Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
The Western media is busy trying to analyse and identify the reasons that are making Western citizens cross continents and seas to join terrorist organisations and participate in violent acts and wars in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in Syria and Iraq
Although these citizens include individuals who are originally from Arab and Islamic countries, they also include fighters of entirely Western origins. The danger in this phenomenon is that after these citizens return to their countries, they will be like time bombs that can blow up any moment, and no one can predict their future behaviour.
Thomas Hegghammer, director of terrorism research at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, concluded in one of his studies that in the last decade — between 1990 and 2010 — one out of nine foreign fighters from Western countries became a local terrorist later on.
The Bulgarian newspaper Sega reported recently that data from Norwegian intelligence services showed that thousands of Europeans are heading to Syria to fight for jihadist organisations in the country. The newspaper also confirmed the presence of 1,500 fighters there.
It is estimated that the number of foreign fighters from Britain, France and Germany in different organisations on the front lines is around 400. This number surpasses the number of nationals from these countries who participated in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the past. Most of those foreigners join terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda, Al Nusra Front and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
A recent report by the German magazine Der Spiegel says that extremist organisations do not make significant efforts to accommodate this category of volunteers in social networking websites, particularly Facebook. Figures from these organisations simply travel to quiet cities and start looking for an influential person capable of adopting the volunteers and enlisting them into the ranks of their army so that they can take part in the battles in Syria.
According to psychiatrist experts, the recruitment of foreign fighters is easy because they suffer from what these experts describe as a “spiritual vacuum”. They enjoy it when they find themselves capable of killing and causing destruction, with no fear of being held accountable.
These experts added that foreign fighters feel proud and think that an aura of holiness surrounds them during the battles. This encourages them to go down the path of self-admiration, and they publish videos depicting explosions and beheadings on social networking websites.
Western societies are shuddering at the prospect of these Western jihadists one day bringing the war in the Middle East to Western countries. The question is: What about the fears of the Arab world?
The Western media is busy trying to analyse and identify the reasons that are making Western citizens cross continents and seas to join terrorist organisations and participate in violent acts and wars in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in Syria and Iraq
Although these citizens include individuals who are originally from Arab and Islamic countries, they also include fighters of entirely Western origins. The danger in this phenomenon is that after these citizens return to their countries, they will be like time bombs that can blow up any moment, and no one can predict their future behaviour.
Thomas Hegghammer, director of terrorism research at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, concluded in one of his studies that in the last decade — between 1990 and 2010 — one out of nine foreign fighters from Western countries became a local terrorist later on.
The Bulgarian newspaper Sega reported recently that data from Norwegian intelligence services showed that thousands of Europeans are heading to Syria to fight for jihadist organisations in the country. The newspaper also confirmed the presence of 1,500 fighters there.
It is estimated that the number of foreign fighters from Britain, France and Germany in different organisations on the front lines is around 400. This number surpasses the number of nationals from these countries who participated in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the past. Most of those foreigners join terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda, Al Nusra Front and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
A recent report by the German magazine Der Spiegel says that extremist organisations do not make significant efforts to accommodate this category of volunteers in social networking websites, particularly Facebook. Figures from these organisations simply travel to quiet cities and start looking for an influential person capable of adopting the volunteers and enlisting them into the ranks of their army so that they can take part in the battles in Syria.
According to psychiatrist experts, the recruitment of foreign fighters is easy because they suffer from what these experts describe as a “spiritual vacuum”. They enjoy it when they find themselves capable of killing and causing destruction, with no fear of being held accountable.
These experts added that foreign fighters feel proud and think that an aura of holiness surrounds them during the battles. This encourages them to go down the path of self-admiration, and they publish videos depicting explosions and beheadings on social networking websites.
Western societies are shuddering at the prospect of these Western jihadists one day bringing the war in the Middle East to Western countries. The question is: What about the fears of the Arab world?
