ABSTRACT
The Fanatics are the perpetrators who are driven by an extremist ideology or religion and who, by spreading their radical and extremist ideas incite and instigate others to use (extreme) force and violence. Fanatics are usually not physically involved in the commission of these crimes: they do not torture, rape or kill themselves but make others do so. They usually take the lead themselves or become close associates of the Criminal Masterminds. In other cases, they function as messengers and hate preachers in their own right. The role of the Fanatics is crucial, as they are the ones who shape the ideological context in which other perpetrators operate. Their main followers are the True Believers and Holy Warriors who are discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. Maybe more importantly: they provide the justification and legitimization for the violence used by all perpetrators. Next to giving a historical perspective as to the role and importance of ideologies in warfare and terrorism, specific attention is given to the rise of radical Islamism and the notion of jihadism. Some of the people who played an important role in this, such as Sayyid Qutb, Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and al-Zarqawi serve as the case study.
