By Helena Norberg-Hodge, Local Futures

For people in the modern world, there may be nothing more difficult to comprehend than the group calling itself the Islamic State, or ISIL. The beheadings, rapes, (recent coordinated crimes of hatred in Paris and around the world, ed.), and other acts of cruelty seem beyond understanding, as does the wanton destruction of priceless ancient monuments. Perhaps most mystifying of all is the way ISIL has been able to recruit young men — and even some young women — from the industralized West, particularly Europe: the conventional wisdom is that the cure for ethnic and religious violence is “development,” education, and the opportunities provided by free markets. This seems not to be the case.