Muslims are not the same everywhere. Southeast Asia, a host of larger Muslim populations, may be vulnerable to influences such as those adopting violence in the Middle East and Africa. We are radicalized, associating legitimate self-defense with that of something historical injustice, meaning by words of intimate energy, we become rebels associated with radical Islam to justify our cause would be reckless, a misjudgment.
Why the war in Mindanao is unending? There are so many reasons behind this, from the perspectives and points of view of minority groups and from the government side. First, the government started the Moro war in 1968, and second, the government continues to cover up crimes of impunity they are so guilty about. Therefore, as long as government denies responsibility in the warring itself, there can’t be any possibility of viably crafting solution measures for the people of Mindanao.
This article focuses on informing people about the activity such as radicalization, where young people are at risk and influenced by this extremist group. There is an underlying question: How do the environment and the involved group ask them to do such a thing? And how can this be addressed?
Dilapidated structures are seen in Marawi City, Philippines two years after pro-Islamic State militants began their 2017 attacks.
Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters
The armed conflict raised the youth communities' awareness to engage in a group that they believe protects their religions against the threat. The lack of psychosocial interventions in the communities of young people experiencing pain (due to the loss of their loved ones) is also one of the factors for radicalization. From a psychological point of view because there are experiences that cause pain, and the image of war imprints in the minds of the young ones. Before adopting the 1987 Constitution, the native inhabitants of Mindanao already had their own political structures and traditional way of the justice system, which is crafted as their identity today and in the future. Radicalization was a process and a structure planned to mobilize people based on their beliefs in response to the social context and status quo, known as ideology today.
The war in Mindanao is traced to the government's undoing all too conspicuously. Mindanao is changing, and our diverse freedom is almost at risk. Muslim communities are still struggling with the after-effects of armed conflict in Mindanao. The radicalization of Muslim youth, as to the expansion of an extremist religious group interpretation of Islam, now exists but does not help the community of Mindanao, we are at risk from within and from without.
The radicalization of Muslim communities in Mindanao is rooted in the need to survive physically as well as culturally. Muslim communities are being radicalized proportionate to their failure to modernize themselves relative to their environments. Seen as a threat, an imposition on a people’s identity and culture. Some major Muslim communities are aggressive toward attaining peace and addressing historical injustices.
Mindanao is one of the regions facing difficulties in social construction. The right to self-determination became one of the significant revolution factors initiated by some groups and native inhabitants of Mindanao. These groups believe that the current constitution of our country, and its development approach, is far beyond addressing the need of the minority’s communities. The culture of modification may results to a positive or negative impact to the people. Humankind tends to adapt the new trends. Foremost, younger generation which is easily influenced by this structure social coercion.
As mentioned above, youth radicalization is marked by diverse factors, such as lack of education which lead to engaging young people in radicalization. Economic, cultural, and social contexts are the other factors that motivate the young generation to join the extremist group. But, in the context of the Philippines, in the political spectrum, some of the groups believe their religion is threatened by militarization as a counter-act by the Philippine government. The violent extremist group takes advantage of the youth's weaknesses and their innocent mind, which increases the chance of young members of society being attracted towards extremist causes.
Furthermore, the lack of belongingness to their society can contribute to these reasons. According to Moeed Yusuf, "Due to socio-economic deprivation, radicalized youth are found to have a strong sense of being discriminated against and are alienated from the larger society."
Most radicalized youths are misinformed about the social cohesion in their areas, which contributes to the transformation of today's youth. With the lack of education and limited opportunities, their minds are instilled with the idea of having no value in society. So, finding an alternative, some of the youngsters end up accepting the extremist ideology.
Another factor is a family problem. Home is one great foundation of an individual; once it is ruined by conflicts, the youth are easily distracted. Thus, the depression caused by the latter leads the youth to do unnecessary things to get rid of their problems. Factors of youth radicalization are more in numbers, but what is given are some of its major reasons.
There are possible ways to address youth radicalization and generate desirable outcomes. First, build up an active organization that grants scholarships to youth who can't afford education. The organization should also engage them in livelihood programs such as handicrafts, farming, and fishery. Building a respectable livelihood for the members of society will act as an agent for a positive change in ideal circumstances. Second, conduct activities in their community to spread the benefits to the masses and motivate them, especially the youth, to do the right thing instead of solely trying terrorism.
These activities include sports activities that will enhance their physical and mental abilities, cultural activities that expose them to the beauty of the culture they belong and also contests that will test and challenge the young ones to show up their talents and boost their confidence.
Lastly, put up a counseling office among the youths who undergo downfall. It can help them understand their challenges in life and boost their self-esteem. These are just some of the solutions needed for preventing extremism, and building up more possibilities for the youth can minimize the issue. Youth radicalization is beginning to raise serious alarm in the community. Avoiding it is essential to preserve the importance of the youth today for the benefit of the future generation. Building up plans to make society and its people go straight to the right track is a significant improvement and one big way to prevent adverse outcomes in the future.
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Back on August 9, 2016, this article was penned at the UP-Diliman - IIS, located in the bustling city of Quezon. International Youth Day
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