Eureka! At last, a “new study” has emerged that is a breakaway from the usual eye-roll studies that are laden with leftist claptrap and psychobabble, enabling victimhood and encouraging collective Western self-hatred for past wrongs, thereby playing into the hands of jihadists (stealth and violent). This new study, unlike most which refuse to go beyond Western constructs of mental illness and alienation, finally identifies what really motivates jihadists: religious zeal.
“Three university researchers who contacted dozens of jihadists from abroad in Iraq and Syria, including some Canadians, say they seemed to be drawn mainly by the religious ideas—“no matter how ill-informed or unorthodox”—behind jihadism. Rather than being isolated individuals who self-radicalized in front of their computer screens, the report says they usually found mentors and, at least in the case of the Canadians, joined the fighting in ‘clusters’….we think more attention and significance should be given to the repeated affirmations of the positive benefits of being jihadists..”

“What motivates a Canadian jihadist? A study stresses real religious zeal, not loners seeking a way out”, by John Geddes, Macleans, August 15, 2016:
A new study based on interviews conducted over social media with foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria raises doubts about the commonly held notion that young men in North America and Europe who are drawn to violent Islamic extremism must be marginalized loners looking for an alternative to their dead-end lives.
Three university researchers who contacted dozens of jihadists from abroad in Iraq and Syria, including some Canadians, say they seemed to be drawn mainly by the religious ideas—“no matter how ill-informed or unorthodox”—behind jihadism. Rather than being isolated individuals who self-radicalized in front of their computer screens, the report says they usually found mentors and, at least in the case of the Canadians, joined the fighting in “clusters.”
In the working paper entitled Talking to Foreign Fighters: Socio-Economic Push versus Existential Pull Factors, the researchers caution against assuming that radical Islam appeals only young men on the edges of society, those without good job prospects or supportive family and friends.
They suggest previous academic studies have put too much weight on those “push” factors—the problems and frustrations in the lives of young men who turn to extremist Islam and, ultimately, terrorist violence. “Based on what we are hearing in interviews with foreign fighters—more interviews than anyone has yet to report on—we think more attention and significance should be given to the repeated affirmations of the positive benefits of being jihadists,” they say.
From mid-December 2015 to Feb. 29, 2016, the researchers put questions to 40 foreign fighters, 60 family members, friends and associates, and 30 online fans, recruiters, and potential fighters. (Among the Canadians the interviewed was Aaron Driver, the would-be terrorist killed last week in a confrontation with police in Strathroy, Ont.) Those fighting in Syria and Iraq were interviewed through “extended social media dialogues.” But their working paper, posted recently on the website of the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society, is based on an initial analysis of just 20 interviews with foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq.
The researchers are Lorne Dawson of University of Waterloo’s sociology and legal studies department, Amarnath Amarasingam of George Washington University’s program on extremism, and Alexandra Bain of St. Thomas University’s religious studies department. Dawson told Maclean’s by email that they plan to eventually publish a more complete paper on their research in a peer-reviewed journal, and are also “being pressed to write a book in short order.”
In the working paper, they write that the foreign fighters they contacted “run the gamut from troubled youth with personal problems to accomplished young men and women from stable backgrounds.” In the 20 interviews they analyzed, not one of their subjects suggested “directly or indirectly” that being marginalized socially or economically pushed them onto such an extreme path. “Anger and frustration have their role to play in the process, but it is the positive investment in an alternate world-saving role that matters most, no matter how strange it may appear to outsiders,” they say.
As well, the paper points to the importance of influential radical voices who carry some form of religious authority. “In most cases, we would say the help and encouragement of some other outside mentors is required to complete the process of radicalization, to turn wannabe terrorists into deployable agents or independent martyrs for the cause. The process of self-radicalization needs to be legitimated to be complete.”
To probe the views of radicalized young men directly, the researchers had to assure them that they were not seeking “operational information” that would put them at risk. The questions focused on personal and family background, their sense of identity, and how they became fighters.
