The lure of religious extremism
Do terrorist groups use the same tactics as cults to attract new recruits? Lorne Dawson, who co-chairs a national terrorism research network, thinks so and recently spoke to Ottawa Citizen reporter Dylan Robertson.
Q. Imams in Ottawa and elsewhere worry about a spike of new converts who might see Islam as a stepping stone to terrorism. What do you make of that?
A. Studies suggest there is a disproportionate number of converts involved in terrorist organizations. We’re still researching why.
Less than one per cent of Muslims in North America are converts. But closer to 10 to 15 per cent of the people who are engaging in terrorist acts by radical Muslim groups are converts; every major terrorist plot we can think of involves a couple of converts.
I think some people overshoot the mark. They get enthusiastic and wrapped up in this bandwagon effect, out of their desire to prove what a good convert they are. They have a very limited knowledge base on which to judge the quality of the things they’re hearing.
So when a charismatic, mentor-type figure says the Qur’an says something, they don’t know that it also says contrary things. They may just be starting to start read the Qur’an. In the Victoria (British Columbia) bombplot trial, we saw suspect John Nuttall was so pleased to meet the police informant because he finally had someone to talk to about Islam with.
Q. You study new religious movements — the formal term for cults — and have noticed patterns used by terrorist groups.
A. In just reading the literature about terrorism in case studies, I was struck over and over again about the tremendous similarities to my years of talking to people in new religious movements.
The people who join these aren’t idiots or losers. They have been captain of the swim team; they’ve done well in school. For many, when they become young adults, they’re very disappointed with the world; it’s full of apathetic and hypocritical people.
When people join new religious movements, there was almost always a contingent factor when they joined. That just when they were feeling and thinking a certain way, they met certain people. And it’s quite accidental.
They’re feeling there’s more to life; they’ve just succeeded at something, but it’s disappointing. Along comes a guy strumming a guitar talking about a new Jesus movement; how everyone’s getting ready for the Second Coming. They get wrapped up and carried away in it.
And these people when interviewed, after they’ve left the group, admit that if somebody had come along and said they’re heading off to Guatemala to build schools for impoverished communities, they would’ve joined that.
In psychology we call this “cognitive openings,” when you peel away your old ideas and you’re in a fragile frame of mind; you’re looking for some guidance and leadership. And you find a clear set of beliefs about how little old you can change the world.
We’re now collecting data to see if this also applies to people who have left terror groups.
Q. You suggest that’s a key moment for intervention.
A. Literature in conversion research suggests people role-play. They’re aspirational so they change behaviours to fit in, then their attitude starts to slowly change, then their real values are the last thing to change.
I think wannabe-terrorists get drawn in and enjoy the camaraderie and the significance they have — and maybe the so-called cool factor of these egregious acts.
In new religious movement research, you meet someone who’s a dyed-inthedogmatic believer. But if you talk with them — past the first hour when they’re just relaying the religion’s storyline — you gain their trust and people slowly reveal there’s still parts of the religion they have some doubts about.
Slowly they reveal they have what we call “side bets” — they’ve thought of what they’d do if they left the religion. If you can get someone early enough you can reverse that process.
But if you intervene too late you’re going to galvanize and consolidate the radicalization; they’ll see you as trying to distract them from the virtuous course.