Jihad As a "Mental Health Issue"? That's Crazy!

Ignoring the role that core Islamic concepts (jihad, supremacism, martyrdom, the inseperability of mosque and state, etc.) play in eliciting recruits for ISIS and other jihadi groups, the RCMP chief told a conference that many of those vulnerable to the jihad message are head cases. As such, they can be prevented from, say, opening fire on Parliament Hill if only we can find them and help them:

The [RCMP outreach] program aims to identify those who are becoming radicalized by groups like ISIL and draw upon local police, as well as whatever community and government services are appropriate, to steer them away from violence. 

The commissioner also said that many of those “susceptible to the message of ISIL” suffer from mental health problems and would therefore benefit from early identification by police and intelligence followed by professional intervention. 

“I’m very aware that a big chunk of our vulnerable potentially radicalized people in Canada may have mental health issues,” he said. “But let’s find them and let’s help them before we have to find them and arrest them or get into a shootout with them.”

Yes, let's. But let's also remove our heads from our arses and not make it only about "mental health issues" when the siren call of holy war continues to bewitch lots of perfectly sane young men (and women) who are seeking the excitement, fulfillment and transcendence they believe jihad will bring them.