Jihadis from the West

“The romance of jihad is not that different from the romance that leftist communists had for the republican side during the Spanish Civil War”

Professor Bernard Haykel of Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies discusses the reasons for recruits from the West to join the Islamic State, and how Western governments should respond: “I hope the jihadis all die where they are, and don’t come back. That would probably be the best solution”.

Talking to War and Peace Talk, Professor Haykel responded to questions such as:
Why do people from the West join the Islamic State?
Why do the recruits burn their passports?
Should Western governments withdraw citizenship from jihadis?
What should be done about returning jihadis?
Can they be de-radicalized?

The interview was recorded in Amsterdam on November 14, 2014.