What Makes A Foreign Fighter? Radicalisation and Extremism in Belgium

Abstract

This article aims to explore the complex issue of what „makes” a foreign fighter: the origins, the key characteristics, the factors that push one away from one’s home country and towards, in the case examined in this article, the Islamic State. Stripping away distorted narratives and political discourse, the article attempts to outline the core of the radicalisation process within the Belgian context based on an overview of available sources. To reach a baseline of understanding as to why Belgian foreign fighters are disproportionately represented among Islamic State combatants, the article delves into the history of Islam in Belgium. This is necessary to be able to trace the processes that led to the contemporary situation. The article subsequently offers a discussion of the elusive profile of aspiring jihadist recruits.