Why do European youth join Daesh? Potential future policies (8)

Some of the Europeans now fighting within the ranks of Daesh will meet their fate. Some of them may try to return to their home countries soon. They may regret joining this organization. Some others will be arrested, while others may keep fighting within the ranks of the extremist organization.

One of the researchers talks about the different types of interventions that can be made within what he calls the "System for Extremism Production". The system, he says, is made of a number of interconnected stages, each of which has its own nature. The system includes the following stages:

1)     Taking the decision

This is the stage in which a potential recruit takes the decision to join the jihadist organization. Intervention in this stage will aim to reduce the number of those ready to leave their countries and travel to other countries where they join the jihadist organizations. European governments have to have a long-term program for dialogue with potential recruits before they leave their countries. The dialogue will aim to warn these potential recruits against joining jihadist organizations. Denmark and France announce phone numbers people can use to report those who plan to travel to join jihad in other countries. The British government called on mothers to prevent their children from travelling if they plan to.

Western countries can also highlight the brutal nature of conflicts and the violence of the jihadists to scare their nationals away from the idea of joining jihadist groups. Special programs were developed in the US to warn locals against the dangers of extremism. Governments can also depend on credible local leaders to spread the word about the ugly nature of extremism, instead of dependence on official channels.

Governments have to put religious arguments aside and depend on practical arguments, including the stories of those returning from the battlefield, to convince their nationals to stay away from joining jihadist groups. They can make those who returned from jihad speak about the deception they had undergone.

2)    Travel

This is the stage where recruits travel to the targeted jihad territory. Recruits can be prevented from travelling, but this requires the presence of cooperation among European states, on one hand, and the Turkish government, on the other. Suspects can be arrested. An exchange of information should also happen between the two sides.

3)    Training and fighting

This is the stage where new European recruits receive training in fighting. This usually takes place away from European states. Nonetheless, European governments can make Daesh suspect the new recruits. This will make the leaders of the organization feel afraid that those coming to them include spies. When the organization treats the newcomers as spies, it will not give them any serious roles in combat, test their loyalty by asking them to participate in suicide operations, or turn down their recruitment altogether.

4)    Fighters' return

It is important to make those returning from the battlefield to stay away from violence and extremism. Instead of arresting those returnees, governments can implement programs that help the returnees convert to moderation. Denmark implemented a moderate program in dealing with the returnees. It assessed the danger of those returning from the battlefields. Some of them were fit to return to their studies, others were fit to return to their jobs and a third group of others needed to stay away from the things that lead to extremism. Dealing with those returnees in a violent way can backfire.

All political parties need to participate in the fight against extremism and help the returnees convert to moderation. However, right-wing parties cannot play a role in this regard because they reject the presence of Muslims and always criticize them.

It is important here to highlight the need for psychological support for the returnees. Most of them must have suffered traumatic disorders as a result of the experiences they underwent in the battlefields. Psychological support can reduce the danger these returnees pose to their societies.   

5)    Resumption of jihad

Returning jihadists need to be prevented from planning and carrying out attacks in their home countries. Security agencies play a big role in this regard. They have to be on high alert to prevent those returning from staging these attacks.

Awareness programs can make a difference. Extremism is an intellectual issue, which means that fighting it requires an intellectual approach. This fight has to put the way extremists think into consideration. Most extremists are conservative. They do not prefer direct discussions on beliefs. They take certain things for granted. This is why it is important in the fight against Daesh to pay special attention to those prone to its dangers. This can be done by raising their mental abilities. Interactive internet activities help those prone to be influenced by Daesh to realize the importance of the presence of points of view different from theirs. Counterterrorism strategies need to throw light on the issues of identity through artistic activities. Workshops need to be organized for students to understand economic and social issues and learn how to find effective solutions to problems.

Conclusion

This booklet tries to present answers to the question why do European youth join Daesh. To answer this question, the booklet looked into eight main issues. It is clear that European extremism is not a new phenomenon. This extremism finds its roots in the 1970s and 1980. It was created by militias affiliated to the left and the right. This happened at a time of great fear on the part of the right from immigration and socialism. It also happened at a time of great worry on the part of the left from globalization and its consequences. Developments on the Russian front caused extremism to move to European Muslims. Later on, it became common for European Muslims to join terrorist Islamist organizations.

Groups targeted for recruitment by terrorist organizations and recruitment methods underwent enormous change. Terrorist organizations especially target teenagers for recruitment. These teenagers dream of finding the utopia they search for in the establishment of the aspired Islamic caliphate. At the same time, mosques and Islamic centers are no longer recruitment places. Social media plays a larger role in the recruitment process. It is used by terrorist organizations in promoting themselves, showcase their abilities and also exhibit their brutalities.

There is no certainty about the number of European nationals who joined Daesh. Nonetheless, figures declared in this regard are mere guesswork or mere estimates. Still the same figures can be used as guidelines for the places that can be sources of tourism or potential targets for terrorist activities. Countries like the UK, France and Russia contain the largest numbers of terrorists. They are refuges for the terrorists.

Attempts to get to the causes of joining terrorist organizations like Daesh on the part of European youth fail in most cases. Each European case has its own peculiarity. The UK, which has its own integration policies, as a case is different from France, which follows a different integration policy and has a different type of migrants.

Terrorist organizations target people of all ages. So, it is not advisable to concentrate on a specific age group when it comes to counterterrorism efforts. Terrorist organizations also contain members who belong to all social classes. Terrorism as a phenomenon is not restricted to a specific European state. It can move from one country to another. Terrorist organizations now are more inclined to depend on women. In this, these organizations differ from terrorist organizations in the past, which depended more on men.

Equality, especially when it comes to those prone to be influenced by terrorist groups, is a proper way to protect society against terrorism. People prone to be swayed by these organizations belong to all age groups. They need constructive dialogue and a serious discussion of their problems. These people need to be included in training programs that give them information about the dangers of terrorism.