Understanding Socialism's Role in the Roots of Islamic Terrorism

Terrorism: is it about religion or is it really about something else?

We have all heard the quote, “My enemy is your enemy, and therefore you are my friend.” While this quote makes sense and may hold some credibility, it is often too simplified. Since the horrific terrorist attacks of 9-11, we have heard extensive debates about the religion of Islam. When President Barrack Obama took office, many began to discuss socialism. Those who discuss socialism often discuss it in terms of the internal economic destruction of the United States and Europe. Have terror specialists missed the true underlying foundation of today’s war on terror?

Long before the twenty-year reign of the Troubles in Ireland (the period of ethno-political strife in Northern Ireland during the 1960s through the 1980s) was the rise of Irish Nationalism. Some claim everything taking place in the late 1800s to early 1900s in Ireland was an attempt to defeat British rule. Maybe that was the case, but simultaneously few realize those attempting to defeat the British were also Socialists, and American-born Eamon De Valera was a major leader in the Irish movement.

Born in New York in 1882 of an Irish mother and Spanish father, young De Valera quickly found himself growing up in Ireland. He studied mathematics, language, and English Rule at Blackrock College in Dublin, later immersing himself in Gaelic culture by joining the Gaelic League in 1908. The Gaelic League served as his social conditioning influencer–it was a key recruitment center for up-and-coming revolutionists.

The Gaelic League was formed to bring back the origins of Irish culture. To have the most pure form of culture, though, language was critical. The League pushed to have its citizens renounce the English language and speak Gaelic. Because of its difficulty in learning, Gaelic would later become the official language used by the Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish Republican Army) in an attempt to surpass British communicative intelligence interception and maintain pure nationalistic pride.

Make no mistake, though, that the IRA and its political arm Sinn Fein were not all for the betterment of Ireland. They aligned themselves with the German Nazis time and again prior to and long after World War II. Not only did they directly communicate with German Nazis, they collaborated with American Nazis who would serve predominantly as logistical arms support mostly within the northeastern seaboard of the United States.

As time went on, the Irish Republican Army, like the German Nazis of World War II, aligned themselves with Middle Easterners. Of note, not all of the Middle Eastern comrades of the IRA or Nazi Germany were Islamists. With that in mind, the IRA and Nazi Germany embraced Islamists equally to those believing in different religious theology. Hitler was known to love the Bosnian Muslims of the Hanjar SS Division.

Taking a play out of Hitler’s playbook, the IRA knew how determined and capable Middle Eastern fighters were. They, too, aligned with numerous Middle Eastern terrorist groups. The IRA’s understanding of explosives and homemade mortars made them highly sought after, serving as teachers to other fascist terror groups. The IRA taught explosive training to a plethora of fascist groups founded throughout the Middle East, Europe, and South and Central America.

Very few are willing to discuss the grave threat of global socialist movements. These are not just political parties but also entail terrorist organizations. Make no mistake that Islamic terrorism is a problem, but when it is combined, supported by, and aligned with global socialists, a very disheartening picture begins to unfold.

An ideology of socialism was born long before Hitler and the establishment of the Irish Republican Army. Arguably, some may claim that a socialist terror movement was born by the mother and father combination of the IRA and Nazi Germany. Their offspring developed into South and Central American terrorists like the Colombian FARC, European terrorists like Spain’s ETA, and Middle Eastern terrorists like the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Have the offspring of yesteryear turned into parents of today’s global terrorist?

The IRA virtually married the German Nazis. Their ideological children and even grandchildren have married other nation states. Today, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party are in deep rooted relationships with Syria and Iran. Venezuela runs deep with numerous social terrorists’ splinter groups in South America, along with Middle Eastern terrorist entities finding safe haven in the Tri-Border region.

Human networks do not solely depend upon religion.

Numerous factors contribute to human network cohesion like the environment, economics, religion, customs, politics, etc. Every terrorist group is comprised of multiple nodes, ties, and systems later establishing its network. Since 9-11, arguably, many terrorism specialists have failed to dig deep enough in their network understandings, predominantly looking into the foundation of religious beliefs of radical Islam. Unfortunately, many of those persons have failed in understanding that today’s war on terror is a global war induced with deeper roots in socialism.

Kerry Patton, a combat service disabled veteran, is a senior analyst for WIKISTRAT. He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security and interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban. He is the author of Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies and the children’s book American Patriotism. You can follow him on Facebook.