First, they moved for the IS in the Jihad. Now many are coming back to Germany, especially to North Rhine–Westphalia. The NRW protection of the Constitution boss Burkhard Free care of radicalized women and children.
The military of the so-called “Islamic state is defeated” as much as possible. At its peak, the Salafis controlled jihadist terror militia in Iraq and Syria, a territory the size of great Britain. The “Caliphate” of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has attracted Islamist fighters and supporters from all over the world. From Germany alone, around 1,000 Islamists have traveled to the Figures of the Federal constitutional protection to the IS-field. In the de-radicalisation working psychologist Achmad Mansour even twice as many to Leave the country.
About 150 Germans traveled you know that you have died in the Region. Over 300 are now back in Germany. In the near future it is expected that more German IS-followers will return from captivity, or because you the escape home, to succeed. In the majority of previous returnees no reliable information about the authorities, whether they actively participated in the Fighting. Against at least two dozen returnees, the attorney General has begun an investigation.
In the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), there is a particularly great scene of extremist Salafists. It is estimated to be around 3000 people, of which 800 as violence. According to the local constitutional protection to over 250 people in the IS area are solely from North Rhine-Westphalia travels. Noteworthy: More than a quarter of them were women. Women play in the Salafist scene, a growing role in networking, in the missionary and in the case of the disclosure of their Islamist ideology to children.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, the President of the constitutional protection of North Rhine-Westphalia, Burkhard Freier explained threatens to grow, and why a new Generation of Salafists.
Deutsche Welle: Mr Free, how do you assess the risk by returnees?
Burkhard Freier: The danger posed by returnees is high. Because many returnees struggle. They are highly ideological and, above all things, you have learned that networks outside of Germany, to set up and maintain. Some of the returnees are more likely to be traumatised or disillusioned. The majority of the returnees are linked to ideologically very strong in the scene. In cases where the initiation of criminal proceedings and detention is not possible, return the returnees are often in the scene. There you are then, often, something like role models and heroes.
Among the returnees, many women with children. How should you handle the company with you?
The return of women and children is a special challenge. Since the beginning of 2018, many of the women return with children – less men, because the are still detained or still in the Rest areas of the IS to hide. Many of the returning women have not enough of IS, or its ideology, but rather have enough conditions of the conditions of detention or of the hygienic.
Also, these women return the men to a large part in your old Salafist environment. And since we see the danger that these women educate their children to ideologically very fundamentalist and very extremist. The comes to children’s toys to Count and Spell to learn weapons and war material. Children’s songs are not wanted. The women are not sending their children to Kindergarten. They isolate themselves and form their own scene.
Here is a next Generation of Salafists grows from our point of view. Also, the return of women to act as men, often as role models or as a model for women. Therefore, the security authorities have very close contacts with the youth welfare offices and explain to them: What is Salafism? Who is coming back? These children and families must be taken care of especially intense.
What groups of people feel of the Salafist ideology particularly addressed?
If we look at the scene, on the right side of charismatic leaders who preach out of deep religious Conviction, but from an extremist Belief only the Salafism, but actually, the overthrow or change of our government structure. You advertise for the abolition of the basic law, for a other order of society, for the propagated Salafi society.
Burkhard Freier: “This is seductive, especially for young people who do not believe in this company to gain a foothold.”
Below this leadership level, there are many people who are not necessarily out of religious reasons in the scene. Are you looking for recognition, social warmth, or just orientation. And Salafism is a Black-and-White ideology, which polarizes very strongly. He has a very simple view of the world with clear rules and a clear objective. Since you a quick orientation and a quick path in life. This is seductive, especially for young people who do not believe in this company to gain a foothold.
We also see in the case of refugees, who come from a different culture Before they are really integrated, they are easily misled. Also, because they do not consider Salafism and extremist Religion as a great danger. Here, the company is required especially to help refugees, to not let them in the Salafism slides, but to pave a way to democracy. This is time-consuming. It’s going to cost a lot of time. But it is important.
If someone wants to get off: how hard is that?
We offer a Salafist, an exit program. This has two major components. The one is the ideological part: We must try them from the ideology out of it. And the second part is: We need to get back into society. This is the social part: the advice on housing, employment, family, environment. The dropouts must be able to live in a democracy.
So, an exit can take three to five years, is extremely expensive and not always has to do with the fact that we get only the Person from the scene out, but that we also protect you in front of the scene. Sometimes, a different place of residence must be even, so someone has the opportunity to participate in democracy again, to understand and to live.