s why the recent boost in the development of terrorism troubles both the politicians and the ordinary citizens.
One of the distinguishing features of the contemporary terrorism is that it’s increasingly religious in nature. Some researches claim it to be the result of the strong social disapproval of this phenomenon in the global society. The leaders of the terrorist organizations, who chase their own goals, such as to satisfy their lure for power, or personal enrichment, had to develop a motivation to recruit the common members to their organizations, those who would accomplish all the dirty work. Nowadays most terrorist organizations have their roots in the countries, where the religious beliefs are very strong, so that the common citizens, when called up to “defend” and promote their religious views, answer this call readily.
Other researches consider the belief systems of the terrorists to be the reason for their agency. Martha Crenshaw noted that the terrorists’ actions are based on the subjective interpretation of the surrounding world, which’s dictated by their religious beliefs. Rex A. Hudson, the author of the report dedicated to the sociology and psychology of terrorism, notes that the belief systems of the terrorists are formed from the cultural traditions of their society, their political and social environment and...