I’ve been pointing out for years that deradicalization programs are an abysmal failure everywhere they have been implemented. From the Jihad Watch archives:
Gitmo prisoner reveals: Saudi “deradicalization program” is really a jihad training program
11 ex-Gitmo prisoners flee the Saudi “rehabilitation program” and join up with terrorist groups
Jaw-dropper: 25 former Gitmo detainees “return to militancy” despite Saudi rehab program!
Flight 253 jihadist wasn’t cured by Saudi anti-jihad art therapy
Former Guantanamo detainee now top al-Qaeda ideologue — “He was transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2006 where he was placed in a national rehabilitation project.”
Indonesian government admits that its jihadist rehab program is a failure
Malaysia: Muslim cleric active in deradicalization program promotes hatred of non-Muslims
France’s only jihadi “deradicalization” center is closing — it was voluntary, and it was empty
The whole premise of “deradicalization” is that Islam is a religion of peace that jihadis misunderstand, twist, and hijack. Since that is a false premise, and warfare against unbelievers is actually taught in the Qur’an and Sunnah, “deradicalization” focuses on other issues, such as “anger issues” that the jihadi may have, his feelings of “alienation,” and the like.
But since none of that changes what the Qur’an and Sunnah say about warfare against unbelievers, it doesn’t “deradicalize” the jihadi at all.
“Al-Qaeda Member Turned MI6 Spy: ‘Deradicalisation’ of Terrorists Doesn’t Work,” by Kurt Zindulka, Breitbart, February 9, 2020:
A former member of al-Qaeda turned MI6 spy said that there “is no such thing as a rehabilitated jihadist” and that efforts by the British authorities to deradicalise convicted terrorists will not work.
Aimen Dean, who joined the Mujahideen at the age of fifteen and was later recruited into al-Qaeda by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who helped mastermind the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, said that he doesn’t “believe in deradicalisation”.
The former terrorist, who went on to work as a spy for the British intelligence service MI6, told The Telegraph that Islamist terrorists are “extremely treacherous” and that if they don’t confess and help to do “damage” to their jihadist cause of their own volition like he did, “you can’t trust them.”
“The only way [a jihadist] can demonstrate that they’ve renounced violent extremism is if they have sung like a canary and provided damaging intelligence on the networks that recruited them,” said Dean.
Dean is calling for longer prison sentences for convicted terrorists, as well as “harsher” conditions so that terrorists are unable to “congregate” while imprisoned. He says that the attempts by the British government to deradicalise terrorists “are riddled with naivety and a lack of understanding.”
“Use the deterrent of much longer sentences and make them serve the minimum in its entirety unless they show remorse and co-operation. If you need another Belmarsh, build one,” he suggested.
Following the Streatham and London Bridge terror attacks, both of which were committed by terrorists that were released early from prison, the British government of the is planning to pass emergency, retrospective legislation to end the automatic early release of convicted terrorists. Dozens of Islamist terrorists are set to be released from prison in Britain in the coming months under current laws….
Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded that “really very few” Islamic terrorists can be rehabilitated.
“I think, looking at the problems we have with re-educating and reclaiming and rehabilitating people who succumb to Islamism, it’s very, very hard, and very tough, and it can happen, but the instances of success are really very few,” said Johnson.
“Deradicalising people is a very, very difficult thing to do… [there is] a big psychological barrier people find it hard to get back over — and that’s why I stress the importance of the custodial option,” he concluded.
Student of History says
Well duh as my kid would say.
It’s pretty obvious that the ideology called a religion has passages which promote, encourage and require jihad against those who do not follow the same islamic ideology as defined by their “holy” trilogy, the koran, sunnah and the hadiths.
Worse, since the ideology’s leader insist there can be no change to these texts, then it is logical to hold that a follower of the ideology cannot be reformed, and taking that to its logical conclusion the ideology must banned and stamped out.
Frank Anderson says
S.o.H. please consider my contention that islam, whether it qualifies as a religion or not, is not just an ideology but meets every element that I understand under US law as a criminal conspiracy. What do you think?
mortimer says
Frank Anderson is correct. The foundational history of Islam reveals it began and continued as a criminal conspiracy, beginning with the SAALIK (Arabian vagabond bandits) and then as the COMPETING DYNASTIES derived from the KOREISH TRIBE of Mohammed which were so successful in theft and invasion and slave-trading, that they challenged the Roman, Persian and Mongol empires.
