To be radicalized the individual must shift from the social mainstream to the political extremes either to the left or the right. To understand how people become radicalized, knowledge of their character structure and of their emotional functions are essential.
In general, people who become radicalized to the political right are raised in strict authoritarian families which results in the repression of child’s sexual feelings during childhood and adolescence. The person’s loyalty and respect for the authoritarian father is absolute. In varying degrees, as a result of sexual repression, the child loses contact with his sexual feelings which are then misperceived in an otherworldly, mystical fashion. These are the young people who become Islamic fascists attracted to jihadism and the Islamic State.
When the authoritarian Muslim families and their society are torn apart as in times of war in the Middle East, many children are often left fatherless and adrift. They are the ones likely to fall prey to Imams and jihadist ideologues who begin their indoctrination process by befriending and comforting them. By taking on the role of substitute fathers, these emotional plague characters provide young people with the guidance and love that they long for. Once they have gained the young people’s trust, they are in a position to inculcate mystical ideas of happiness in the afterlife by doing Allah’s wishes and joining a holy war against the hated non-believers.
Another source of potential jihadists are the endless supply of sexually dissatisfied wayward people from anti-authoritarian Western families who seek revenge on the world for their personal misfortunes by joining the Islamic State.
In the Fort Hood Army base and the San Bernardino massacres, some of the Muslims were raised in the free world and in their youth despite their religious upbringing seemed to be impervious to jihadist ideology. In later life, their latent, mystical feelings surfaced and took hold of them turning them into mass killers. Most likely, they were paranoid schizophrenic characters who had unrecognized homicidal tendencies.
It does not matter if the terrorists are imported or home grown.
What matters is that young people’s underlying, pent-up sexual energy is a powerful force that leads them to seek jihadism as a solution to their personal emotional problems. This central fact must first be acknowledged and addressed before worldwide jihadism can be contained and eradicated.
Neither Left Nor Right
The Emotional Plague
Charles Konia, M.D. 