Introduction There is no other arena where developmental psychology has such global ramifications. Is not an epic conflict of good versus evil. In that Muslim’s are not inherently evil and the western world they seek to attack doesn’t resemble the epitome of good. The fight is cerebral. Al Qaeda’s influences upon youth, not only in Islamic nations but around the world, possess drastic consequences. To chart a path in assessing this dilemma one begins at the global level. Herein, one realizes that youth who are sometimes thousands of miles away still connect with the extremist cause. This analysis provides a more generalized look at al Qaeda’s influence on youth as a whole, detached from its Middle Eastern context. Next one uncovers what teachings foster extremism. This essential portion of the research does not seek to argue for or against the legitimacy of the Islamic faith or the Qur’an. But instead, one realizes that like other faiths Islamic doctrine and practice should evolve to the behaviors of modern civilization. After studying the source of dogmatic violent teachings it helps the reader to know what environment brews these ideologies. This section includes a look at portions of the Muslim community that many westerners are unaware of – the Madrasa, or religious school house. Following this an approach toward treatment will be made by first looking at the developmental psychology that explains in part, the formation of terrorist identities in the Islamic youth. After this some positive solutions currently taking place in the Middle East and abroad will be mentioned. Realizing the Problem: Al-Qaeda’s Influence on Youth Youth Around the Globe Join Extremist Causes The U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have served as a major recruiting tool for Islamic militants. According to, a leading international expert on Islamist terrorism, Al-Qaeda is now “exponentially much stronger” than before.1 The source of this strength and the cause of this growth are one in the same – the next generation of Islamic youth joining the ranks of terrorist. But they are not acting alone. Devilish recruitment strategies such as “extremist modifying video games turning ordinary fighting games into ones[directed at] killing Jews and Americans.” Beyond this, terrorist have taken to the internet with their ideologies to reach anybody immature enough to support Islamic extremism. Some of their most devoted “cyberjihadist” are college age or younger in the global context. 2 Extremist recruits are even younger in the Middle East. The U.S. has failed to counter the extremist ideology not “because we do not understand Islam; we have failed because we don’t understand the youth.”3 The threat of tomorrow comes in the form of The Next Generation of Terror writes Marc Sageman, a forensic psychiatrist and former CIA case officer. He analyzes the developmental aspect of how the terroristic behaviors are spreading onto the next generation. Sageman evaluates the progression of terrorist through a series of waves. The first wave resembled mostly by “Afghan Arabs who came to Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight the Soviets in the 1980’s” hardly exists today. The few of these veterans that do exist form the backbone of al-Qaeda’s leadership. The second wave of terrorists, who traveled to al Qaeda training camps in the 1990’s form most of what experts refer to as “al Qaeda Central” located somewhere in Northwest Pakistan. However, most of those who currently conduct terrorist attacks are disconnected from these original members. “The new, third waveconsists mostly of would-be terrorists, who, angered by the invasion of Iraq, aspire to join the movement and the men they hail as heroes.”4 These youngsters are responsible for some of the most horrendous acts done on European soil in recent history. One such group made international news when the “Hofstad Netwerk, a loosely connected group of about 100 young Dutch Muslims, most whom were in their late teens and born in the Netherlands,” nearly sawed off a man’s head on an Amsterdam street. 5 The victim Theo van Gogh had produced a short film titled Submission, which dealt with the abusive situations most Muslim women live in. The Madrid bombings involved another such group of terrorist, mostly from the Morocco, that while disconnected from mainstream al-Qaeda this Spanish cell of terrorist operated under their influence. The attack occurred the day after a message in Osama bin Laden’s name directly threatened Spain for their military contingents in Iraq.6 Extremist Recruitment in the Middle East Many young people in Muslim communities are born into humiliation. This state of depravity comes from “economic deprivation, restrictions on civil liberties, social