We Talked to an Expert on Why Montreal Kids are Trying to Join ISIS

The RCMP says it arrested ten youths on Friday at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on the suspicion they wanted to join jihadists groups. VICE spoke with Stéphane Berthomet, a former counter-terrorism police officer in France who is now involved in the Quebec-based Observatory on Radicalization and Violent Extremism, about the incident and what may be behind the radicalization of young people.

VICE: Can you tell us about this radicalization "trend"? Is it surprising to hear that 10 more youth were stopped at the airport?
Stéphane Berthomet: Obviously, it's a nasty surprise for the families, for police services, and for all of society. What it tells us, is that there is clearly something that is making it so that within certain youth groups, there are motivations—maybe even people pushing them—to join organizations or go down paths of radicalization.

Is Montreal a hotbed of radicalization?
My impression is that we're facing a particular phenomenon. We have a group of youth who are close—people who know each other, who are even in the same academic circles. It's not surprising that we're now witnessing a bit of a series. But that doesn't mean it's a general rule and that we say that Montreal is a place where people get radicalized every 15 days.

There is a particular reason for which this or these groups of kids have a tendency to become radicalized, and we have to find this reason to end this process.

How can we de-radicalize?
For me, it's not so much about de-radicalization, which means to remove from the individual from the radical environment, but rather fighting against radicalization. Prevent the radicalization phenomenon from taking place, fight against radical discourse and make sure that youth who are exposed to it have access to a counter-argument, a counter-narrative that could prevent them from falling prey to the manipulation.

What about parents and loved ones reporting radicalization?
I recently drew the parallel between hockey and radicalization. When you put everything on the shoulders of your goalie, of the police, you're relying solely on your last line of defence. You have to get ahead, target the phenomenon much sooner, ask social services, parents, the social system to fight this, instead of waiting for youth to become radicalized and involved in criminal proceedings. Then, you're left with only the police and judicial solutions.

What's motivating these kids?
I think that contrary to what is often said, religious motivations are really not as important as we think. We're talking mostly about personal or societal motivations, youth that are looking for their place in society. What they get from radicalization agents is a voice that tells them, "Well, you're not accepted in that society, it's not accepting you, it doesn't want you. So be part of a society where you'll have your place, where you will be someone else." For me, the radicalization process is deconstructing an individual to rebuild them as another, with a fake, imagined identity, for the sole purpose of having them join a terrorist organization.

What allows them to succeed in radicalization people?
If you look at the number of people out there trying to radicalize, you can't really say they're all that efficient. But some of them are more effective than others; they have all the right arguments, they are excellent manipulators. Simplified, the radicalization process is based on manipulation.

Brigitte Noël contributed reporting.

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