sexual violence as a factor in radicalisation and becoming a terrorist

[davidbfpo]

Not an easy subject and a quick, simple Google search found many articles, often from familiar places where Small Wars feature in modern times.

The search was prompted by Jessica Stern who has written a reflective piece in The Washington Post weekend edition, which is behind a free registration "wall": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061803205.html

Or use the attachment, with some passages in bold on the issue.

What attracted my attention were a few passages and I use three:

Why does the threat of violent death alter some of us, even if subtly, forever? Why does it make us unusually numb or calm when we ought to feel terrified?...

I realized the possible importance of the frequency of rape of students at the radical madrassas I studied in Pakistan. I have felt, in my interviews of terrorists, that there was an element of sexual humiliation at work, but it was rarely more than an intuition on my part. Could sexual traumas contribute to contemporary terrorism?

Another good article on the problem: http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesl...cruiting-tool/

I have not read about sexual violence as a factor, although I've heard references to the impact of torture by government agencies and non-state groups - notably from North Africa.

[slapout9]

Originally Posted by davidbfpo

Not an easy subject and a quick, simple Google search found many articles, often from familiar places where Small Wars feature in modern times.

The search was prompted by Jessica Stern who has written a reflective piece in The Washington Post weekend edition, which is behind a free registration "wall": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061803205.html

Or use the attachment, with some passages in bold on the issue.

What attracted my attention were a few passages and I use three:

Another good article on the problem: http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesl...cruiting-tool/

I have not read about sexual violence as a factor, although I've heard references to the impact of torture by government agencies and non-state groups - notably from North Africa.

david, your right not an easy subject, but there is much to learn here. I saw this a lot in Domestic Violence cases, which is why the wife calls the Police and when they respond and arrest the Husband they will often fight the police or post the husbands bail. Physical domination/abuse(not just rape) over extended periods of time will cause the person to literally loose their mind,their own sense of person, and they assume or cooperate with the violent/dominant personality. Insurgencies are just big cases of Domestic Violence and we (USA/UK) often show up like the Cop to fix it. Only to find out we are in the middle of Karpman's triangle.

COIN theory often goes wrong by failing to understand this principle IMO. COIN theorist should study successful DV/Stalking units to see how to interrupt this cycle and regrettably when you can't,sometimes you have to realize until the person wants help and will cooperate there may not be anything you can do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle

PS. this deals the real "Games People Play" not just theoretical prisoners dilemma game theory.

[tequila]

The lack of any solid data on the extent of such abuse amidst a very small, select group of people (terrorists/guerrillas) mitigates against making any sort of actual claims on this. Anecdote is not data.

Personally I think that the history of violent social movements in all sorts of societies argues for political and economic factors as the main factor here, not sexual abuse, and the solutions lie in those areas.

[slapout9]

Originally Posted by tequila

The lack of any solid data on the extent of such abuse amidst a very small, select group of people (terrorists/guerrillas) mitigates against making any sort of actual claims on this. Anecdote is not data.

Thats true about the data, but that is just because no one or very few have ever study terrorist/guerrillas from that viewpoint.

[M-A Lagrange]

Slap, David

I would recommend you to read that book: War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa by Joshua S. Goldstein (Cambridge University Press, 2001) http://www.warandgender.com/

Interesting enough, it’s written by a man. But this is a good starting point I believe. My wife who’s an anthropologist specialised in sexual violence in conflict says it’s the bible.

It’s actually interesting to see how SGBV affects not only the war zone but also other areas. The case of DRC and the craziness of SGBV there is a good example. But women did not turn into fighters.
I personally believe that your question is extremely interesting.

[Tukhachevskii]

This artilce, Polygamy and Wife Abuse: A Qualitiative Study of Muslim Women in America, makes for interesting reading. Particularly the source of pride amongst women who can "take" a beating /abuse and who view that capability as a source of pride and look down upon fellow co-wifes who can't take it. OTOH hand the division of labour causes tension too with some wifes being purely for abuse whilst others are for fun, etc.

[davidbfpo]

This thread has prompted a response from an occasional reader, who has worked in North Africa for a long time:

The use of sex in all kinds of contexts is under reported because we tend to fantasise about such situations or to have strongly held prejudices which we like to project onto societies we know little about. Sodomising - man to man - is common in Western prisons, many "Imams" use it as have done many priests. It is not particular to one culture or one religion. When men are together in a system where domination, fear etc predominate, it happens.

Among fundamentalists, it is, as far as I know from North Africa quite common but the police use it in non-democratic societies to humiliate. There was a famous Egyptian novel and film a few years ago which showed how such humiliation in a prison led directly to terrorism. In Nasser's Egypt, because young officers did not have enough money to marry, some were recruited by fundamentalists posing as male seducers.

Meanwhile in Arab country women may be oppressed but they - and gay men- find many ways around the social rules.

I will try to identify the film cited.

Tequila,

Yes, maybe there is not much data on this subject. I suspect there is data scattered around, in specialist country reports and the whole subject IMHO appears "off limits" to Western states.

In the UK the scandal around and involvement of the "ruling class" in the Kincora Childrens Home, in Northern Ireland, is the readily recalled example of the sensitivity, not as a factor in radicalisation. Have a peek at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kincora_Boys'_Home

[JMA]

Originally Posted by davidbfpo

This thread has prompted a response from an occasional reader, who has worked in North Africa for a long time:



I will try to identify the film cited.

Tequila,

Yes, maybe there is not much data on this subject. I suspect there is data scattered around, in specialist country reports and the whole subject IMHO appears "off limits" to Western states.

In the UK the scandal around and involvement of the "ruling class" in the Kincora Childrens Home, in Northern Ireland, is the readily recalled example of the sensitivity, not as a factor in radicalisation. Have a peek at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kincora_Boys'_Home

David, Mugabe's thugs have used the rape of male detainees for sometime now. Male rape, the latest weapon for Mugabe's men

The aim in this case is to break the spirit and crush dissent rather than encourage radicalization.

[M-A Lagrange]

David, Mugabe's thugs have used the rape of male detainees for sometime now. Male rape, the latest weapon for Mugabe's men

The aim in this case is to break the spirit and crush dissent rather than encourage radicalization.

In Congo Brazzaville, Bemba did the same with systematic man rape of chiefs and communities leaders. It is part of the crimes he is judge for in The Hage.
As for Mugabe, the aim was to break the individual will and put shame on them.
In DRC the pattern is little different and somehow closer to Yugoslavia. It is, at the beginning, ethnically based.
There has been quite some work done on SGBV in former Yugoslavia. I would be surprise if you find anything on man rape but some work may exist as Yugo was the starting point for the modern use and study of rape in war.
ICRC and MSF or MDM may have some publications. Especially if you look at SGBV and the Bosnian detainees.