Case Study: Leaving the Radical Islamist Scene , , How do you manage to get out of the Islamist scene?

It is difficult to get out of extremist circles: contact with people outside is often broken off, and the pressure comes from the scene itself. This was also the case for Marvin*. The young man had wanted to find out about Islam on the Internet and came across a video of a Salafi preacher. His words fascinated Marvin. He continued his research and chatted with people from his city who shared his enthusiasm.

A warm welcome to the community

One of the new acquaintances invited Marvin to a meeting at his apartment just a few days later. Djamal was, like him, in his late twenties, and they had already hit it off online. When he entered Djamal's apartment, Marvin immediately felt at home. When he came into the living room, a group of young men were already sitting together. They greeted him like an old friend, and Djamal's sister served dinner. They ate, laughed and discussed the sermons of a well-known Salafi preacher. As a farewell, the men embraced each other. Marvin felt safe.

Marvin loses his job

When Marvin lost his job a little later, his new friends supported him. For the first few days Marvin sat alone in his apartment and knew nothing to do with himself. He felt useless. Marvin had liked his job. It felt good to accomplish something. Now getting up in the morning was getting harder and harder for him.

Salafism gives Marvin stability

Marvin's new friends quickly realised he was not well. They visited him regularly and tried to cheer him up. They told him to pray and trust in God. Allah would reward him if he showed that he loved God, that he followed his rules. All that matters is salvation through Allah. He would see.
The words gave Marvin courage. He began to organise his day around prayer times and regularly went to the mosque, which his new circle of friends also frequented. The daily schedule helped him. The sermons, the friends and his new faith gave him strength. He would dedicate his life to Allah. It was only logical to distribute books about Mohammed in the streets together with his new brothers and sisters. Street-Da'wa they call it, the missionary work in the streets. The photos that went through the press made Marvin proud. His contact to his mother and his few old friends broke off completely during this time.

Pressure to go into jihad

At some point, Marvin's friends began talking about joining the armed jihad. The first of them packed their bags shortly afterwards and set off to join violent Islamist groups in Syria. They sent pictures showing themselves with weapons in a victorious pose. The photos caused euphoria among the group. They were enthusiastic and praised the courage of the warriors and their commitment to Allah. Marvin was remarkably quiet in these discussions. War? That was not for him. Of course his reluctance was noticeable. Soon the first questions came up as to why he did not leave the country, fight like a real man and show that he really loved Allah. The criticism became accusations, the accusations became threats.

Marvin is left alone

Marvin suffered. For him, it was his family that was rejecting him and calling him an infidel. Why couldn't they leave him alone? He missed those evenings with his friends. The way he joked with them, the way they ate and laughed together. One evening, after a fierce argument with Djamal, in his desperation, he called his mother, with whom he had not spoken for years. Instead of rejoicing, she overwhelmed him with accusations. She said he was a bad son who was indifferent to his own mother since he had not spoken to her for years. She asked, if he even knew how she felt. At some point, Marvin hung up.

Doubt: what does Allah want?

After that, Marvin went to the mosque less frequently. Most of the time he just stayed in his apartment. He felt discouraged. There he was, no job, no family, no friends. He had started reading the Koran again. He compared it to the Salafi rules he had followed for years. Was the Holy War really what Allah wanted, whose many names included the forgiver? Marvin continued his research and read about the different interpretations of Islam. At night, he would often lie awake thinking. When two of his former friends from the mosque frequently rang the doorbell and knocked on the door for hours, he decided to get help. He had had enough of the abuse and fear. He wanted to get out of the Salafi scene.

How can you protect yourself from Salafi attacks?

When he called the Advice Centre on Radicalisation Marvin did not tell his story. He introduced himself as Tom and pretended to seek advice for a friend who wanted to get out of the Salafi scene. How could his friend protect himself against attacks by members of the scene? And was it even possible to find work again with such a past? There were press photos of him participating in the Salafi Street-Da'wa, after all. Marvin was almost certain that the counsellor knew that this was about him. But she never adressed it. She just listened to him and answered his questions.

Help with the exit and new Islamic community

After a long time of feeling lonely, talking made Marvin feel better. The expert suggested, his friend should contact a local advice centre that has experience with leaving the radical scene. She offered to send him an address. If he didn't want to share his friend's place of residence, he could find the contact details himself on the website of the Advice Centre on Radicalisation. In any case, his friend would not have to do this alone. Getting out would be difficult and he would need support. She also encouraged Marvin in his idea to find a new Muslim community for his friend. The local experts had contacts to Imams who support the counselling centres in their work. They could help Marvin's friend.
In the meantime, Marvin has now found a new job. His new community also gives him support to find his way on his new path of life. He has broken off his contacts to the Salafi scene with the help of the local advice centre.

*Marvin’s case is fictitious. We treat all the information of our callers as strictly confidential, so this is not a real case.