Publication

This commentary discusses how the political, cultural, and religious tensions of the North Caucasus had an effect on the lives of the Tsarnaev brothers, shaping their worldview and pointing them in the direction they took. The author contends that the Tsarnaevs' choice to embrace a radical and militant interpretation of Islam and to carry out bombings and attack the police becomes more comprehensible when placed into the historical and cultural context that helped form them.