„How can we understand the horrific image of children being forced to assassinate infidels?Is it ideology? Brainwashing? Role-playing? Such terms cancel out the importance of culture and emotions. The normalization of murder requires a deeper look into the cultures which spawn terror groups such as ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas and the like.
It takes a culture, not a village, to raise a child.
Jihadis are from shame/honor cultures of the tribe or clan — Palestinian hamula, Arab qabila, Somali qabil, Chechen teip, etc. When Islam nests with shame/honor cultures, the combination is combustible. This is because of the ideologies found in Suras such as 4 (wife beating), 9 (the sword) or 17 al-Isra (anti-Israelites) are violent.
Yet we must be careful with naming “ideology” as the sole problem, because it is like a lifesaver cast out to us, which allays our own terrors that we have found the problem and it is ideology.
Moderate Muslims and others read these violent passages and they don’t murder. And what about converts who radicalize, you may ask? They didn’t grow up in a shame/honor culture.
While this is true, many grew up in shaming families where sadism rules.“ (…)
