The Path to Radicalization: Following a German Salafist to Egypt
Posted by Zubair Khan
Source: Spiegel:
It’s still dark in Alexandria, and I can hear the Salafist breathing in the dark. He is tiptoeing across the room.The man approaching my bed picked me up from the airport yesterday. His name is Dennis Rathkamp, and he is a 24-year-old auto mechanic who used to play guitar in his church confirmation class. He moved to Egypt a few weeks ago to learn how to become a good Muslim
On this morning, my body is lying between Rathkamp and Mecca. He drops to his knees and lowers his forehead to the floor. It’s 6:30 a.m., time for early prayers. I hear Rathkamp moving his lips silently. He promised me he would try to be quiet while praying.
I am lying in this bed in a stranger’s apartment because I am searching for an answer to the question of what drives the Salafists, a group of people who are feared in Germany. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, estimates that 60 German Salafists emigrated to Egypt last year. Many chose the city of Alexandria as their new home, and they now live in the Mandara neighborhood in the north of the city.
Posted by Zubair Khan
on March 15, 2013. Filed under Europe,Germany.
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Zubair Khan
March 15, 2013 at 11:48 am
“Terrorism experts say that the radicalization of someone like Rathkamp occurs in three stages. In the first stage, resentment begins to build over abuses and discrimination. In the second stage, these feelings combine with an ideology that can explain the resentment and offer a way to make things better. The third stage consists of mobilization through group dynamics or a charismatic leader”.
True and correct interpretation of real teachings of religion never results in resentment. This is specially true for Islam and I can vouch for my statement at least for last 125 years. Many Muslim turned extremists/terrorists but never any one belonging to Ahmadiyya Islam. Why? The simple reason is true and correct interpretation of real teachings of Islam by Ahmadiyya. Salafism, Wahhabi’s or any other ideology has no connection to real teachings of Islam as such those trapped to these ideologies on the name of Islam are aught to suffer. In the same context above stated analogy of terrorism also proves wrong and can not be pasted at each scenario or situation.