MELBOURNE, Australia -- Since the tragic events of 9/11, millions of words have been written attempting to understand and explain the causes of Muslim terrorism and the extremist ideologies that underpin it. Many have suggested that terrorism is simply a reaction to social injustice, whereas others have argued that terrorism is the natural result of certain ideological conditions.
The truth lies somewhere in between. An examination of Muslim extremism from the early period of Islam till now shows that it manifests almost exclusively in environments that are unstable: whether due to political, social, or economic factors. Extremist thoughts appear in reaction to the belief -- whether in reality or perception -- that something is wrong.
However, it would be intellectually dishonest to explain away the terrorism of Muslims as being merely a reactionary impulse to social and political injustices. Not everyone born into an environment of civil unrest or socioeconomic disadvantage becomes a terrorist.