51% of the Koran, Sira and hadith texts are POLITICAL in nature, only 15% is about Allah and the rest is about Mohammed.
Islam doesn’t call itself ‘a religion’, but a ‘DEEN’ (a political system of governance that is based upon divine authority).
Muslims believe that POLITICAL ISLAM is the DECREE of Allah and that all Muslims have a duty to impose the DEEN upon the world even if there is resistance from the dirty kufaar.
Having said that, JIHAD is a duty incumbent upon all Muslims, but most Muslims don’t conduct jihad (except verbally through deceiving the kafirs about jihad).
Political jihad grows out of the religion of Islam and out of the hatred that Muslims direct against the dirty kufaar ‘for the sake of Allah’.
Frank Anderson says
Respected Mortimer, there is nothing contrary to the law about being a “religion” or an “ideology”. BUT a criminal conspiracy to conquer, enslave or kill the world is contrary to the law. This is the crack in the egg that can bring an end to the fight. There is no Constitutional protection for a criminal conspiracy even if it pretends to be, or some people treat it as, a religion.
Aussie Infidel says
Frank, What you say makes absolute sense. Islam is a religion, because it evokes supernatural belief. But it is also a political ideology because it evokes ideas of Muslim supremacy and how they must treat other religions and cultures – which is almost always badly.
No such ideology deserves the protection of a religion under the Constitution, because it is contrary to all the other values, rights, and laws – and consequently Islam is a threat to the national security of the US and every other free and democratic country.
Deradicalization of Muslim extremists – short of a frontal lobotomy – would be very difficult because of their life long indoctrination with such an evil, violent, and hate-filled ideology.
Islam has no place in any civilized society.
Frank Anderson says
Aussie, I have daydreamed for years that I could visit and drive a road train just once.
I offer a different view asking you to consider: Mark Gabriel was an instructor in Islamic history at the highest ranked Sunni university in Cairo. He learned and was tested to know the entire koran word for word by the time he was 12. He wrote in his book, The Unfinished Battle (my paraphrasing), If islam is such a great deal why were 4 million Egyptians killed bringing it to Egypt? (at page 52). That is when he converted OUT. He writes extremely well for a pleasant and informative reading experience from someone who deserves being treated as great authority.
Medical Doctor Wafa Sultan saw gross horrors that made her pull the plug on her commitment to islam. Her book A God Who Hates is a nightmare of experience.
To dismiss these two people is an error. Two down and more than 1000 million to go. Everyone who leaves, for real, is needed to help build the flow OUT and increase the number of US who understand while reducing the number of those who don’t know or care.
Please know there are many others who have accepted the death penalty for apostasy that I do not name; but who are equally deserving recognition, praise and protection. One of the earliest in my experience is Salman Rushdi, author of Satanic Verses.
I heartily agree that islam has no place anywhere. It is a criminal conspiracy, not less, to conquer, enslave and kill. Now, what can we do? Surrender. Die. Fight. Escape. Change them. With all the years I have spent studying and working with math problems, I don’t see any other possibilities. When people like those I describe, whether I can name them or not, see the reason to get out at the risk of their lives, we win.
medforth says
Austria: Jihadist is lecturing for Viennese school headmasters
The left-wing elites have not improved since Jack Unterweger*.” Leo Kohlbauer, Member of the Vienna State Parliament judges the Directorate of Education in Vienna very harshly.
There, an IS repatriate is to speak to school principals of the City of Vienna on the 21st of February. Kohlbauer locates an “absurdity of leftist fantasies of rehabilitation”. The scandal was uncovered by the online platform “Fass ohne Boden”. The Department of Education of the City of Vienna is currently inviting to an event on the topic of “Phenomenon Radicalisation – School works / School causes”.
