Don't Worry--It Wasn't the Siren Call of Jihad that Lured Young Canadian Lads to Commit Terrorism in Far-Off Algeria (and Die in the Act). It Was the Desire for an Outward Bound-like Adventure

Or so one of those, ahem, experts would have us believe:

Experts say a person can be radicalized as a result of personal factors that may be unrelated to the act of extremism.

“The political connection isn’t what matters at all. It’s the emotional connection,” said Dr. John Horgan, director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania State University. 

Katsiroubas and Medlej were among the militants who died in the Algeria attack. Sources have said they likely blew themselves up during the siege. A third Canadian, Aaron Yoon, was a friend of the two deceased but did not participate in the attack, although he did travel with the other two to northern Africa. 

While Katsiroubas, who came from a Greek Orthodox family, and Yoon, who was raised Catholic, both converted to Islam, Horgan said that religious belief wasn’t necessarily the catalyst for their actions. 

“Don’t ever underestimate the lure of non-political, non-ideological, non-religious factors,” Horgan said, suggesting that the impetus could have been “things like adventure, camaraderie, excitement, a sense that you are doing something important with your life.”

Okay, but at the same time don't ever underestimate the appeal of armed jihad, a specifically Islamic concept, which incorporates all those things, and which promises a most enticing payoff for those who do it properly.