Mobilizing Resistance Against Recruiters in the Low Countries

Foreign terrorist organizations (FMOs) espousing “militant Islam,” in Iraq and Syria, have drawn an unprecedented number of European recruits from marginalized diaspora communities. To “radicalize” disenfranchised populations, FTOs exploit specific sentiments of social, economic, and political marginalization in addition to employing reductionist social media strategies .Many mosques, community leaders and volunteers work diligently on organizing resistance to the recruiting tactics of these FMOs. They organize and film small discussions in their backroom with some Salafi-groups on the idea of jihad. The purpose of these meetings is to demonstrate relativity and put jihad in a historical context in the time of the Prophet. However, some youth define jihad as a duty and people should, to the best of their ability, proceed with its application. The duty might be in the heart, it may be expressed verbally or by taking weapons against the enemy under certain circumstances. The question directed to the imam was who will deal with the imperative to god, in order to put jihad into a practical application. The imam explains that jihad is a kind of duty that is unlike others.But, the protagonists of jihad argue that the imam makes the mistake by confusing jihad on demand, an expansion jihad. Together, these comparative analyses of FMOs propaganda and the communities counter propaganda against the recruitment tactics facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the role of cultural and religious restrictions. My hypothesis is that sentiments of social, political, and economic marginalization are significantly heightened when combined with social media strategies.