Why Do They Hate Us? Not Because of Iraq

In response to the recent bombings in London and Madrid, many have speculated that Al-Qaida is punishing the supporters of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This theory seems reasonable, based on the assumption that the roots of Islamic terrorism lie in Middle Eastern conflicts. Scholar Olivier Roy, however, argues that Al-Qaida's references to Iraq are merely a bid for legitimacy among mainstream Muslims and do not reflect the organization's true motivation. Roy observes that the global jihad movement predates both Iraq and Afghanistan, and cannot be attributed to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Instead, he judges the Westernized Muslim converts who dominate radical Islam to be "rebels looking for a cause," a generation "frustrated by a Western society that does not meet their expectations." If Roy is correct, then terrorist groups will not be satisfied by the resolution of conflicts in the Middle East – their fight is with globalization itself. – YaleGlobal