275 Luis Miguel Sordo Estella Psychology of terrorism: brief notes even recognize himself/herself as a terrorist. The individual psychology of the terrorists cannot be considered homogeneous; their psychological traits and personality varies and cannot be generalized46. There is no specific terrorist personality; most of their traits vary from one individual to another, but there is one that appears occasionally or permanently: that of the fanatic fighter or the passionate idealist. The fanatic fighter is partial, because it only covers an area of the personality, and throughout time fana-tic phrases of passion and activity alternate with others of dissipation or withdrawal. Passion may be spontaneous or activated by external stimuli and life circumstances (coming into contact with fanatic terrorist groups or groups dedicated to other tasks). Terrorism is an activity more common among youth because at a young age the fanatic struggles arise with greater strength among religious, social, or political ideals. Fascination for the cause grows in the fanatic to extremes, and it turns into the focal point of his personality and of his behavior. One of the growing fanaticisms is the religious one, considered more absolute and implacable than the military and political ones (the word fanatic derives from the latin fanum (religious temple or building)47. The relationship between religion and fanaticism has not disappeared: a priest in mystical religions who was possessed by a deity was called a fanatic. In ancient times, those who practiced an exacerbated cult to Ceres, or Cibele, (the goddess of agricultu-re), in which histrionics and theatricality were mixed with brutality and cruelty, were considered fanatics. The Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language defines a fanatic as a kind of person «who defends beliefs or opinions, particularly religious or political ones, with excessive tenacity and passion». Tenacity and passion are precisely two characteristics that are present in the way terrorists are and act48; thus, people who absolutely and unconditionally succumb to something are considered fanatics. It is well known and acknowledged that deep reli-gious ideals stimulate altruism and humanism, but when that meaning has not been well understood, dehumanized fanaticism has been the flag for many wars, and for institutionalized and subversive terror. In cases of collective fanaticism, the religious radical can end up making the ideal sacred, thus becoming more implacable, and that is why fanaticism can raise its degree of cruelty, intolerance, or intransigence. Currently, in view of the serious terrorist events carried out by different terrorist groups of Islamic origin, many opinions from political analysts, from experts on terro-rism, and also from society itself, have been spread about the influence that the Islamic doctrine can have on the capacity of action of terrorist elements49. Since the summer 46 DE LA CORTE, op.cit., pg.199. 47 ALONSO-FERNÁNDEZ, op.cit., pg.297-299. 48 DE LA CORTE, op.cit., pg.214. 49 We must remember the kidnappings and killings perpetrated by Boko Haram (Nigeria, 2002). According to the last report from Amnesty International, the reign of terror of that group has left behind 5,500 civilians assassinated, about 2,000 women kidnapped, entire towns devastated, besides http://revista.ieee.es/index.php/ieee
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