Analysis: How cold-blooded extremists were victimized

CAIRO – 31 May: 2018: The world has been intimidated for decades by the fact that many religious terrorists are not similar to usual criminals who think a life sentence would be their worst destiny. Unlike regular criminals, religious terrorists kill people, and even kill themselves, for a cause they may see very noble.

For years, Egypt has witnessed numerous terrorist attacks, mainly by the Islamic State-affiliated Sinai Province militant group, which have led to the death of hundreds of policemen, army troops and civilians during attacks on security checkpoints, churches and recently a mosque.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail described the terrorists involved in the attack on Al-Rawdah Mosque in Arish, North Sinai in November 2017 as “neither humans nor Muslims.” The attack left 311 Muslim worshippers dead, reportedly making it Egypt’s deadliest terrorist attack in modern history.

Ismail’s description of the terrorists as “not humans” emulates an international belief. However, a large number of sociologists believe that a terrorist is a normal person who had the opportunity to be an advocate of peace, but was placed in the wrong environment. The sociologists also believe that individuals have the chance to recover from extremism.

What sociologists think about extremists

Human beings are subject to change from their first day in life until they pass away, Refaat Abdel Baset, professor of sociology at Helwan University told Egypt Today.

There are many factors that can affect an individual’s behavior, Abdel Baset said, including parents, the surrounding environment, the level of education one receives and the media messages one is exposed to.

Abdel Baset added that individuals inside communities where ignorance and illiteracy prevail become the target of extreme Islamist organizations.

He explained that such organizations always teach their members to avoid thinking and just abide by the orders they are given in order to “go to heaven.”

Hamed al-Hadi, professor of sociology at Zakazik University, told Egypt Today that the type of books individuals read can also have a profound effect on their behavior.

He explained that a good book can be very valuable, but it may cost more than an individual can afford, while another disastrous book can be subsidized by malicious organizations and cost down to LE 3 (about $0.17).

When the prices of good books rise, individuals start searching for the cheap ones, according to Hadi.

Consecutive statements of the Egyptian Armed Forces concerning the ongoing “Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018” asserted that the forces have found books that “convey takfiri ideology.” The military operation launched in February to eliminate terrorists in various parts of the country, mainly in North and Central Sinai, where terrorist elements hide and spread.


A screen shot from the Egyptian army statement concerning the Comprehensive Operation, Sinai 2018, shows books the army says embrace ‘takfiri ideology’ – Ministry of Defense

In an interview with Al-Watan in 2016, Ahmed Karima, professor of Islamic Sharia (Islamic law) at Al-Azhar University, said that he spotted seven books that promote IS’s ideology in libraries inside Egypt, adding that some libraries in a number of governorates publish Salafist books that distort the image of the Egyptian military.

Is it possible for those who adopted extremism to change their thoughts?

Abdel Baset said that recovery from extremism is possible, adding that the military and security measures should not be the only resort.

According to him, the best way to change the beliefs of extremists is by addressing their thinking and helping them restore their humanity, not just by imprisoning them.

He said that in order for extremist behavior to be changed, an individual must be taken out of the “poisoned” environment and relocated to a “pure” environment. Additionally, the economic, social and educational levels of such people need to be boosted.

Abdel Baset explained that individuals must have access to their minimum rights, including shelter, food and healthcare, in order for them to be good and normal.

Concerning education, he said that individuals should not receive religious education separately. Instead, they should receive general education that incorporates a moderate religious curriculum that calls for love, peace and security.

Are they criminals?

Many recent scientific studies have argued that a terrorist’s personality is defined by poor moral reasoning, which differentiates them from criminals, who arguably have good moral reasoning most of the time; criminals choose to do wrong actions for a purpose, while many terrorists believe their wrongful actions are righteous.

Social psychologists Stephen D. Riecher and S. Alexander Haslam think most terrorists are just ordinary people and not psychopaths, but are influenced by group ideas, leading them to cause harm for a cause they consider noble and just.



The captured Libyan terrorist Abdel Rahim Mohamed Abdullah al-Mismary, 26, who, along with others, was responsible for the murder of 16 Egyptian policemen in the deadly clashes that took place in Wahat, Giza in October, does not look like a regular criminal. Instead, he looks like a good person who holds wrong beliefs.