Along with information about the individuals, the researchers assembled a sort of group portrait of the Canadians fighting for various terrorist and radical factions in Iraq and Syria. “It is extremely difficult to verify any of this information, however, and for the most part we are merely reporting what one or more individuals have told us,” they admit. Still, the outline they sketch is intriguing.
They say Canadians tend to be radicalized in “clusters” and travel to the conflict zone in small groups. Of those who have made the journey, at least 19 Canadian men have died fighting in Syria and Iraq, five or them converts to Islam, the rest from Muslim backgrounds. Eight were from Ontario, eight from Alberta, and three from Quebec. The researchers say they “have good reason to believe” most of the radicalized Canadians in the war-torn region have joined ISIS, but others are fighting for less well-known groups, like Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar as-Sham, while at least 15 have fought with Kurdish or Christian militias.
The paper estimates that between 10 and 15 women have gone from Canada to Iraq and Syria to back ISIS, often marrying terrorists. “We know that three have given birth to babies as a result of their marriages to ISIS fighters, who are usually other foreign fighters,” they say.
Throughout the report, the authors repeatedly note that they are summarizing only preliminary findings. “Things may change as more of our existing interviews are analyzed and more interviews are undertaken,” they say. Still, they assert that their interviews with actual fighters have been more extensive than those relied on for previously published scholarly studies.
The report repeatedly stresses the finding that, based on what fighters themselves say, they are “pulled” to Iraq and Syria by religious ideas, rather than being “pushed” by the realities of their lives in the West. “None of our sample indicated coming from familial situations of poverty or marginality,” they say. “On the contrary, many indicated they had fairly happy and privileged, or at least comfortable, childhoods. In general, there was almost no discussion of the economic situation of their families.”
Dawson said today’s Associated Press report on the low level of knowledge about Islam among ISIS recruits might seem to contradict the Talking to Foreign Fighters report, but doesn’t really. He said the sincerity of the religious commitment of newly radicalized individuals “has nothing to do with orthodoxy or depth of knowledge.” In fact, he added, “Converts in general are usually among the least informed practitioners of any religion—they are new. But, as is common knowledge, they are usually the most enthusiastic and fervent in their faith and behaviour.”….
concerned canadian says
wow !@#$% genius
who would of thought
I feel so enlightened and shocked (sarc)
Adrian says
Disgraceful that these “findings” had to wait for university researchers to finally get more known… all of these conclusions were obvious to anyone with half a brain…
But great news, nonetheless.
Even so, the elite idiots will immediately spin this like crazy… the US Government had a hell of a time fighting Scientology, another cult, and even today were not able to take away their tax-exempt status as a “religion”
There is still a lot of hard work left….
Dom107 says
No religions at all should be tax exempt. Only charities which demonstrably do good works should be and this should be kept under constant review
Jaladhi says
Yep, it needed a multiyear study and zillions of dollars to find “religious zeal”(whatever does that mean) instead of plainly saying Islam inspires jihad. How stupid are Westerners, can you guess??
Ignore the obvious and protect Islam no matter what and you are bound to come to a different conclusion!! Ha, ha,.. these morons deserve what they are getting!!
Jack Diamond says
Religious zeal “no matter how ill-informed or unorthodox”. It’s never going to be connected with Real Islam. The only thing different is that, for once, these academics are taking the “foreign fighters” at their word as to why they are doing what they are doing. This is unusual.
Academics usually know better why they are doing what they are doing than the jihadis themselves. You know, it’s those quantified “push factors versus pull factors” (versus all those “kill the disbelievers” factors not factored in at all). How would we ever know anything without a university research study? btw whatever “low level” of knowledge of ISIS recruits, they spend weeks or months of shari’a indoctrination in ISIS camps before ever being sent out as fighters. But that doesn’t fit into the narrative either–“ill-informed and unorthodox”–so it goes unmentioned.
stevea56 says
Good news!
