Is Globalisation the Principle Cause of the Rise of Islamic Radicalism?
Globalisation, defined to include the broad areas of culture, economics and politics, can be considered the principle factor behind the growth of radical Islamism. Cultural globalisation results in the spread of radical Islamism by providing a highly visible indication of Western influence and cultural ‘materialism’ in the Muslim world. This prompts a backlash from those who believe that the best way to fight a perceived decline in traditional culture is through violence. Economic globalisation results in the spread of radical Islam in three ways; firstly, due to reactions against economic disparities; secondly, due to the creation of overseas transnational Muslim diaspora communities who moved the to the West for economic reasons; thirdly, due to the facilitating role of modern communications technologies developed predominantly by Western MNCs. Rather than reacting to the advances in communications technologies, radical Islamists have used them to facilitate the spread of their organ
