ABSTRACT
The New York Police Department offers perhaps the most useful prototype in respect of understanding the radicalisation of martyr terrorists in Europe. Aligned with Borum’s pathway, Fathali M. Moghaddam suggests that radicalisation begins with individuals who experience or feel relative deprivation albeit not necessarily based on objective circumstances. Borum’s model presupposes that men join extremist groups in reaction to their interpretation of world politics. Marc Sageman also discusses a specific narrative used by contemporary Islamist extremists. Recognising the significant connection between our subjects on the issue of substance abuse, we theorise that the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous and the fellowship of Islamic extremists provided a structurally equivalent means of gaining abstinence from narcotics. We theorise that for men with a history of substance abuse, Islamic extremism offers a similar experience as participation in fellowships based on the 12-step recovery programme.