The deadly clashes in Wahat, which left vast sums of Egyptians in deep sorrow and extreme anger, led the Egyptian authorities to take a very controversial step, which was to interview Mismary a few hours after he was arrested, and even before being tried.

Criminals can be easily confronted and refuted. However, Mismary showed good temper during his interview with Emad Adeeb on Al-Hayah channel, and he did not act inappropriately at any time during his speech.

Mismary showed ideas that he apparently strongly believed in, allowing Adeeb to interrupt him several times. When Adeeb tried to direct him to give a certain yes or no answer, Mimsary just asked to be given the chance to give a complete answer.

“I completely reject that anyone call me a killer. I would talk with him, tell him about my beliefs and why I killed and on what basis,” Mismary said after he carefully listened to Adeeb while maintaining continuous eye contact.

“Don’t you feel that you live in your own world?” Adeeb asked, referring to the conclusion that Mismary has a totally different way of thinking that justifies his actions.Perhaps this is the correct phrase a professional would say to conclude such an interview. Mismary is surrounded by beliefs he strongly holds. The man did not think he committed a crime. Instead, he would likely die thinking he did the right thing.

During the interview, Mismary did not say anything that would be viewed as logical by the majority of Egyptians, who believe that Islam renounces bloodshed.

However, Mismary, who said that he has a degree in the Arabic language, showed a civilized attitude and good understanding of his own beliefs. His facial expressions did not show any intimidating criminal characteristics.



Another case is French IS member Emilie Koenig, 34, who was captured along with her three children in January by People’s Protection Units (YPG), a mainly Kurdish militia in Syria that fights IS.

After Koenig was captured, her mother said that the YPG tortured her. The YPG then published a video of Koenig speaking and answering questions posed to her.

Again, Koenig, who was added to a U.N. watch list and the U.S. State Department's watch list for encouraging attacks in France, showed politeness and appropriate behavior during the interview.

Koenig appeared dressed well, denying accusations against the YPG of torturing her. Similar to Mismary, she never showed an attacking behavior; however, she neither claimed herself wrong nor showed regret.

She appeared in the video, listening to the question in Arabic, trying to understand it, nodding her head, and just answering in a cool tone in broken Arabic and some French terms.

Mismary and Koenig are professional terrorists. Each of them has held extreme beliefs for many years despite their young ages. However, they managed to present an image of themselves as civilized people that you can disagree with, but not necessarily hate.

According to Mismary, 2011 was the year he has adopted jihadist beliefs; this year marked the murder of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi by rebels. Since then, Libya has witnessed a wide spread of Islamic militias.

Audiences would arguably change their minds when they look at Islamic terrorists’ gestures. Many people who call for death to terrorists, considering that “they are not humans”, will at least find out they actually are.

Rise of terrorism in Egypt

In Egypt, people were not familiar with various forms of terrorism. It existed but was rare. However, in 2013, which witnessed huge political turmoil, Islamic terrorism prevailed and hundreds of policemen and army troops have been killed in terrorist attacks since then.

Year 2013 marks the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi and the death of dozens of policemen and hundreds of Morsi supporters during the dispersal of pro-Morsi protests in Al-Nahda and Rabaa Al-Adaweya squares. The two parties hold each other responsible for the violence.

Islam combats extremism

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has repeatedly affirmed in his speeches the importance of reforming religious discourse.

Egypt's main Islamic institute, Al-Azhar, has subsequently sought ways to immunize young people against radicalism and train scholars to fight extremism.

Sheikh Eraky Hamed, an Al-Azhar researcher, dispraised extremism, saying that Muslim communities have suffered a lot due to terrorists who hold a wrong understanding of Islam.

In an interview with Egypt Today, Hamed said those extremist Islamist organizations, which incorporate only a tiny fraction of Muslims, have misrepresented Islam.

He said that extremist thoughts can lead an individual to carry out terrorist attacks in retaliation against people he thinks have oppressed him, adding that many extremists are indifferent to death, as they think that death will ease their suffering and pave their way to paradise.

Hamed affirmed that terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, as Allah said in the Quran, {Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely} (Quran 5:32).