1. EXPLAINING RADICALIZATION JOSEPHINE PARKS MAY 27, 2021

2. RADICALIZATION – DEFINITION Radicalization refers to the process through which a group or an individual gets to adopt progressively radical opinions in opposition to a religious, political or social status quo. Usually, the societal ideas largely shape the radicalization outcomes. For instance, radical movements may come from a wide societal consensus that is against some progressive society changes or even from a large aspiration for society change.

3. THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF RADICALIZATION The four phases of radicalization consist of: First Phase - Pre-radicalization Second Phase - Self-identification Third Phase - Indoctrination Fourth Phase - Jihadization

4. RECRUITMENT TACTIC Radicalization and online recruiting has several benefits over the previous riskier and public communication. Today, terrorist groups may reach out to hugely vast audience. Without requiring travels, the cost of recruitment is reduced, as there is no transportation and logistics support required. The freshly radicalized do not need to pack up and go to the middle east, and Jihadi groups tend to encourage home attacks to escape the greater infiltration risk while travelling. Some of the countries from which terrorist organizations recruit consist of Chad, Nigeria, Libya, Cameroon, Niger, Tunisia,

5. ROLE OF PROPAGANDA IN RADICALIZATION Majority of those radicalized and recruited online are not Muslims, but people who are just caught up in an online propaganda. Propaganda has a significant influence on the Islamists’ dismissal of the western politics and non-Muslims and their readiness and willingness to commit suicide and violence. Cognitively, the radicalized people have broadly been influenced by some type of propaganda criticizing non-Muslims for dissenting Islam. This in return strengthens the radicalized motivations to mimic the utilization of violence.

6. REFERENCES Moskalenko, S., & McCauley, C. (2020). What is radicalization? Radicalization to Terrorism, 3(2), 65-87. Scrivens, R., Windisch, S., & Simi, P. (2018). Former extremists in radicalization and counter-radicalization research. Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, 22(5), 209-224.