The fascination of the jihad
Keywords:
Terrorism, islamic state (IS), motivation, radicalization, recruitmentAbstract
Almost 800 young German citizens joined the terrorist organization »Islamic State« (IS) during the past few years. They fight and murder in the name of IS in the states of the Middle East, predominantly in Syria and Irak. The number of individuals in Germany, who sympathize with radical Islamists, is much higher. What do young German citizens search and find in a brutal organization of murderers? The following article will illustrate the typology of German jihadists by reference to socio-biographic analyses. In a next step, the cluster of motives will be lined out from a psychological perspective. The special role of women fighting as »brides of jihadists« or fighters in female platoons in the Middle East will be examined additionally. There is a vast literature on the specific approach of recruitment and radicalization. Experiences of returnees who prefer to live in Germany after fighting for IS are sources of further information.Downloads
Published
2017-04-05
How to Cite
Csef, Herbert. 2017. “The Fascination of the Jihad”. Journal für Psychologie 25 (1). https://journal-fuer-psychologie.de/article/view/430.
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