There, not only a “deradicalization expert” named Moussa Al-Hassan Diaw is to appear, but also a former holy warrior named Oliver N., who returned to Austria after his battle for the Islamic state. During his seven-month period with the brutal terrorist militia, the jihadist publicly called for the slaughter of the infidels. He was finally sentenced in Austria to two and a half years in prison for membership of a terrorist organization. Now he is to lecture as an expert to Viennese school principals. When the plan became public, the Viennese member of parliament Leo Kohlbauer ( Freedom Party of Austria) made his anger known via Twitter. “Instead of prison, the jihadist is now being glorified and is making money as a lecturer,” said Kohlbauer. A half-hour portrait of Oliver N. is available on YouTube, which has been produced for the German broadcaster NDR in the television broadcast STRG_F. He himself had never taken an active part in fighting. At least this could not be proved to him in court. In the interview he mentions having seen at least 50 dead, “maybe more”. “I invite you to come here and slaughter,” he said in an I.S. propaganda video. From Syria, he sent death threats against former colleagues and acquaintances. These too were to be “slaughtered”.
More:
https://medforth.blog/2020/02/13/austria-jihadist-is-lecturing-for-viennese-school-headmasters/
Krishna says
Only way to deradicalizate terrorist is he must leave Islam
mortimer says
Krishna is correct. Muslims who perceive the Koran is a manmade fabrication leave Islam. That is the way to do it.
gravenimage says
Mortimer, you have never said why you think pious Muslims will listen to the ‘filthy Infidels’.
Lion Heart says
Krishna : I am a Canadian Christian guy originally from Iraq and I said is before as my Christian ancestors in Iraq said it hundreds of years ago out of their bitter experience with Islam since its rise “ if a Muslim is a piece of gold, don’t put it in your pocket otherwise it will rip through “ meaning Muslims would eventually betray non-Muslims especially Christians when they get the chance and power to do that especially when they take Islam seriously and we saw their betrayal to Iraqi Christians after the fall of Saddam’s bloody regime and how they stabbed Christians in the back even Muslims who used to be longtime neighbors to Christians, they betrayed Christians too .
mortimer says
Robert Spencer, PM Boris Johnson and Aimen Dean are in agreement: It is hard to de-radicalize jihadists, because Islam is not benign and in fact, Islam contains 1) a MOTIVATIONAL teaching of HATRED and HOSTILITY directed by Muslims against the dirty disbelievers and 2) a KINETIC-POLITICAL teaching of supremacist warfare against the dirty kufaar.
Any Muslim who does not participate in jihad dies a ‘hypocrite’ and is rejected by Allah in the afterlife.
The MAJORITY of Muslims perform the JIHAD OF THE TONGUE by LYING and DISSEMBLING about the MOTIVATION and POLITICAL GOAL of Islam.
Those who maintain it is easy to convince Muslims to drop jihad DO NOT KNOW THOSE TWO TEACHINGS.
A better approach to deradicalize Muslims is to convince them (through modern scholarship) that there is no basis to believe the Koran is of divine orgin.
Once Muslims perceive that the Koran is of HUMAN ORIGIN, they leave jihad and Islam immediately.
Muslims who completely leave Islam are no longer a jihad threat.
It sounds as if Aimen Dean has completely left Islam.
James Lincoln says
mortimer says,
“Once Muslims perceive that the Koran is of HUMAN ORIGIN, they leave jihad and Islam immediately.”
What is the SUCCESS RATE of convincing muslims that the koran is of human origin?
mortimer, I respect your knowledge of islam and I’m NOT trying to be contentious…
IslamKills says
Once again everyday Muslims who obey the law and live their lives free and open in a so called just society are the problem?
what about the terrorist buttheads?
So if I leave Islam, I will automatically change to a good citizen/person?
I’m confused as what you exactly want Muslim people to do? Die? Leave Islam? Listen to you and do what you say on demand?
What is free about that?
Frank Anderson says
I.K. a possible response to your question is based on the fact that islam treats true apostasy with a death penalty which any believer is free to execute. Since lying and deception are core teachings those who depend on the abandonment of islam by a “former muslim” must see whether he is truly getting out.
There are a number of former muslims worthy of extreme regard and trust. My personal favorite is Mark Gabriel; but many others deserve aid, comfort and protection, for example M.D. Wafa Sultan. Every muslim who converts out is a double victory for liberty. Perhaps even more. Like the refugees the US accepted from Southeast Asia following the Vietnam War, or refugees from Castro’s Cuba, they know what is at stake and are willing to risk death for freedom. Words come easy; Actions that show desire for a life worth living in freedom betray every teaching of misery and death in islam. The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus has welcomed converts starting with Abraham and all who followed him to the Promised Land. That is the God of Life and Freedom. The god of muslims is the god of death and slavery. They are not and never will be the same.
