RADICALIZATION
Hello my name is Muhammad Hafez I'm a professor at the Naval
Postgraduate School. In the past 15 years I've spent agreat deal of time studying
political violence
Recently I along with a student major Creighton Mullins published an article called
the radicalization puzzle
We live in an era where violent extremism is all too common. Hardly a day
passes without news of a terrorist outrage around the world: images of people
being massacred, beheaded or blown up by suicide bombers fill our daily news in
the past. We drew comfort from the fact that many of these attacks take place in
distant regions of the world far away from our peaceful and affluent societies but
increasingly we know that violent extremism is not just a problem for conflict
ridden societies it is also a challenge for us here at home.
Just think of the two most recent tragedies that are forever emblazoned in
our memories: the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013 and the 2015 massacre of
cartoonists working for the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris. These episodes
remind us that an alarming number of young Muslims living in the West are
attracted to radical ideas and are willing to act on them. Most perplexing for many
of us are the stories of young men and women normal or ordinary men and women
who cast their lot with extremist groups abroad. Tthousands have left their Western
countries to join radical Islamist organizations as foreign fighters in Syria Iraq and
Somalia. Some are known to have engaged in gruesome violence including the
beheading of Western hostages. Some could return with the intent to do us harm.
This is a simple question yet more than a decade following the 9/11 attacks on the
United States governments and security professionals struggle to find a compelling
answer to this simple question. There are lots of competing explanations, theories
and approaches to this vexing problem but there is little consensus on what drives


ordinary men and women to become extraordinary extremists. Today, we are
mainly concerned with the threat of Islamist extremists like al Qaeda and the selfproclaimed Islamic state or Isis but the challenge of extremism has a long and

sordid history that predates the present threat. No single group, ideology,
nationality or faith has a monopoly on extremism. All societies, all ideologies, all
nationalities and all religions have some version of al Qaeda and Isis.
The recent massacre of African American worshippers in Charleston South
Carolina is a reminder that violent extremism knows no boundaries and can
motivate evil in people from all walks of life. As a matter of fact, since 9/11 more
than twice as many Americans have been killed by racist and anti-government
extremists than by Muslim jihadis.
In our research we focus on Islamist extremists but we draw many of our
theoretical insights from the study of contemporary and historical extremist
organizations that hail from outside of the Muslim world. These include ethno
nationalists in Ireland and Spain, leftists in Germany and racists in the United
States. All of these movements including the Islamists we focus on undergo a
radicalization process
What is radicalization ? (Việc làm mọi thứ cực đoan hơn) Thuyết cấp tiến
Radicalization involves adopting an extremist worldview one that is rejected by
mainstream society and one that deems legitimate the use of violence as a method
to affect societal or political change.
There are three elements to our definition of radicalization. Radicalization is
usually a gradual process of socialization. It doesn't happen overnight. Secondly
radicalization entails adopting (dẫn đến hình thành) an extreme belief system.
One that mainstream society rejects as beyond the pale. Thirdly radicalization


makes possible that turn to violence but it does not make it inevitable.
Radicalization is not the same as terrorism.
In our research we conceive of radicalization as a puzzle that comes in four
big pieces these pieces are grievances, networks, ideologies and enabling
support structures. These four pieces are present in the vast majority of cases we
have studied over the years.

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Radicals usually refers some grievance be

political, cultural,

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economic or personal.
Radicals usually develop ties to extremist networks through family or

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friendship connections.
Radicals usually embrace ideological narratives that give their

–

radicalism coherence and meaning.
And radicals usually deepen their commitment to an extremist cause
through access to support structures such as social media and training
camps

How do these pieces come together ?
One of the most robust findings in the research on radicalization is that not
all violent extremists are produced in the same way. There are many pathways to
radicalization that is why we call it the radicalization puzzle
The radicalization puzzle does not come to us in a neat package with a preformed
image telling us how to connect the pieces together. Often times we can piece
together the elements of radicalization after individuals have acted on their

extremist worldview. Once we connect the pieces, the four factors grievances,
networks, ideologies and enabling structures reveal themselves vividly.
Let's talk about grievances
There are many grievances that animate Muslim radicals. These include a
sense of economic discrimination and cultural alienation. This is especially the
case in Europe where Muslims feel a palpable sense of xenophobia and


