It was argued that Islamic radicals and terrorist organizations across the world have been using poor and uneducated people to execute their ill operations in the name of ‘Holy Islam’ (as they reckon it) and ‘Prophet Mohammad.’

But the terrorist incidents (occurred in recent past), including 9/11 attack on America, Bali bombings and 7/7 London bombings, which were executed by well educated (in fact professionally cultured) terrorists and that too with the more sophisticated or dangerous arsenal, will dejectedly force the so-called Western thinkers to alter their opinion as well as strategy against modern terrorism and its sophisticated operators.

The latest form of terrorism and terrorists has changed drastically (from the past) and taken an altogether different appearance and character. The account of modern terrorists hasn’t just remained a past tale of poverty and deprivation; however, it has entered into an enhanced horizon, tossing up more perilous consequences than ever before.

In a fresh terrorist plot, which was the hallmarks of an al-Qaida operation, in London last weekend most of the accused (at least five) were identified as medical physicians (well-qualified professionals), including a doctor in Australia, however, they lacked a key ingredient: professional execution, as the wicked conspiracy was successfully foiled by the police.

Why more young and educated Muslims are becoming terrorists?

Though, it is neither apt nor feasible to hold a particular aspect responsible for such a critical social problem, in fact, there are a number of factors, which if combined together, gives birth to the modern ‘Jihadis.’

First of all, social structure (including religion) of Muslim or Islamic societies (barring few liberal nations like Indonesia and Turkey) under the influence of so-called radical mullahs (religious preachers), who from birth till death fill the minds of its people with hatred towards other religions and provoke them to Jihad, is responsible for engendering and breeding the new class of terrorists, more educated and thus even more destructive.

Second, Racial and social discrimination against people with Arabic-sounding names has been cited as a major cause of unhappiness among self-respecting young Muslims, for people having Muslim background are time and again refrained from good companies and jobs. There are many incidents when Muslims sent identical CVs to Western companies with European- and Muslim- names attached, they found bio-data with Muslim names were systematically discarded. Moreover, they have claimed widespread use of markings indicating ethnicity in employers’ databases.

Last but not the least, ‘War on Terror’ is among the most recent and important factors responsible for breeding the new young educated class of Jihadis. The 9/11 terrorist incident in America has altogether changed the Western outlook towards Muslims and gave rise to some of the most critical terms, such as Islamophobia. And the subsequent war on terror or unholy war, which commenced with the 2001 Afghan War and still on in Iraq, filled young Muslims with the fire of revenge and provoked them to expand Jihad (holy war) against America and the West.

The swelling dilemma

As the London bomb plot once again proved that the new generation of Jihadis is ever changing, from radical Islamists to more sophisticated and educated young militants. It not only seems that we are loosing the ‘war on terror’ but it leaves us in a dilemma where to start with and who to trust. The recent plot or for that matter the recent plots have signaled that the direction we walked all these years hopping from Oasis to Oasis only took us to deserts. Sadly, the ‘new form of Jihad’ only appears to end up as Armageddon, the way many contemporary doomsayers have deemed of other wars.