22 October 2020, NIICE Commentary 6312
Tasneem Tahrin
The outbreak of the transnational COVID-19, unbounded and universal, having asserted focus upon health security more than all else, did not turn heads to the repercussions that the world could face with its exponentially increased internet presence. Worldwide internet presence rocket-shipped as schools, businesses, corporations, agencies, banks, and all of civil life went online. Conventionally, so did militant groups, already having been internet-active for the past few recent years. Activists involved in an extremist pursuit, either left, right, cultural, religious and even those included in Jihadist terrorism, could easily grasp the opportunities the pandemic offers to add to their objectives. The article explores the vulnerabilities of the youth in South Asia and how cyber radicalization poses a greater risk to these youth during the Coronavirus pandemic.
South Asian youth are prone to coming out of universities and looking for jobs. Their gurgling stomachs and large economic liabilities that lie in favor of families are often met with impatient and impulsive choices. Youth radicalization in South Asia as well as other regions entirely, remains circumstantially associated with political misgovernance, societal inequalities and discriminations. But how, during the pandemic, can the risks of youth radicalization be worse than it already was? Surely, the cyberspace will play a giant role.
The scopes that the pandemic could bring to the door for radicalizing South Asian youth who are targeted through the cyberspace is numerous. Firstly, an extended online presence of the youth during the pandemic, with limitations to access the outside world, without a doubt has increased their vulnerabilities to radicalization. Almost all school and tertiary education systems in the region, especially universities, are teaching online. Students have no choice but to indulge in online learning, which grants them access to more internet time. Secondly, being from the “poorer” side of the world, common South Asian youth frustrations such as unemployment, education inequalities, income inequalities, lack of opportunities, and social grievances have pertained in the nations of the region for a long time. The Coronavirus pandemic has, without a doubt, worsened these issues within the youth. Terror units are more inclined on gaining from these weaknesses during this time. Third, internal displacements within the countries of South Asia are felt greatly with COVID-19 having caused mass economic losses and social disparities. Many young people are forced to relocate to the rural areas, which causes enormous frustrations and grievances within them. Fourth, health sectors in South Asia have not been particularly triumphant in addressing the concerns of the people, even when it came to the world’s more competent nations. Drawbacks regarding efficient responses by governments in attending to the health and social securities of the youth during the pandemic aggravate them, creating more space for militants to recruit them. Fifth, trending in South Asian nations such as Bangladesh, an increased blame-game continues to be rumored as many people point at the marginalized communities as a leading cause of the spread of the pandemic, such as from the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. This may lead to a growth in community-based hatred within youths, and radical ideas may coerce them into derailing from common morals. Sixth, militant groups that have evidential footprint in South Asia during this time not only could provide a spiritual dictation to justify radicalization but may also have attained ways to provide economic and social benefits to youths who are suffering from confusion and personal grievances. Finally, South Asian nations have been observing a social ecosystem incorporated with cultural and religious sensitivity for many decades which radical Islamist groups have exploited. The turmoil of the pandemic has been weaponized by radical organizations who have even termed COVID-19 as a “soldier of God”. This apocalyptic narrative by radical Islamist groups can further contribute to their extremist agendas. There are already multiple accounts of incidences where the virus was seen as nothing but a conspiracy, attacks were encouraged, and extreme propaganda continued to prevail.
With lesser youth tending to continue their education due to the hardships the pandemic has brought upon their families and themselves, fewer youths are expected to be employed, hence there could be an increased sight of a marginalized community of youth in the country. Due to the pandemic, community values and strengthening within these youth will not necessarily be sturdy, making it more alluring for them to be radicalized in the dictation of spiritualism and religion. There can also be a scope of the role of the recreational activities in contributing to the online radicalization of the youth. COVID-19 has limited access to numerous recreations, which frustrates young people deeply.
Being confined within the boundaries of stay-at-home and with an ease of access to the internet, South Asian young people have welcomes two wings of entertainment. The first being social media and streaming sites, such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Likee and much more, that allow the youth to venture content beyond authenticity, and as terror units propagate their agendas throughout the cyberspaces in which the youth dwell in on a daily basis, it gives these militants more space to secure targets. The second would be video gaming, which is not particularly new. ISIS, in the past, has attracted public attention through showcasing footage collected through helmet cameras during criminal operations that resemble first-person shooter games that youth are extremely indulged in. The gamification of terror may occur through live-streams of attacks or incorporation of gamified elements in the tools and strategies of militant wings. Making propaganda seem more modern and trendier through the use of video-games appearing as “cool and appealing” to youth is a recent but not surprising strategy of extremists. During the pandemic, youth have been more available to online gaming, often competitive ones that include elements of violence and warfare, which gives the radical wings another gateway to pursue their targets.
The pandemic urges vigorous and more integrated measures and policies from the governments in the region on both a domestic and conjoined level in order to secure that their youth are safe from radicalization. While counter-terrorism programs and cyber-crime policies should remain on alert and full force, the hands-on units, such as families, acquaintances and local communities should also play a role in strengthening the socio-psychological barriers that could prevent youth radicalization. Individuals themselves should keep a wary eye on their personal cyber usage and hygiene and indulge in a healthier exchange of information online which can ultimately serve better management of the pandemic and its hardships overall.
