Rational Choice Theory on Islamic Terrorism

Rational Choice Theory on Islamic Terrorism Name Institution Course and Code Professor Date Rational Choice Theory on Islamic Terrorism “Islamic Jihadist Terrorists and Their Decision-Making Process” Based on Europol, jihadism entails a violent ideology that is applied by extremists and exploits traditional Muslim concepts to radicalize a group of individuals who engage in strategic terrorist attacks (European Parliament, 2021). In that light, Islamic jihadist terrorists are well-organized, and they are trained properly to execute the assigned tasks. These people make deliberate rational choices since they have an effective decision-making process. The primary goal of jihadist terrorism is to create and maintain an Islamic state that is governed by sharia. Islamic jihadist terrorists do not recognize democracy since they believe that God is their sole lawgiver and that humans should honor Him. They legitimize using violence by referring to the Islamic doctrine called jihad, meaning exertion or striving. In Islamic law, jihad means religiously sanctioned warfare (European Parliament, 2021). As such, Islamic jihadist terrorists make decisions rationally, based on the place and time to execute their attacks. Since the individuals who undertake these tasks are well-trained, there are low chances of missing the target and a high opportunity to bypass the national security strategies. As a result, jihadist terrorists make well-calculated and deliberate moves when engaging in their assigned tasks to fulfill their set goals.  “Pros and Cons of Islamic Jihadist Terrorists’ Actions” Jihadists’ religious ideology is Islamic. Their primary argument is that Muslim countries are plagued by the injustices and grievances spread by the West. Jihadist le...