Psychological Pathways to Extremism: Radical Beliefs and the Rise of Violence in the Muslim World—A Case Study of Religious Alienation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54561/prj2001125aKeywords:
religious alienation, violence, Islamic extremism, jihadist, radicalization, ummah, cognitive openingAbstract
This article examines the psychological dimensions of religious alienation among Arab veterans of the Soviet-Afghan War and its role in shaping trajectories of Islamic radicalization. Drawing on insights from identity transformation and cognitive openness, it identifies four key manifestations of religious alienation as central to understanding how spiritual dislocation can lead to violent extremism: the search for identity and belonging, rejection of established norms and institutions, adoption of binary worldviews, attraction to simplified moral frameworks, and emergence of cognitive openings. The article argues that the Afghan jihad served as both a catalyst for ideological transformation and a context for the psychological reconfiguration of religious obligation. It concludes that effective counter-radicalization efforts must address underlying emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities, rather than focusing solely on ideological content or security-based measures. The study offers broader implications for understanding radicalization as a human response to existential uncertainty, identity crisis, and institutional breakdown.
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