Abstract:
The world has witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of terrorist groups in the past 20 years. Some terrorist groups have grown large in size and stature, and have come to possess government-style leadership through militaristic force. These include the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Some smaller terrorist sects may form and remain small for the duration of their efforts, resulting in a localized area that they impact. Those smaller groups may not have the global influence they initially envisioned. However, few groups manage to grow so significantly, that they manage to reach across international borders, connecting with other terrorist organizations. Boko Haram is one of those groups that started small and remained relatively unknown for over 5 years. In 2009, they burst onto the political landscape and world stage in a major way after their founder was killed by the Nigerian military. The catalyst for the group’s rapid rise involved a clash with police forces, and Boko Haram’s refusal to wear crash helmets during a funeral procession of one of its members in mid-2009. Their efforts now have the potential to destabilize the entire northern region of Africa, let alone Nigeria. If left unaddressed, the Boko Haram political agenda could create chaos. Their agenda, like some other Islamic extremist sects, include implementation of Sharia law, while denouncing various aspects of Western culture. The transition of devout, traditional, and otherwise peaceful Islamic believers, to converts resorting to large-scale violent means, suggests some sort of influence during their conversion. Studying elements related to the religious conversion experience may give an understanding of how ideas about extremism develop, and are fostered by those respective groups.