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Converts to evil
Randall Royer, David Hicks, Jack Roche, Christian Ganczarski. These arenât the names one expects to see when reviewing a list of those charged with participation in international Islamic terrorism. However, a disturbing number of converts have turned to militancy in a quest to add direction to their lives. Disillusioned with mainstream society, these disaffected men are attracted by the sense of community that Islam offers. While those who adopt mainstream Islam find solace in its teachings, the result can be quite different when converts turn to fundamentalism. What often happens is that these men find in militant Islam an alternative to more well-known antisocial outlets such as neo-Nazi or anarchist groups. Radical fundamentalist Islam allows them to channel their anger into a structured movement that is, in their view, fulfilling Godâs will. Militant Islam, in turn, has been actively exploiting these advantages in an all-out recruitment drive. America has witnessed the cases of the "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh and Randall Royer, a convert recently charged for his involvement with the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. But an examination of arrests in the past few years reveals that the problem touches almost every corner of the Western world. Jack Roche, former alcoholic, noted, "I was looking for something to motivate my life. I couldnât find that in English or Australian culture. . . . I needed some focus . . . Islam gave me that." Roche began attending lectures by Abu Bakar Bashir, the spiritual leader of the al Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah that operates in Southeast Asia. Bashirâs close associate, Hambali, JIâs recently captured operations chief, recruited Roche and brought him to Malaysia in 1999. Hambali hoped to use Roche to organize a cell of white converts that would target Western interests in Australia. To prepare for future missions, Roche traveled to Afghanistan, where he learned to use explosives. Months after his return, Australian authorities accused Roche of plotting with al Qaeda heavyweight Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to bomb Israeli diplomatic facilities in Australia. The story of the Courtailler brothers provides further insight into how recruiters manipulate young men struggling to find direction in their lives. Raised in a small town in the French Alps, David and Jerome Courtailler spent their teens helping in their fatherâs butcher shop. When the shop failed and their parents divorced, the Courtaillers began using drugs and drinking heavily. They moved to London, where, living in a poor neighborhood, the brothers converted to radical Islam and attended the same mosques as a number of notorious terrorists, including would-be 9/11 hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui. After months of indoctrination by radical preachers, the brothers accepted the offer of a local al Qaeda recruiter to attend training camps in Afghanistan; they also received $2,000 and a visa to Pakistan. Once in Afghanistan, David found the training "tiresome" and cut his ties to al Qaeda. Jerome, however, remained affiliated with al Qaeda and became involved in a plan to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Paris. There was also Richard "Shoebomber" Reid, a German convert caught by the Israelis planning a bombing on behalf of Hezbollah, and dozens of converts who have been through Jihadi training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even more challenging than attempting to explain why converts turn to jihad is the dilemma they present to the worldâs security services. The cases of Pierre Robert, the mastermind of this Mayâs Casablanca bombings, and Christian Ganczarski, a German charged for his role in the 2002 Djerba synagogue attack, highlight al Qaedaâs willingness to place white converts in leadership positions. Realizing that Westerners, particularly if they are white, are less likely to be scrutinized by authorities, al Qaeda has placed particular value on recruiting them. Posted by: Paul Moloney 2003-09-05 |
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