Making Art Not War: Jihad Therapy
How much would you pay for a painting made by a terrorist?
Imagine this: you find yourself in the dusty dry heat of Saudi Arabia, surrounded by some of the most radical and threatening criminals the world has ever seen. Sure, their resumes might be dotted with bomb making expertise and foiled suicide missions, but they tell you that they have out grown that part of their lives. Instead, they complain about the way oil paint gets lodged underneath their fingers when they paint their feelings onto white canvases, and indulge you with a joke that begins something like, ‘So an Arab Sheikh an oil broker and an American walk into a shisha bar…’ and oddly enough, you find yourself laughing along with some of the most feared people in the world against your better judgment.
Sounds crazy?
Not so much. Allow me to introduce ‘jihad rehab’, a fresh take on combating the ever pressing problems of global terrorism and ideologically driven conflict. A pilot program initiated by Saudi Arabia, jihad rehab provides an alternative mode of prisoner reform that attempts to cater to the ‘hearts and minds’ of Saudi citizens who have been found guilty of committing (or attempting to commit) acts of terror. Instead of prisoners, participants are called ‘beneficiaries’ who are enrolled in programs in plush and comfortable ‘centers’ in the Saudi city of Riyadh. Instead of barbed wire, you will see ping pong tables and play station consoles. Instead of cramped and confined spaces, you will find pristine football fields and lush gardens.
The main components of such programs include:
1) Religious reeducation: Participants are enrolled in classes taught by local community leaders and activists, in the religious sect of their choosing. Such programs attempt to redirect religious activism away from violence and towards more democratic and effective methods of expressing ones beliefs.
2) Reintegration: In addition to reconnecting participants with their families and friends, such programs offer ways for participants to begin a socially integrated life from scratch. Some examples of social reintegration techniques include finding participants a wife, an apartment, a job, and in one case funding fertility treatments in order for participants to start their own family.
3) Therapy: Participants are pushed to find healthy ways to express themselves and their feelings. In addition to group and individual therapy sessions, participants are enrolled in art classes and play team sports.
So, is it possible that paint brushes are society’s best modes of crime prevention? Saudi Arabia claims that their method has had a ninety five percent success rate, though that statement comes with a long list of caveats:
1) Change comes from within: students must prove that they are ready to better their lives and sincerely change their ways and viewpoints.
2) Expense: the state must be willing to bear the costs of such programs, which might be easy for Saudi Arabia, but has been difficult for other nations to maintain. As programs that are very resource-heavy, this factor has been pivotal in determining the success or failure of such programs in other countries.
3) Cultural specificity: There can be no reintegration without cultural context; change has to come from within a state in order to be viable and considered as legitimate by participants.
As a program, terrorist rehab is still in its primary stages of conception and execution, but it points to some interesting changes in the way the world is addressing the wider issue of terrorism. Competing with the sense of brotherhood and belonging that terrorist networks provide to their followers, jihad rehab tries to instill alternative sources of value and self esteem for participants in their program. By attempting to reintegrate once marginalized parts of their populations, nations are presenting viable alternatives to the mental and emotional aspects of what makes being a jihadi an emotionally fulfilling experience. If the Saudi model continues to be successful, other nations, if funded appropriately, could implement similar programs that would cater to their specific needs and capabilities. The next step would then be to make funds and infrastructure available to nations that are less rehab ready than Saudi Arabia.