Now I expect all the mainstream media; eminent scholars of Islam and leaders like Theresa May will immediately take note of these findings, weigh them carefully and then, as is their wont, will be sure to swiftly ignore them.
De Doc says
Whoa, whoa! Now let’s not jump to conclusions here based on a single study. After all Islam is a religion of peace. /sarc
Peter says
Violent and predatory Jihad is mandatory on the Ummah to advance Islam, and thus orthodox and mainstream Islam. “Jihadism,” therefore, is not “unorthodox.”
Don McKellar says
Hurry, Justin-buddy! You have to curb this study, now! Get out there and denounce it! Or at least put the big spin on it, using the weasel words in the study: “no matter how ill-informed or unorthodox”. And forget about the fact that the more of a religious zealot one is, the more exact and informed they are on what is precisely in their religious texts! You can do it, Turdeau! Islamic supremacists and stealth jihadis everywhere are counting on you to keep the advancement of Islam rolling!
gravenimage says
New study finally acknowledges that Islamic religious zeal inspires jihad
……………………..
None of these findings should surprise us. But it is good to see that this is finally being studied.
Cynthia in California says
It’s definitely a start. A small start, but (we can hope) an opening wedge?
Ciudadano says
I don’t think so. MSM is not going to report about this research and it will go unnoticed for most people.
Darryl Kerney says
here in Canada, Global News and CTV News covered this report also, i was quite surprised but glad to see it, and i’m amazed that Macleans actually ran it, it’s an encouraging sight. if the Toronto Star covers it, without bashing it, that would be miraculous !
G. R. Gunning says
Rather like producing a paper in 1949 on how Germany is hell-bent on taking over Europe by force. Jesus wept.
Walter Sieruk says
One just one aspect of religious inspired violence. Still, to be more specific, the religion of which Islam inspires deadly violence .As in the one type the recent cases of child/jihad suicide /homicide bombings. How totally despicable and cowardly of the adults jihadist /Muslims of ISIS and other like-minded jihad terror entities are to brainwash , manipulate , exploit and abuse impressionable youths as suicide/homicide bombers for their mad Islamic quest., Some good people of reason, might , stop and wonder and then ask “Just how can those jihad-minded adults be so completely cruel and unconscionable as to use, youth as stooges and tools for human bombs ?” The answer to the question is found in the Bible. For the Bible informs its reader that there are some people who are so extremely heartless, unfeeling, cold, callous and dangerous because they have had “their conscience seared with a hot iron.” First Timothy 4:2. [K.J.V.] The “hot iron” in this case is Islam.
common sense says
It’s all the same: they like killing or they would not start up with the Jihad crap. They’ll say its this and that and I’m sure it is to the Jihadists, the results however are always the same. Islam’s main impulse is supremacy and division. I like the part of the story where they died fighting for ISIS or whoever.
Robert could save them all the money and time they spend on this by visiting here and taking a look at his work within the US govt.
aDhimmiSaysWhat? says
I would this study under the ‘No S***’ category.
Mark Swan says
It seems at present, we can not have an open, honest, public discussion on this topic, about what islam intends, but it may be sooner than later that this could change.
Ciudadano says
According to this http://tinyurl.com/jx4dcfc AP study, at lest 5% to Isis recruits were advanced Islam students. Evidently being well versed in Islam is not going to stop you from becoming a violent jihadist. The critical factor “is the sincerity of the religious commitment”.
These confirms the observation that devout muslims, independently of their religious expertise, are more prone to turn to violence against non muslims. The ones not engaging in violence probably are not very religious or already live in islamic countries with 90% of muslim population. By the way 70% of muslims live in islamic countries with 90% or above muslim population.
This begs the question: What is wrong with Islam that produces and attracts such a violent religious people? Of course for JW readers this is a rhetoric question. Maybe academic research some day will find out.
You don’t need a Phd to realize that. Just read the news to find out how many jihadist are from middle/upper class. Like the underwear bomber whose father was one of the richest men in Africa.
