Islamic Militant Activism in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany

Abstract

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‘Reaching the land of jihad’ - Dutch Syria volunteers, hijra and counter-conduct

“…Furthermore, they also created a strong opposition to the established circles of Islamic preachers and imams who claimed to follow the Salafi methods of reading and implementing the Islamic sources (and who regarded the activists as young people who had gone astray) and to Muslims who cooperated with local and national authorities in counter-radicalization policies, calling them hypocrites and/or infidels. Over the course of 2013, seeing themselves being increasingly presented by the state as a danger to national security, they came forward with several messages that were almost diametrically opposed to those created by the state institutions (De Koning et al, 2020). One activist in response to news items portraying the Dutch Syria volunteers as dropouts who were suffering from an identity crisis put the following comment on my Facebook page early 2013, presenting the Syria volunteers as people 'to be proud of' because they sacrificed themselves while others did nothing: "[...] We as the Netherlands [should] be very proud of the people who are prepared to take up arms against the regime of Beshar Asad [sic].…”

“…In the stories that Abu Muhammed and others told us prior to their departure, about their lives and how they saw themselves, they connected a political story about justice and injustice, and the need for sacrifice and hijra, with ideas about God's plan and the struggles between falsehood (unbelief) and truth (faith, belief) and between good and evil (De Koning et al, 2020). 13 Abu Muhammed, in particular, was very outspoken about his own perspectives, experiences and ambitions in that context, connecting his ethical ambitions and political views:…”

“…(Cadman, 2010). At the same time, these alternatives may well conflict with trends in policy and debate that emphasize and idealize the importance of secular values and freedoms, sexual freedoms and loyalty to the nation state (De Koning et al, 2020). Abu Muhammed expressed this ethico-political dimension of his migration quite well after he arrived in Syria.…”

“…Some did see the uprising against the al-Assad government as a mode of jihad but urged Dutch Muslims to stay away from it and to support charities instead. Muslim politicians vehemently rejected those views, some regarding Abu Muhammed and the likes as bandits and their views on Islam as 'gangsta-Islam' (De Koning et al, 2020).…”

“…Initially, officials from the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice, the National Coordinator of Counter-terrorism and Security (NCTV) and others working in the field of counter-radicalization were unsure about how to qualify this network. 8 Later on, the members of Behind Bars were seen as recruiters and 'accelerators' of radicalization and suspicion of them grew, particularly when it was known that several of their members had tried to join the violent struggles in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq (De Koning et al, 2020). 9 The focus on the potential radicalization of Muslims in the Netherlands builds upon already existing discourses in policies and debates which problematize Islam as a potential threat to social cohesion and security, often in combination with debates and policies regarding migration.…”