Islamophobia. Muslims constitute a large segment of Europe's contemporary and
historical immigrant communities. Immigrants in Europe are sometimes seen as an
economic threat while Muslim immigrants are seen as a cultural threat on top of
the economic one. Since 9/11 European Muslims are increasingly seen as a security
menace in addition to being an economic and cultural threat. The Madrid bombings
in 2004 and the London bombings in 2005 have deepened Europe's suspicion of
their Muslim citizens. Beyond Europe, a common grievance that inspires Muslim
radicals is a deep sense of humiliation and victimization at the hands of Western
powers. Western foreign policies are viewed as biased against Muslim causes and
interests. Common grievances include Western support for Israel in the Middle
East, support for India against Pakistan or the invasion of Iraq. Muslims suffering
at the hands of Western occupying forces is a salient theme in radical propaganda.
This theme is often represented through vivid imagery that could enrage coreligionists.
Grievances can be personal as well. Many of today's radicals are youthful
Muslims or converts to Islam who seem to be seeking a path out of petty
criminality, economic marginality or a life in a less trafficking. These individuals
are seeking to anchor themselves in mlu that could provide them a sense of
purpose and meaning. They want to turn their mundane existence on the margins of
society into an empowered life where they could be heroic forging a new world
where they are leaders and martyrs, not criminals and losers. Grievances are not
enough to produce radicalization however it takes more than that. Millions of
people around the world Harbor deep-seated grievances yet, we don't have millions

of violent extremists or roaming around the world that's where networks and
ideologies come in.
Networks


Aggrieved individuals must be able to connect with extremist networks to
turn their grievances into an ideology of militant action. Individuals usually
connect to radical networks through kinship and friendship ties. Proximity to
radicals is an important facilitator of radicalization and recruitment. Unfortunately
since the 1970s radical Islamist networks have spread around the globe due to
repression in their home countries. Many of these radicals establish themselves
across Europe due to Europe's liberal asylum policies. At first these networks were
focused on fighting governments that expelled them from their home countries
through exclusion and repression. However, the rise of al-qaeda and the security
environment after 9/11 led some of these networks to view the West as a legitimate
target.
Why would some Muslims residing in the West finds these networks
appealing???. Recruitment into these networks is done through kinship and
friendship ties. Human beings desire and derive psychological benefits from close
associations. If your brother or friend associates with radicals you may begin to
associate with them too in order to maintain your values relations with brother and
friend. Once in that milieu, some become receptive to the ideological narratives
that are promoted by radical networks.
Ideology is more likely to resonate with individuals when that ideology is
expressed by valued associations such as a father, a brother or a friend. Beyond
kinship and friendship ties, networks also appeal to young idealist who are seeking
visions that promise to radically change an unjust world. Networks also appeal to
restless youth seeking excitement and a sense of adventure and a promise of heroic
redemption. Radical networks not only facilitate recruitment of individuals through
kinship and friendship ties they also deepen radicalism through spirals of

encapsulation


What does that mean exactly? Spirals of encapsulation involved
disconnecting individuals from their normal world by demanding greater
commitments to the radical world. Individuals for example are told not to inform
their parents about their radical associations. Radical networks dissuade potential
recruits from relying on ordinary media sources but instead turn to pre-selected
radical websites, forums and publications for information. Radical networks
encourage intra-group bonding by creating opportunities for camaraderie with
other members of the group while simultaneously pushing individuals to sever
social ties to those not committed to their cause. Intra group bonding can take place
through exclusive gatherings or through activities such as camping and sports.
Ideology
In a highly ideological setting this agreement is discouraged and conformity
to dogma is praised. All these developments combine to produce psychological
dynamics of groupthink and cognitive enclosures. They also lead to intense wings
of anxiety and guilt if individuals begin to contemplating severing ties with the
group. As intergroup bonds mature, the costs of exiting the group increase.
What is the radical ideology that inspires extremism?
The radical ideology is complex and has evolved over the years but it could be
stated simply as a master narrative and three acts:
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Act 1(Muslim suffering by domestic secular regimes): portrays Muslims as
suffering at the hands of domestic secular regimes that are beholden to
Western powers. These Muslims are victimized and humiliated daily through