Like sex slaves in earth and 72 virgins awaiting for you in “paradise” ? Where do they get such ideas?
Marxist all over the world are right now in panic mode.
Translation: become jihadist to impose islam and sharia onto the world
Are they talking about all those Imans and islamic scholars, indoctrinated in Saudi Arabia, that travel all over the world preaching hate towards the west and non muslims??
biff says
Authors will immediately be de-funded, lose their jobs and be harassed by Liberals.
Mark A says
Academia works on studies. Although this new study states what most JW readers consider patently obvious, at least there is now a study which reaches those conclusions.
That is a step in the right direction; most academic “studies” conclude there is no connection between Islam and jihad and that only Islamophobes would conclude the contrary.
I’m curious to see how the academic world treats the authors of this study. My guess is that will be denied further research funding and denounced as racists, Islamophobes whom “respectable” politically correct academics should shun completely.
biff says
They are in Canada. It’s as equally likely if you just ignore them they will go away.
Besides Islam in Canada has NOTHING TO DO with Islam in the USA they will say.
The Mosques in Canada preach nothing but love of fellow infidels.
Allan says
TSAS WP16-14: Talking to Foreign Fighters: Socio-Economic Push versus Existential Pull Factors
http://tsas.ca/tsas_library_entry/tsas-wp16-14-talking-to-foreign-fighters-socio-economic-push-versus-existential-pull-factors/
Jack Diamond says
a typically “ill-informed and unorthodox” comment from a participant in the paper:
“We are motivated by our religion, by our Qur’an and Sunnah and we are not ashamed of that. We left the convenient world to establish khilafah on the path of Prophethood so I really don’t see what is the issue with some hypocrites who cave down to the kuffar. We are not motivated by politics, wealth, the love of this world. We are willing to die as shuhada in the path of Allah and that is to establish shariah in the land of the khilafah. We have declared it clearly and loudly that Islam will dominate the world. We know this fact from the Sunnah and hadith of our Prophet, prayers be upon him.”
Angemon says
This, of course, won’t make a dent in the “ISIS and its members know nothing about islam because islam is a religion of peace and since they’re terrorists they can not be islamic” crowd.
duh swami says
Religious zeal…PHHHT…everyone knows jihad is caused by climate change…The Prophet Bernie said so…
Mark Swan says
Good One
Salome says
The tide is turning, but whether or not fast enough, we don’t know. Serious Islam-critical opinion pieces are springing up in the MSM and mainstream journals, and the comments sections indicate that there are many people out there who are on top of the subject matter. The truth will out (if we survive for long enough).
Wellington says
In one respect this “new study” is humorous because the West is led by fools and yet in another respect this is not humorous at all because the West is led by fools.
le mouron rouge says
Wellington,
This is from someone who posts on Jihad Watch, I apologize for not getting the user name.
“Still, high IQ and common sense don’t always go together. As George Orwell noted, “some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.”
gravenimage says
Dawson said today’s Associated Press report on the low level of knowledge about Islam among ISIS recruits might seem to contradict the Talking to Foreign Fighters report, but doesn’t really. He said the sincerity of the religious commitment of newly radicalized individuals “has nothing to do with orthodoxy or depth of knowledge.” In fact, he added, “Converts in general are usually among the least informed practitioners of any religion—they are new. But, as is common knowledge, they are usually the most enthusiastic and fervent in their faith and behaviour.”….
………………………
There’s another point here, as well. The mere fact that ISIS is grilling recruits on their knowledge of Islam shows how central this is to them.
“AP claims ISIS recruits have little knowledge of Islam, ignores ISIS’ adherence to Qur’an”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/08/ap-claims-isis-recruits-have-little-knowledge-of-islam-ignores-isis-adherence-to-quran
linnte says
WHEW! So excellent to hear! Especially after being so frustrated!!! Makes ME feel better anyway. Share this article everyone! Thank you Christine!
davej says
If you are brain washed since birth by this death cult, including memorizing the whole hateful Quran and being promised endless wine and 72 virgins in return for your martyrdom, you may find yourself as a young man full of “religious zeal”.
