ABSTRACT

The de-radicalization program essentially aims at changing the violent mind and behaviour through dialogue, heart-to-heart conversations, and re-learning in an educational environment. Today, the concept of de-radicalization receives growing attention from researchers and policy makers, partially due to the failure of tackling extremism via hard approaches, i.e. detention. Worst, in some cases, prison becomes a fertile ground for radicalization. Like it or not, de-radicalization – or in some countries, it is called a rehabilitation program – is considered an answer to the prison and public radicalization. Nevertheless, despite burgeoning literature on de-radicalization or rehabilitation, there is one persistent issue that remains unaddressed satisfactorily to say the least – that is the content and module of de-radicalization. The issue revolved around the questions: What is a workable and effective module needed to rehabilitate an extremist? and What is a suitable approach needed to make a rehabilitation program successful? This article attempts to address these questions, and seeks to explore the extremist discourse and narratives that serve as the credo of extremism. Second, it explores and advances the Wasatiyyah approach as counter-discourse to extremism and how it can be applied effectively in a de-radicalization context.