12 Step Recovery for Terrorists

[Darklight]

Salaam (Peace)

The 12 step structure, started by AA, has been used for a long list of problems. Millati Islami is an Islamic based 12 Step Recovery Program used in the USA for rehabilitation and reintegration; primarily for drug and alcohol addiction.

Now I see it being used again. This time to address the misguided Muslims who are sympathetic to Al Qa'eda. Although I don't know the people of the Masjid there, I am very happy to see more effort going into combating the severe deviations Muslims have embraced.

Does this give anyone hope that Islamic Extremism will be reduced? I hope that it does.

12 Step Program for Islamic Extremists

Edited February 15, 2009 by Darklight

[Lt_Ripley]

it couldn't hurt. might as well try.

[EmpressStarXVII]

I see only positives coming from this.

[Omnaka]

Cool, Whatever works, but like AA, one has to want recovery before it can work Imo.

Lobe Omnaka

[InHuman]

no, you need to more.

SHOW those punks what the hell it really means to "fight america" (ie. getting shot and tortured, not fun)..

[Darklight]

Cool, Whatever works, but like AA, one has to want recovery before it can work Imo.

Lobe Omnaka

Salaam (Peace)

Yes, there must be a desire to change. The existence of this program will, I believe, will strengthen the Muslim majority's position on this issue and encourage re-evaluation.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Darklight

[InnerSpace]

Salaam (Peace)

Does this give anyone hope that Islamic Extremism will be reduced? I hope that it does.

12 Step Program for Islamic Extremists

Darklight...what an awesome OP. I'm posting a few excerpts from neurobehavioral scientists, as they continue to study, and hope to understand the mind/brain of a terrorist.

When the idea that dominates their world is that of Jihad, then war and destruction are seen as a 'higher' form of compassion.

They do not need to consider the teachings of the Koran. Instead, they 'feel' the world in terms of their religious 'awakening', a direct message from God; one that supersedes scripture. When the idea that dominates their world is that of Jihad, then war and destruction are seen as a 'higher' form of compassion.

Before we jump to the conclusion that we could never see any wisdom or compassion in being aggressive, we might recall how we support, in our minds, Jesus as he drove the money-changers from the temple of Jerusalem. That was an act of violence, guided by a higher wisdom. So, in Truman's mind, was the bombing of Hiroshima. The step from higher wisdom to violence is all too common. Anyone who has ever gone too far in punishing a child has made it.

For the Jihadi, like anyone else, the full range of religious experiences is quite large. A person might hear a religious statement, and feel a parasthesia, a tingling or electric-like feeling, or more commonly, an intense burst of emotion. The statement, whatever it is, suddenly acquires tremendous force. The person having the experience is easily convinced that the statement is true.

The powerful emotions experienced during a political rally, given a religious interpretation, make it's goal or theme into a religious truth. At least insofar as the person will then accept the message as part of their own faith. If it glorifies the individual; if it 'saves' them, or makes them feel that they are one of the "chosen few" or the "anointed" or that their service to God is special, the person can begin to identify themselves more as the one 'touched by god' than simply as a person.

Once a person identifies with God, their own life can actually be seen as being in the way, a hindrance to unity with "Him". Suicide is sanctioned when it is believed to a part of God's plan, and the person who commits it in his name may seem to be spiritually elevated; a high and holy being.

"A leading Islamist authority, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, explained the distinction this way: attacks on enemies are not suicide operations but "heroic martyrdom operations". Source

In a sermon, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 9, 2009 (as translated by MEMRI), Al-Qaradhawi stated:

"Oh Allah, take your enemies, the enemies of Islam. Oh Allah, take the Jews, the treacherous aggressors. Oh Allah, take this profligate, cunning, arrogant band of people. Oh Allah, they have spread much tyranny and corruption in the land. Pour Your wrath upon them, oh our God. Lie in wait for them. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people of Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, and You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale, and You destroyed the Pharaoh and his soldiers — oh Allah, take this oppressive, tyrannical band of people. Oh Allah, take this oppressive, Jewish, Zionist band of people. Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them, down to the very last one."

Source

and

Source

In all probability, Jihad suicides are not motivated by a desire to elicit fear. Their military superiors certainly are, but the individual is much more likely to be motivated by the desire for an intangible, personal, reward.

The desire to experience, once again, the peak moments of their lives. People who have had religious experiences will often do whatever it takes to re-capture those moments. Jihadi who have had a religious experience and fit the other criteria should be much more willing to volunteer than others, due to their personal sense of destiny, which martyrdom will appear to fulfill.

The more successful attacks this group performs, the more willing their volunteers will be, as they see their predecessors attaining the highest spiritual promotion, while they themselves only stand and wait. More of the neuroscience behind it here ------> Source

A side note: I've shared just recently about seismic activity and the hub of 3 major religions here.

There are three cultures best known for the glorification of suicide:

• Arabic-speaking terrorist sub-culture
• The Aztecs, who exalted the act of volunteering as a human sacrifice
• Medieval Japan, where suicide reached the status of a cult behavior within the Shinto religion, complete with it's own ceremony.

All of these areas are subject to frequent seismic activity.

In short, the territorial and ideological conditions in the Middle East may favor the production of populations willing to kill for God. These considerations may help us to see that terrorists are not entirely the products of hate-mongers, and that they may not be beyond help and reform.

Thanks for posting the 12 Step-Program. =) I hope for them, much success and healing.

edited for clarification

Edited February 16, 2009 by innerSpace

[Darklight]

Darklight...what an awesome OP. I'm posting a few excerpts from neurologists, as they continue to study, and hope to understand the mind/brain of a terrorist.