SAKOVKT says
Well, this report is still full of Leftist psychobabble, even if they managed the correct conclusion.
Anything but just believe what the Jihad says about itself.
Looking for the influence of unseen forces is the stuff of any religion and Leftism has its own creed.
So, I suppose, speaking truth to power is also a matter of “studies”, these days.
But the problem with studies is that they’ve all become so discreditable, much like the Renaissance Popes.
The Good Die Young!
Journalism has fallen into the same swamp.
Studies and Journalists have both become just a lot of he says, she says, they say, we say.
That’s what happens when everything becomes political.
scherado says
Let’s look at this again, shall we?
biff says
In other news, water found to be wet.
Cecilia Ellis says
?
Pete says
Not sure if you guys saw this article from Canada.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/canadas-mounties-allow-women-officers-to-wear-hijab/ar-BBvYe7Q?li=AAggFp5&ocid=UE01DHP
gravenimage says
Yes–I’m aware of this insanity, Pete.
And this is *proactive dhimmitude*, since no Mohammedans have even asked for this accommodation.
I have always had the greatest respect for the RCMP, but now they have become riddled with the same suicidal “political correctness” as so many other institutions in the West.
Ciudadano says
This is really wrong. There are several good reasons why police and military wear an UNIFORM. It is really a bad idea to make exceptions to the police uniform for religious reasons, specially in the context of a secular government organization.
http://impact.ms/5-reasons-why-wearing-a-proper-uniform-is-important/
Why no other religious group makes this kind of outrageous request?
linnte says
Sorry, wrong poster for my response, should be directed to Pete.
linnte says
There goes the neighborhood 🙁
Mirren10 says
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/hijab-approved-as-uniform-option-by-scotland-police/ar-BBvYqmP?li=AA59G2&ocid=spartandhp
More of the same insanity in Scotland, Pete. I just hope any mohammedan bint wearing one of these gets strangled by any suspect she’s chasing.
On second thoughts, hijab wearing plod will most likely be kept in the office. but their photos will look good for all the dhimmis out there. Faugh.
Pete says
Rebel Media covering…
http://www.therebel.media/exclusive_rcmp_to_introduce_women_s_uniform_featuring_muslim_hijab
J-A palmaer says
I think it’s worth while to study HISTORY. This is not “A New Jihad” – it is innate in Islam. “Interpretations vary? Yes, maybe, but traces in history are quite clear, aren’t they? See their proclamation “All-Islam” from 1920!
le mouron rouge says
J-A palmaer,
Good point.
Check this out: https://www.politicalislam.com/
More Ham Ed says
The closer an unholy ko ‘ran follower follows the unholy ko ‘ran, the greater the risk to everyone else.
Kolga says
Our ancestors did not fight for freedom so that those, whose ancestors were never here, could claim that our freedom be abolished – Robert Kimbell.
zulu says
OT
Knife-wielding French tourist kills female British backpacker and leaves man critically wounded after ‘screaming about Allah’ in rampage at Queensland hostel
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3755684/Woman-dead-man-fighting-life-French-tourist-went-stabbing-rampage-Queensland-backpackers-hostel.html#ixzz4IDLBrZ1Z
Cecilia Ellis says
Zulu, thank you for your post. For the benefit of others, here is an extract from the article for which Zulu provided the link:
“A French man screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’ went on a stabbing rampage at a backpackers hostel in north Queensland, killing a 21-year-old British woman and leaving a British man, 31, fighting for his life in hospital.
A third man, an Australian, received non-life threatening wounds and was released from hospital soon after the attack on Tuesday night, police said.
The attacker, 29, also stabbed a dog to death during the frenzy that was witnessed by a roomful of more than 30 people at Shelley’s Backpackers.
Queensland state Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Golleschewski told a news conference on Wednesday the attacker twice screamed the Islamic praise for God during the his frenzy.
