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They are born in Canada, educated, from respected families and they might be fighting for the shadowy al-Shabab
An interesting read.
Categories: Articles of interest, Somalia
There are always certain facets to articles like this that aggravate me. Mind if I rant about the usual attempt to simplify a complex situtation?
“Al-Shabab is going to take the bright ones: Usually it’s clean cut, conscientious well-educated people. That’s why you always hear these kids are from good families. These are middle-class kids. That’s why it’s so shocking.”
It’s the same regurgitated excuse used to describe the 9/11 attack cell leaders. They were middle class guys who went to college, why would they do something like this?
Statements like these perpetuate the myth that religious extremism stems from a single easily identifiable source — predominantly a lack of socio-economic stability or opportunities (although historical egotism is always entertaining).
There is no single reason for why someone would radically change their life and run off to fight in a far off war and recruiters and radicalizers seek out any weakness, from socio-economic to psychological, to engage and recruit for their chosen cause. Additionally, the justification utilized by a group’s leadership is unlikely to be the justification utilized by the low-level foot soldier.
I’m trying to ignore the whole America/Israel/Afghanistan/Palestine magically relating to Canada/Somalia beyond another obvious and horribly over-simplified attempt to understand radicalization.
Agree with you about the different justifications.
The timing of this bunch is also quite interesting, is it not. As it does not seem to be linked to the Ethiopian invasion which appears to have been a motivator for lots of other ethnic Western Somali’s who went back. But it is fascinating that these pockets of individuals keep popping up in North America – it is really as though they are getting the radicalization bug a few years after their European (or at least Brit) counterparts.
Another question I would ask Leah, is have you heard any more news about those chaps involved in Operation Neath?