Identity crises often key to ‘terror tourism’

Canadians who go off to other countries to join extremist groups are often immigrants or the children of immigrants who have trouble sorting out their own identities, says Lorne Dawson, a professor at the University of Waterloo, and co-director of the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society.

It’s believed more than 130 people have left Canada to take up arms in countries like Syria and Somalia. The national police, the RCMP are looking for one such man—26-year-old Ahmad Waseem.

He returned his home city of Windsor in Ontario last year to recuperate from an injury he received while fighting with extremist groups in Syria. Waseem rejected pleas to stay home from his family, community and police and apparently bolted back to Syria, even though his mother had destroyed his passport.

‘It’s about identity’

Why would someone leave Canada to go fight abroad? Research from the last 100 years indicates those who fight in foreign wars are often struggling with their own identities. “It really is about the identity issue,” says Dawson.  “It’s about people latching on to a new transnational identity, to an identity that is more important than being a Canadian and is more important that the comforts of life in Canada.

“Because the identity is about going and protecting a community that’s at threat, that’s under risk, a community that you think is more salient to who you are. In this case it is the jihadi narrative and the community is the Muslims around the world,” says Dawson.

ListenIdentity issues may trouble young men who try to fit in somewhere between their parents’ traditional culture and modern Canadian society. “As they’re struggling as young men over these issues along comes the jihadi narrative that presents this heroic opportunity to do something of great significance and it presents a really

The internet and social media make it extremely easy for them to connect with radical causes and people. They can hear speeches and see videos of horrors perpetrated on Muslims.

Peer pressure a strong catalyst

Peer pressure plays a role as well, according to research. “It’s because they’re watching those videos with a group of other young men of like mind. And it’s the peer pressure, and the egging each other on, and getting more enthusiastic and excited as they watch these videos that’s absolutely essential,” says Dawson.

“They form their own kind of sub-culture and that sub-culture becomes a key factor. Recently it’s being made even easier because many people who are fighting in Syria and Iraq—westerners–have kept their Twitter and Facebook accounts alive. And so they are providing daily updates on what is happening to them and they are being contacted by young people from the west. They’re engaging them in direct dialogue and encouraging them to come. ‘Come join us. Here’s how you can do it. You won’t regret trying to do it. Think of this great cause you can serve.’”

Personal bonds count

Forming personal bonds is key to recruiting people to radical causes, according to the research Dawson cites. It has happened in the past, but the internet and ease of travel now makes it easier and faster, and, he says, as a result, the number of foreign fighters has grown dramatically.

Early intervention is critical

It’s enormously difficult to counter this kind of recruitment, says Dawson. It requires the trust and cooperation of communities to notify authorities if they know of someone who may be struggling with identity issues and vulnerable to recruitment. Early intervention can deter people, he thinks, but the matter must be handled delicately. If intervention is too late, it may serve to further radicalize recruits.

Dawson says Canadian authorities are doing about as much as can be done. “I know from talking to government officials that they are very well informed. They are on top of this issue, reading all the latest reports and literature. They’re monitoring the situation. I think they have a good idea of who in Canada is actyually getting involved but it’s hard to do much more.”

New laws enable prosecution

With new laws they can prosecute as they did in the case of 28-year-old Mohamed Hersi who last week was convicted of trying to go abroad to join a terrorist group. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Such cases however are very difficult to prosecute.

Dawson suggests the problem is not as great in Canada as it is in other countries like the U.K. which has more than 1,000 citizens who have left to fight abroad. But it is an issue that must be dealt with here, as well as in many countries in the western world.