“A Perfect Terrorist” Research Essay

In the movie A Perfect Terrorist Season 30 Episode 4, David Coleman Headley’s transformation into a vicious terrorist is depicted. It is important to note that Headley, an American citizen of Pakistani descent, is blamed for planning the terror attack in Mumbai, India. I discovered from the course that apathy toward a country, as shown by a decline in patriotism and critique, makes a person an easy target for radicalization. In this instance, Headley was open to extreme Islam because of his anti-American views. The prejudice against Americans stems from Headley’s mixed upbringing. Of note, he travelled widely and associated himself with radical Islam as demonstrated by his ties to the mosque allied to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Feelings of repression of Islam progress turn individuals into Jihadists and eventual terrorists who act as lone wolves. In Headley’s case, the mosque served as a radicalization ground for turning Headley against Indians.

There is a need for governments to collaborate with mosque communities in deradicalization programs. Other counter-terror policies may include community ideas that enhance integration of Muslims in the communities. In extension, the state should encourage community policing initiatives and ideological programs to rehabilitate radicalized individuals. Since most Muslim youths are at risk of radicalization into terrorism, it is imperative for the government to increase policing activity in areas that have a high population of Muslims. In particular, such police presence should bolster the intelligence gathering capacity of state police. From the film, it emerges that proactive policing would have identified Headley’s terror plans in Mumbai. Given that most plans for terror attacks are communicated using telecommunication devices, it is important for police to uphold the law in their intelligence collection missions. Overall, police should strike a balance between an individual’s right to privacy and overall national security.

References

A Perfect Terrorist Season 30 Episode 4 (n.d.). [Motion Picture]. Retrieved August 6, 2017, from http://video.pbs.org/video/2169905444