ABSTRACT
From the nineteenth century until now demographic trends have been to increased migration and consequently hybrid identities, solitude and alienation. On the global level now, many suffer from what the French call “dépaysement” (not feeling in one’s own country, actually not feeling at home in the world). The example of a group of Salafist terrorists shows how their feelings of alienation are re-interpreted in order to diminish their suffering and give them a sense of meaning and belonging. The story of Ahmad Mansour, who had a conversion experience, turning away from such a group to become a psychologist who treats young people tempted by the Salafist movement, is impressive. The examples of Camus, Kafka and Thomas Mann serve to illustrate the way in which these authors attempted, through their writing, to deal with their own personal problems with alienation.
