As far as I know, no single college professor has so far spared any time to research and study the social status and family background of the young men who blow themselves up and who are exploited by terrorist groups. Why do we not give importance to such studies? A young man who is prepared to blow himself up must have suffered some psychological problems when he was a child. How else can we explain what motivates a young man, who has a life full of joy ahead of him, to choose death over life? There must be some abnormal psychological problem, family integration issue, domestic violence or lack of love that leads this man to think he is a jihadist. What is perplexing is the speed and ease with which terrorist groups are able to brainwash young men and turn them into evil machines that are ready to annihilate anyone standing in their way. How can these young men brutally kill their own fellow Muslims who are praying and in prostration inside mosques? Such completely abnormal conduct calls for hundreds of studies and research at the university level. If our professors had a little foresight, they would embark on studies of suicide bombers to ascertain what makes people kill themselves and others inside mosques. Unfortunately, university professors do not attach any significance to research dealing with national issues. Moreover, they do not have the necessary expertise to conduct specialized studies that can bring about positive results in society and in the entire world. They are professors, but they seem to be unable to carry out such research. I am sure that some would justify such failure on the part of professors by saying that scientific research is not encouraged at our academic institutions. On the contrary, our universities have chairs for scientific research and receive millions of riyals in support of these chairs. However, the money allocated to these chairs is not subjected to any kind of monitoring and, therefore, there may be corruption involved. Our universities have a promotion system for professors which stipulates that a professor can only be promoted if he conducts research. However, most professors looking for promotion assign teaching assistants and Arabs and non-Arabs who work at the same university to conduct studies on their behalf. The study is conducted by others and then the professor puts his name on it. That is why you will find our promotion system to be the fastest when it comes to promoting professors who conduct insignificant studies. An effective national commission monitoring scientific research and the promotion of professors is a must or else the majority of the members of our society will be fake professors who do nothing for their country.