‘It is alleged that the suspect used the phrase “Allahu Akbar” during the attack and when arrested by police,’ Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said.
‘Whilst this information will be factored into the information we are not ruling out any motivations at this early stage, whether they be political or criminal.'”
So . . . no motivation except the obvious one is beIng ruled out . . . although it “will be factored into” more prominent causes such as mental illness, victimization, climate change, someone taking a photograph . . .
davej says
Poor little me is offended – so I will cut your throats.
Insane maniacs!
We must deport them all before they kill us all.
Kevin says
Stealth Jihad Advances — today I was banned from a prominent English Language website comment board for posting cited copy/paste text taken directly from Robert Spencer’s writings. Yes, political correctness is clearly contributing to the decline of sensibility.
Nimrod says
Next story:
Researches fired over islamophobic study
Mirren10 says
Yes, *that* wouldn’t surprise me at all. At the very least, they’ll probably be hounded by the Leftard Thought Police. (even if they *have* given themselves a cowardly ‘out’).
David says
Did anyone here need a “University Study” by Academic egg heads to tell us the truth of what is actually going on?
I think not.
BUT! Maybe our “Political Leaders” in D.C. needed something like this to show them the reality of ISLAMIC/SATANIC JIHAD???
Will they now take even the smallest steps to stop the inflow? Or protect us from being murdered by this muslim REFUSE?
I think not.
Guest_speaker says
A new study my foot … we knew this from 570 AD. Islam is a mental condition that makes the individual narcissistic, paranoiac and murderous from Mohammed (PUBH) to Osama Bin Laden.
MaryC says
I do not share Christine Williams’ enthusiasm for these ideas. I followed a hyperlink another reader supplied to what appears to be an abstract of the paper, http://tsas.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1.1_TALKING-TO-FOREIGN-FIGHTERS.pdf. Interestingly, it estimates there are 4,000 to 5,000 Westerners who have been radicalized to the point of moving to the Middle East to wage jihad. This paper is based on their analysis of online conversations with 20 such people. 20! They are generalizing to 5,000 from 20. That’s 0.004 of the total, hardly a representative sample. And these conversations are totally free-form, leaving the door wide open for the opinions/biases/need to engage of the study authors to shape the conversation.
Also, there is a heckuva built-in response bias in terms of who chooses to answer online to these researchers’ questions. The hardcore jihadi who is attracted by the ISIS recruitment videos of torture and beheadings is not going to be too likely to chat online with someone who introduces themselves as researchers just trying to understand them. It also disturbs me that apparently some of the 20 were female. I would not be surprised at all if for females especially there may be some religious “pull.” I myself identified that very thing in one young female American’s account of how she was recruited online; I wrote about it on this forum last year around Christmastime. I’d expect males and females to be attracted for different reasons. Now the sample of size 20 is shown to be even more inadequate.
About the only thing I do agree with these authors on is that there is a “pull” in Islam. However, I think the heart and soul of that pull is truly prideful, truly satanic, hence truly anti-religious: it feeds the desire to be above others. If you’re a Muslim male, you get to feel superior to all females and all kuffars. If you’re a Muslim female, you get to feel superior to all kuffars. There does seem to be some room in Islam for older Muslim women to feel superior to younger Muslim women by acting as morality police. And younger Muslim women with limited contact with kuffars hungry for superiority can get actively involved in jihad, in communication aspects or even physically.
There is no denying in our increasingly leftist Progressive West the channels for obtaining recognition and feeling special are ever-shrinking as everyone gets a trophy so that no one feels bad. Now Islam is saying there’s a way to feed my hunger to feel superior and I don’t have to feel bad about it, to the contrary, I can feel good about it? It’s surprising more aren’t saying, “Sign me up!” This is the utter ultimate perversion of American exceptionalism. God bless our American alpha males who have volunteered to defend us! God bless the rest of us who ‘fight the good fight’ using whatever means we have.