–


repression occupation and war.
Act 2 (Existing Muslim governments powerless): portrays existing Muslim
governments as impotent in the face of Western aggression too weak and
feckless to defend Muslims. Even worse they often collude with hegemonic


powers to perpetuate Muslim suffering in order to stay in power and enrich
–

themselves.
Act 3 (Heroic redemption): is one of heroic Redemption it is where ordinary
Muslims with no country to back them up or an arsenal with which to fight
step forward to fulfill their obligation to God to fight for those who cannot
fight for themselves filled only with faith and a desire for martyrdom. They
redeemed the honor of the Muslim nation by avenging the suffering of
Muslims and deterring future aggression by terrorizing their adversaries with
extreme violence

The last piece of the radicalization puzzle is enabling support structures
These include physical spaces such as training camps in Yemen Pakistan or
Syria and virtual spaces such as the internet and more recently social media. These
physical and virtual spaces provide susceptible individuals with opportunities to
deepen their radicalism and give potency to their actions
One of the key findings in the study of major terrorist plots in the West since
9/11 is this: Those who had access to terrorist training camps abroad were the most
dangerous and effective terrorists. Local networks in the West are the primary and
secondary schools for terrorists but training camps abroad are the universities
where they acquire advanced education in the ways and means of terrorism. That is
why the phenomena of Western foreign fighters is such a daunting challenge today.
One that we have yet to fully comprehend.

What about social media? Today there is growing alarm at the use of social
media such as Facebook, Twitter and various other new technologies by groups
like Isis. Is this that real or mere hype? The evidence so far does not suggest that
social media has displaced traditional social networks in the radicalization and
mobilization of violent extremists. However, it could be just a matter of time that
terrorists will fully exploit these new media for nefarious purposes. Social media


has an allure that surpasses the original Internet. The traditional internet is
generally speaking vertical and asynchronous whereby formation is shared top
down by those who post content whether it's online videos magazines or
manifestos. Social media is horizontal and synchronous whereby information is
shared as it happens and enables for instant feedback and continuous
communication. The relational nature of social media adds a new dimension to
radicalism:
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–
–
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it is user-generated
it is interactive
it is mobile and instantaneous and
it is highly personal

These new dimensions of social media could enable extremists to forge a sense of
communal belonging among some alienated youth in the West enhancing their
ability to recruit.
What can we do about radicalization ?
That is the million-dollar question.

First we have to be modest in our objectives. We have a better understanding of
the radicalization puzzle today but generally speaking we cannot yet predict who
will be a radical, much more effort is needed on that front.
Secondly, we have to be careful that in our search for radicals we avoid
antagonizing communities by stigmatizing their faith or their countries of origin.
Violent extremism is a scourge on all societies and no single community has a
monopoly on radicalism.
Lastly, the study of radicalism has made appreciable progress over the past decade
but we are still in the early stages of serious empirical research concerning the
phenomenon. The single most important recommendation we can make is to
advance the serious empirical research of radicalization by promoting closer
collaboration between academia and the security establishment. Academics have


analytical tools that can be leveraged to study radicalization and the security sector
has a treasure trove of classified data that is untapped for in-depth analysis. We
must find ways to bring the two communities together for closer collaboration. The
problem of radicalization will be with us for years to come. The problem is
growing not shrinking, the challenge ahead for academics, homeland security
professionals and the policymaking community as a whole is to advance workable
interventions and solutions to the four factors that constitute the radicalization
puzzle