Page 68 - Cyber Terrorism and Extremism as Threat to Critical Infrastructure Protection

SECTION I: EXTREMISM, RADICALIZATION AND CYBER THREATS AS AN IMPORTANT
SECURITY FACTORS FOR COUNTERING TERRORISM PROCESSES

tion between radicalization, extremism and terrorism, as a distinct form of political violence.
The term “connection” is used because it clearly distinguishes these phenomena (radicalism,
extremism, terrorism), but at the same time a certain causality may be found. Finally, the
concepts of fundamentalism and fanaticism are also mentioned within the conceptual-cate-
gorical apparatus closely related to radicalization as a cause of terrorism. Fundamentalism
(Lat. fundamentum) is predominantly related to religion and signifies a tendency to return to
the fundamental postulates of that religion within certain religious teachings (Đorić, 2012, p
50). Thus, fundamentalism explains the phenomenon of violence caused by religious teach-
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ings, with the addition of the term religious fanaticism . Fanaticism (Lat. fanum) is also one
of the terms related to religion, which is used to explain the behaviours leading to terrorism
(see: Laqueur, 1999), particularly some of its forms such as suicide terrorism. Specifically,
fanaticism provides a behavioural perspective on whether and when extremist beliefs can lead
to terrorist violence, a key element in distinguishing it from radicalization (Schuurman and
Taylor, 2018, p 13). Thus, radicalization is a term which is not synonymous with related con-
cepts, because it differs from them in certain elements. These terms should not be confused
because religion-based terrorism (as a form of extremism) or religious fanaticism is not the
same as the process of radicalization leading to terrorism. Therefore, Randy Borum rightly
argues that radicalization, or more precisely, involvement in terrorism, can best be seen as a
set of different processes (Borum, 2012). This is also the first issue that needs to be clarified
with regard to radicalization as a cause of terrorism.

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The academic debates on this notion, which are, as already stated, quite divergent , have in-
fluenced the institutional framework of radicalization as a cause of terrorism in many respects.
In defining the concept of radicalization, the United Nations generally refers to academic
opinions on this issue . Additionally, the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promo-
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tion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
(2016a), paragraph 14, states that “a further conceptual challenge relates to our understanding
of the “radicalization process” through which individuals adopt violent extremist ideologies
that may lead them to commit acts of terrorism, or that make them vulnerable to recruitment
by terrorist organizations” (United Nations [UN], 2016a: 6). A more detailed approach to the
conceptualization of radicalization was given by UNDP (2015), stating that the participants
at the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference arrived at an agreed view, which reads as follows:
“Radicalization is a process marked by departure from generally accepted social norms and
values; the objective of those using radicalization as a tool is to pressure others to subscribe
to the worldview itself. The methods used to convert others to the same worldview may take
a coercive form, including outright violence. Radicalization is a phenomenon characterized
by aggressive and exclusive imposition of one’s identity on others, consequently constrain-
ing or denying space for the expression of other identities. The uncompromising imposition
of one belief system onto another through violent means characterizes processes of radical-
ization that lead to violent extremism. This form of absolutism requires compliance (with

12 Thus, in addition to religious fundamentalism, violent-terrorist connotations are emphasized to create a social
opinion that religious communities play a major role in these acts and should be viewed and condemned as such.
This is why we accept some scholarly opinions that the terms “religious” and “fanaticism” can in no way be
placed under the same umbrella (Nimac, Ćurković-Nimac, 2014: 126).
13 Many academic definitions of the term radicalization can be found in the literature. One definition was proposed by
Randy Borum in his paper entitled “Radicalization into Violent Extremism I: A Review of Social Science Theories”,
including certain criminological theories that may be helpful in studying this research problem (Borum, 2012b).
14 For example, see Report on Best Practices and Lessons Learned on how Protecting and Promoting Human Rights
Contribute to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (2016b), Chapter III: “Domestic Law and Policy
Developments in the Area of Preventing And Countering Violent Extremism” (UN, 2016b: pp 7-10).

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