Ray Jarman says
F. A. You and Mortimer have made some great points here and above as well and when an imam and others stand on a pulpit encouraging its congregation of fools to go out and commit jihad in order to force people to accept Islam and especially shariah, I am thoroughly convinced that it is sedition and should be treated as such by the governments of all freedom loving people around the world. I would love to have the Constitution amended with very explicit language outlawing and defining sedition, regardless of the source.
Frank Anderson says
Ray the Constitution was designed by some of the best minds ever to be hard to change. I do not think any change is necessary to protect our rights. The law as it stands is clear IF it would be enforced. Whether by civil suit, as SPLC used to destroy the KKK, criminal prosecution, which is available to both federal and state authorities, or declaratory judgments, which is available to any “real party in interest”, our rights can be asserted and protected.
Amending the Constitution would be a delay of 10 years or so, requiring Congressional passage, signature by the President and ratification by a super-majority of the states. For what? “The Constitution is not a suicide pact.” It cannot be used as a tool to destroy it. It takes only those with the will and resources to defend it, or the spineless, corrupt collaboration to destroy it.
Both because I think I am required to write this; AND because I think it to be sound legal advice: Please consult a currently licensed attorney practicing in your jurisdiction for any legal advice. Frank
James Lincoln says
Frank Anderson,
As always, very wise advice…
Many thanks for bringing your outstanding “legal mind” to Jihad Watch.
Frank Anderson says
James, my legal “mind” is mediocre at best. What may distinguish my thoughts from others is that I have studied related questions to the issues here for almost the entire time since graduating from law school. I appreciate the compliment and very humbly accept your praise. I just want to be true to one of my name’s synonyms, “forthright”.
gravenimage says
The appalling mendaciously named “IslamKills” wrote:
Once again everyday Muslims who obey the law and live their lives free and open in a so called just society are the problem?
……………………………………..
Of course, this is not what the author of this article is saying at all–it is saying that if we assume that Jihadists are obeying the law and have abandoned Jihad that we are mistaken.
More:
what about the terrorist buttheads?
……………………………………..
Islam does not, of course, consider Jihadists to be “buttheads”, but instead consider them to be the most pious of Muslims.
More:
So if I leave Islam, I will automatically change to a good citizen/person?
……………………………………..
No, not everyone who leaves Islam automatically becomes a good person–just as not everyone who leaves the Nazis or the Klan does.
But adhering to a violent ideology certainly increases the chances that one will not be a good citizen or a good person–pretending this is not the case is absurd.
And I rather like “IslamKills’s” phrasing here–a bit Freudian, no?
More:
I’m confused as what you exactly want Muslim people to do? Die? Leave Islam? Listen to you and do what you say on demand?
What is free about that?
……………………………………..
How *dare* you ‘filthy Infidels’ want Muslims to stop raping and murdering you? Don’t you realize that you are imposing on Muslims’ freedom?
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
Excellent point by point takedown using factual, evidence-based logic.
That kind of thinking absolutely infuriates muslims…
gravenimage says
Thank you so much, James.
Battle says
Moslems do not obey the laws against animal abuse, stun first, the laws against polygamy, the laws against assault, female castration, and the laws against child abuse and laws against child rape, marriage under eighteen.
revereridesagain says
“Dean is calling for longer prison sentences for convicted terrorists, as well as “harsher” conditions so that terrorists are unable to “congregate” while imprisoned.”
Probably the single most important condition is to keep them separated from each other. (In deprogramming cult members separating them from cult material and current members is recognized as crucial.) If possible, denying them access to Islamic reading material would be even more effective, though presumably in Britain that would be the equivalent of “unconstitutional”. And good luck with getting the “holy writ” of any “great world religion” declared off-limits to prisoners convicted of serious crimes in its name!
Otherwise, they are simply being sentenced to so many years of dawah and, having nothing much else to do, they emerge with their fanaticism increased.
David says
Better then that they don’t ’emerge’ Full life imprisonment. No early release for ‘good behaviour’. Preferably solitary confinement.
Bob Thompson says
YET ANOTHER HOME RUN, ROBERT SPENCER!
You have been educating me about Islam from before I was even convinced that the Left was no good in 2003 or so. And after being exposed to many different online teachers since then, you are still hitting them out of the park!
