Dr Jan Ali from the University of Western Sydney's Religion and Society Research Centre has convened a public workshop tonight to discuss his ideas.
Dr Ali said he believed parts of the Australian media and many politicians had been quick to blame radical Islamic preaching for the growing numbers of young Australians joining extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.
He said many of the young fighters are driven to join these groups because of anger over the tough economic conditions faced by many Muslims in the Middle East.
"What you will find is people from well-to-do countries who feel a sense of obligation, or a sense of guilt, or a connection with those suffering in other countries...may actually then engage in terror activities to demonstrate their grievances," he said.
He acknowledged that some Islamic preachers and writers in Australia were encouraging people to travel overseas to join conflicts but said they were not solely responsible.
"That will be very much dependent on one's interpretation of the text and that could be motivated by a number of factors, including political experience; personal agenda," he said.
He said the need to find out what motivated people to join conflicts, whether they be for religious or socio-economic reasons, was crucial.
Listen to the full interview below:
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