Saturday, September 16, 2017

Terrorism and Mental Health

TERRORISM CounterInterventions
Terrorism was a global threat bound to spread to all countries that shared conditions and history of discrimination, oppression, foreign dominance and social alienation, which turned victims into killers (Mamdani, 2004). In Uganda, reports showed 84 people –either blown out of being by 7/11 explosions or dead but with some body parts missing. This was masterminded by the Somali terrorist group called the Al-Shabaab, allied to the Al-Qaeda Network (Ssenkabirwa, 2010a). These events occurred with concerns of possible psychological trauma suffered by survivors, rescuers, families, neighborhoods, and concerned members of the public, whether present at the bomb scene or not. It had a contagious effect (Greig, 2006). The experiences showed that events as the 7/11 may have caused wide range of emotional and behavioral problems (Tanielian and Stein, 2006). This prompted interventions to enable coping, well-adjustment, and sustainable psychological healing for families from well-prepared and equipped service providers. Indeed, following the 7/11, a handful of service providers rushed to the scene to attend to the victims (Ntulo, Mugherera and Ndyanabangi, 2010). Proactive responses were made at various fronts to deal with the adverse impact it caused: at the military, medical, psychological, family, individual, group, religious, and media levels –within  the country, regionally, and globally to support families of the dead, injured, and survivors –without injuries.
The incidence was so tragic and historical –without experience on interventions and guidelines.
Unemployed or ambitious young people, most of whom come from refugee communities,  have been lured into terrorist activities upon being promised either money or better life after death away from uncertain future. Once poverty and indoctrination are married on one hand, and powerful ambitions and indoctrination on another, a powerful terror spirit can be created. The Ugandan youngsters who bombed Kampala had been promised an equivalent $250 Uganda Shillings per month.   From the information fed to the suspects there was a clear indication that such information is packaged in a way that convinces the executioner that life would be better than the current. In his confession to the Ugandan press one of the terror suspects (Idris Nsubuga) revealed that by answering a phone call (that triggered the bomb blast) his life will never be the same. In his words he said,
"I thought by answering this call my life would be better," he said. "But it changed it entirely -- I've never been the same since then."
Unsuspecting youngsters are taken advantage in the name of religion to carry out acts of terror, Issa Ahmed Luyima a much more senior member of the Al-Shabaab found it easier to recruit his young brother (Haruna Hassan Luyima) than any Ugandan outside his kinship -as they could be suspecting enough ti foil his terror plan. He was quoted in the Ugandan media saying,
“I did not want to work with my brother but recruiting other people was very risky, so I manipulated him.”  
In another media statement that reinforces the terrorist organizations' act of indoctrinating young people into terror activities, the inspector general of police was quoted saying,
“The eight Pakistanis arrested preaching in Pallisa were initially in Kasese recruiting children and indoctrinating them in Madarasa (Koran schools). The next thing, they were in Pallisa without documents.”
In conclusion, extremist in religions was the critical contributor to terrorism showed by yes (84%), no (1%) and other factors (15%) against religion at yes (30%), no (64%) and other factors (6%), and foreign policy at yes (28%), no (58%) and other factors (14%). It is therefore pertinent for religions and other ideologists to preach tolerance and promote diversity, as the media plays the role of creating a human spirit -across religious and cultural spectrum.
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Visit our blog www.integratedmhi.blogspot.ug
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Telephone: +256774336277 or +256752542504
Email: waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk or dishma.imhs@gmail.com

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