Though there are many things detestable about Islam and (most) Muslims, the uninformed and those who are deceived or duped about Islam rest their hopes on their feelings about a few ‘charming’ or well mannered or seemingly “moderate” Muslims they have seen in the media or in person.
I cant substantiate this conclusively, but I believe that most Muslims’ commitment to Islam is much deeper than the roots most Christians have to Christianity. I will point to the required Hajj which every believer must make at least once in their lifetime to Mecca if they can, or their prayers five times per day, as evidence of a deeper commitment to their religion than anything we can relate to as non Muslims.
So, as you point out, the whole idea of converting or deprogramming or de-radicalizing Jihadis is absurd.
Thanks for all you do!
gravenimage says
Good post, Bob.
GreekEmpress says
thebigW and Mr. Anderson,
I see both your points. It’s great if someone truly renounces Islam—but my first thought was “former Al Quaeda jihadist—and they make him an MI6 agent???? What could possibly go wrong? Taquiya anyone?”
Frank Anderson says
G.E. did you ever see the Clint Eastwood movie Outlaw Josey Wales? If so, do you remember John Vernon’s line to John Huston about Missouri skepticism? I could not agree with you more. Accepting a apostate must be after substantial and effective vetting.
According to my uncle, and father by choice #2 in sequence, there are at least 3 sides to every story, yours, mine and right. Somewhere between blanket rejection and blind acceptance there is a right approach to allow and encourage apostasy.
GreekEmpress says
Great illustration, Mr. Anderson!
PS—Outlaw Josey Wales was one of the best movies ever!
gravenimage says
UK: Former member of al-Qaeda says there is “no such thing as a rehabilitated jihadist”
…………………………
There are a tiny handful of ex-Muslims, but that’s about it. This kind of “deradicalizing” does not work, because Jihad is the core of Islam.
elee says
Again, as Ive posted elsewhere, it is far past time to recognise that penal interventions that work for rational everyday thugs dont work with these guys, because their motivations are not those of ordinary men. Until somebody demonstrates otherwise, Im much inclined to desire that my governments policy should be simply incapacitation. Applause to the poster above who said they should never be released. Releasing them early on any sort of parole is just inviting them to kill maim and rape again,,,,,,,,as Britain has discovered twice this week.
eduardo odraude says
Am I just imagining it, or has the legal climate with respect to jihad and Islam shifted since Trump and Johnson came into office? There seem to be indications that some security and police officials are more willing to call things what they are.
gravenimage says
I sure hope so, Eduardo.
Eddie John says
Hands up anyone who didnt know that …I’ll wait
Louis Engelbrecht says
If Muhammad – I read his biography did the same things that the ISIS now do. What else do we expect?
r.
Annie says
Here’s another one for your collection, Mr. Spencer.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50967100
eduardo odraude says
De-radicalization, if understood as de-Islamization, might be feasible in principle, but politically is difficult if not impossible.
But when deradicalization is understood as correcting a misreading of Islam, then as Spencer says, derad cannot work, because Islam itself is radical, extreme, totalitarian, even though individual Muslims may know relatively little about Islam and be not particularly religious. But virtually all of Islam’s leadership knows and supports Islam’s totalitarian social ethos, often quietly, stealthily.
Walter Sieruk says
It’s very obvious that even the concept of any effective “ deradicalization program “ of a hard core “die in the wool” jihadist is just wishful thinking and just outright unrealistic . This is because the Muslim who are religiously devout to Islam and it’s jihad are as dedicated to the cause Islam with their Islamic agenda as they are also brainwashed.
Let’s not be naïve and think that “ deradicaization course” would impress and thus cause a jihad-minded Islamic terrorist to no amount of counseling will straighten them out.
As the philosopher, Emmanuel Kant wrote “Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing can be made.” Likewise, the Ancient Greek playwright, Aristophanes, had also written “Even the wisest of the wise can never make a crab walk straight.”
Frank Anderson says
W.S., Amen. The difference between successful “deradicalization” and sham is the origin. When a “believer” sees the “light” it works. External motivation has essentially no practical chance of success.
gravenimage says
Completely agree, Walter and Frank.
A handful of Muslims have decided on their own to take a hard look at Islam and leave that vile creed. But the idea that Infidels can somehow induce a change of conscience does not work.