How Does Radicalization Happen?

Last week I wrote about terrorism. Jihadist terrorists are the product of a process called radicalization. To be “radical” implies not only extreme beliefs, but extreme action to impose their beliefs on the rest of society.

A recent news article reports an increase in the number of Jihadist terrorists who were radicalized in the United States. Why would an American leave their stable life in order to fight for a country around the world? Douglas McArthur McCain, a U.S. citizen who was killed in Syria while fighting for ISIS did just that. He was radicalized while living in the U.S. and decided to join ISIS to defend his beliefs. He was not alone. From late 2001 to 2014, there were 74 terrorist plots devised by Americans.

The radicalization process occurs in stages, over time. Not everyone completes all stages, ending in violence. According to DHRA (Defense Human Resources Activity, connected to the Department of Defense) all terrorist movements are polarized: they have an “us” vs. “them” mind set. They regarded their beliefs as the ultimate truth. They warn of external threats, which cause their groups to cohere against the perceived threat, in opposition to nonbelievers. They are hateful. Hate energizes violent action. Hate dehumanizes their opponents and removes psychological barriers to harming others.

The New York City Police Department proposes four stages of radicalization to ISIS. Stage one is pre-radicalization. Most people involved in the radicalization process live ordinary lives with little, if any, criminal history. Stage two is self-identification. In this phase the individual begins to explore the extreme ultraconservative Salafi movement within Islam and adopt its ideology. It may be the case that the individual experienced a change or crisis of some kind that challenged their previous beliefs and caused them to be receptive to new views. Stage three is indoctrination in which the individual associates with like-minded people and radical ideas are reinforced though “group think.” Stage four is jihadization where the individual accepts their duty to participate in jihad and designate themselves as holy warriors.

DHRA identifies similar stages that militant Jihadist terrorists transition through in the process of becoming radicalized. In an early stage, the individual looks to religious role models and guides to interpret what their faith demands of them. They then adopt a legalistic interpretation of the Muslim faith. These are rules that must be followed for every aspect of daily life. At the final stage of radicalization, these rules include an obligation to undertake violence in order to advance their faith. The individual becomes loyal to Islam alone, and cannot participate in one’s own country whose rules are made by man, not Allah. After converting one’s own beliefs, they feel compelled to impose those beliefs on others. In late stages, radicalization includes political as well as religious beliefs.

It would be easy to focus on psychological traits that push someone toward violence, but this is not the case. It is not a question of mental illness. Extremists come in all shapes and sizes from white supremacists, anti-government fanatics, and right-wing extremists.

On an individual level we can work to oppose radicalization by resisting the urge to polarize “us” from “them,” learning tolerance for differences. We can be careful of imposing our perception of truth on others. We can be suspicious of people or causes that generate unwarranted fear against classifications of people. We can work toward improved understanding of others as fellow human beings, rather than objects deserving of harm.