Radicalization as a Growing Tree: An Examination from Seeds to Production

Radicalization and terrorism usually, are overlapped but in fact, both are different concepts. In this paper, by looking with deep eye at academic and institutional definitions of radicalization, it is clarified that radicalization often, leads to terrorism but itself is not terrorism. It is speculated that radicalization always exists in violent form but contemporary forms of radicalization explicate that it can be either violent or nonviolent. However, radicalization is a dynamic process that gradually forces the individuals or groups to adopt violent behavior. This article expounds, radicalization grows bit by bit as tree of which the seeds are fundamentalism, radicalism, and extremism and its ultimate fruit is terrorism. This research also examines that radicalization does not exist in single form and does not work with one strategy. It has multiple mechanisms which remain activated at individual, group, and mass level to stimulate the people towards violent actions. The meticulous study raises the basic question that how radicalization leads people towards the path of violence? To find the answer of this inquiry inductive methodology is availed by the researcher