Article 1d: healing form hate, chapter 2 (Kimmel, 2018) Flashcards
Case study Matthias (neo-nazi)
Matthias never knew who his father was and he felt like he had no support from his mother (a hippie). Due to feeling lost, he wanted to join a powerful group and wat attracted by the skinheads, because they represent power and everybody was scared of them. Later he started his own neo-nazi group and his father (also a neo-nazi) was proud of him. At one point it just all felt wrong and and the violence felt wrong. He wanted to get out of the gang, but wat beaten up severely and threatened. Social workers and EXIT helped him get out and now he found meaning in his life.
EXIT
An organisation that helped former neo-nazis get out of these groups. Helps them with housing, jobs and de-radicalisation. They want to build a community of brothers and sisters for them, and a sense of economic efficacy.
Anti-semitism without Jews
After WWII, the Jewish population was diminished. This is why Muslims, a much more prevalent population after immigration, became the new targets of hate. This was due to:
- Masculinity and the extreme right
- Aggrieved entitlehood
- Feeling powerless
Masculinity and economic dislocation
The feeling that immigrants steal their jobs and their need to prove their masculinity is what often draws men to extreme right organisations. People can feel lost and unguided, without certain future perspectives. They want to get what they are entitled to, and they feel like immigrants take this away from them.
Economic dislocation: the feeling that the government has taken away their masculinity and that they are humiliated, shamed, by the ability to succeed in this economic system.
Aggrieved entitlehood
A sense of victimhood in being unable to get the economical and social benefits that are rightfully theirs. They feel like other (immigrants in this case) are receiving their goods.
Feeling of powerlessness
Often due to abuse of abuse of siblings, while not being able to do anything against it.
The role of ideology
People often don’t join a group because they follow it’s ideology, but following an ideology is often a consequence of being part of this group.
Factors that contribute to joining or leaving a group
- Prison: people often have to join a group in prison for protection.
- Cognitive dissonance: contradicting feeling about the group you’re part of.
- Women, ageing, children and feelings of hypocrisy are often reasons to get out.
Women who join neo-nazi groups
Women almost always get recruited because their boyfriends are part of such a group. They find rebellion attractive and interesting. The combination of love and extremism can be almost addictive, like a drugs.
Case study of Mubin (undercover Jihadist)
Mubin was an islamic boy who lived in Canada. He was raised in a strict islamic family, but also experienced the other Western side of friends, partying and sex. When he got punished by his father for throwing a party, he felt like there had to be something wrong with him. He also felt a lot of shame, because he was sexually abused by his uncle as a child. He felt like he had to purify himself to completely devote himself to the Koran. Tis is where he cam into contact with Jihadist organisations, planning one of the biggest attacks ever. After a while he felt like the worldview of this organisation just didn’t add up, he wanted to get out. He contacted the Canadian police and infiltrated for them in the terrorist group to stop the attack.