When the idea that dominates their world is that of Jihad, then war and destruction are seen as a 'higher' form of compassion.

They do not need to consider the teachings of the Koran. Instead, they 'feel' the world in terms of their religious 'awakening', a direct message from God; one that supersedes scripture. When the idea that dominates their world is that of Jihad, then war and destruction are seen as a 'higher' form of compassion.

Before we jump to the conclusion that we could never see any wisdom or compassion in being aggressive, we might recall how we support, in our minds, Jesus as he drove the money-changers from the temple of Jerusalem. That was an act of violence, guided by a higher wisdom. So, in Truman's mind, was the bombing of Hiroshima. The step from higher wisdom to violence is all too common. Anyone who has ever gone too far in punishing a child has made it.

For the Jihadi, like anyone else, the full range of religious experiences is quite large. A person might hear a religious statement, and feel a parasthesia, a tingling or electric-like feeling, or more commonly, an intense burst of emotion. The statement, whatever it is, suddenly acquires tremendous force. The person having the experience is easily convinced that the statement is true.

The powerful emotions experienced during a political rally, given a religious interpretation, make it's goal or theme into a religious truth. At least insofar as the person will then accept the message as part of their own faith. If it glorifies the individual; if it 'saves' them, or makes them feel that they are one of the "chosen few" or the "anointed" or that their service to God is special, the person can begin to identify themselves more as the one 'touched by god' than simply as a person.

Once a person identifies with God, their own life can actually be seen as being in the way, a hindrance to unity with "Him". Suicide is sanctioned when it is believed to a part of God's plan, and the person who commits it in his name may seem to be spiritually elevated; a high and holy being.

"A leading Islamist authority, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, explained the distinction this way: attacks on enemies are not suicide operations but "heroic martyrdom operations". Source

In a sermon, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 9, 2009 (as translated by MEMRI), Al-Qaradhawi stated:

"Oh Allah, take your enemies, the enemies of Islam. Oh Allah, take the Jews, the treacherous aggressors. Oh Allah, take this profligate, cunning, arrogant band of people. Oh Allah, they have spread much tyranny and corruption in the land. Pour Your wrath upon them, oh our God. Lie in wait for them. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people of Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, and You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale, and You destroyed the Pharaoh and his soldiers — oh Allah, take this oppressive, tyrannical band of people. Oh Allah, take this oppressive, Jewish, Zionist band of people. Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them, down to the very last one."

Source

and

Source

In all probability, Jihad suicides are not motivated by a desire to elicit fear. Their military superiors certainly are, but the individual is much more likely to be motivated by the desire for an intangible, personal, reward.

The desire to experience, once again, the peak moments of their lives. People who have had religious experiences will often do whatever it takes to re-capture those moments. Jihadi who have had a religious experience and fit the other criteria should be much more willing to volunteer than others, due to their personal sense of destiny, which martyrdom will appear to fulfill.

The more successful attacks this group performs, the more willing their volunteers will be, as they see their predecessors attaining the highest spiritual promotion, while they themselves only stand and wait. More of the neuroscience behind it here ------> Source

A side note: I've shared just recently about seismic activity and the hub of 3 major religions here.

There are three cultures best known for the glorification of suicide:

• Arabic-speaking terrorist sub-culture
• The Aztecs, who exalted the act of volunteering as a human sacrifice
• Medieval Japan, where suicide reached the status of a cult behavior within the Shinto religion, complete with it's own ceremony.

All of these areas are subject to frequent seismic activity.

In short, the territorial and ideological conditions in the Middle East may favor the production of populations willing to kill for God. These considerations may help us to see that terrorists are not entirely the products of hate-mongers, and that they may not be beyond help and reform.

Thanks for posting the 12 Step-Program. =) I hope for them, much success and healing.

Salaam (Peace)

Thank you InnerSpace. Very fascinating views here. More of this kind of work needs to be done

[InnerSpace]

Salaam (Peace)

Thank you InnerSpace. Very fascinating views here. More of this kind of work needs to be done

I couldn't agree more. Thanks again Darklight. =)

[ShadowsAndDust]

Whatever brainwashing these people went through needs to be removed, its unfair that these people throw their lives away for a cause that isn't even allowed in the Qur'an.

I hope this works for them, but then again I don't think that there are as many terrorists as the government says there are...

[Darklight]

Whatever brainwashing these people went through needs to be removed, its unfair that these people throw their lives away for a cause that isn't even allowed in the Qur'an.

I hope this works for them, but then again I don't think that there are as many terrorists as the government says there are...

Salaam (Peace)

We absolutely need to support this, and no there are not anywhere near as many terrorists as is portrayed.

[Repoman]

Salaam (Peace)

We absolutely need to support this, and no there are not anywhere near as many terrorists as is portrayed.

Wouldn't it be better to just kill the teachers at those madrassas that preach this crap?

[Grandpa Greenman]

Leave it to the Canadians to come up with an idea like that. Good job, but how can we get it going in Muslim countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia where most of the 9/11 terrorist came from?

[Darklight]

Leave it to the Canadians to come up with an idea like that. Good job, but how can we get it going in Muslim countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia where most of the 9/11 terrorist came from?

Salaam (Peace)

I'm not sure how, but I would support it. That would be very, very dangerous, and any Muslims willing to go over there for this purpose would need to be aware of the danger. Perhaps if it gets big enough in the western nations, it will become easier to take it to the east. I'm pretty sure that discussion is taking place in that very Masjid.