Former jihadist testifies

Seventy per cent of cases handled by a leading US counter-extremism organisation show some form of antisemitic influence, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard, with a former jihadist turned interventionist describing antisemitism as the “connective tissue across extremist ideologies”.

Parents for Peace interventionist Mubinoddin Shaikh, who was radicalised as a teenager in Toronto and later spent years working undercover with Canadian intelligence infiltrating jihadist cells, told the commission the organisation had recently established a dedicated antisemitism and intervention recovery program in response to the volume of cases in which antisemitic beliefs featured.

Shaikh said antisemitism was front and centre in cases involving neo-Nazis, while in others it appeared alongside a broader set of hateful ideas. Parents for Peace, which recently received funding from the US Department of Homeland Security, operates a helpline and takes referrals from families, teachers, lawyers and the FBI across both the “pre-criminal” and “post-criminal” space.

Interventions are tailored to individual needs, drawing on motivational interviewing, psychoeducation and peer support. Shaikh works alongside a former neo-Nazi and trained social workers and psychologists, and said his own history as a “former” – the term used for individuals once part of violent extremist movements – was central to building trust with clients.

“I basically explained to him that I used to be that, and I know how they work and how they operate, and I’m here because I wish that I had somebody to talk to when I was your age,” he said, recounting a case in which a young man initially refused to engage.

He described another case involving a 14-year-old with autism spectrum disorder who had adopted a rigid extremist ideology after being marginalised by peers. “At the end of the day, he just needed friends that accepted him for who he was,” Shaikh said.

Asked by Nicholas Bender SC, counsel for Australia’s mainstream Jewish communal organisations, about the importance of changing an individual’s private beliefs rather than simply preventing violent behaviour, Shaikh said belief change was “foundational”.

“Thoughts precede actions, and beliefs are part of thoughts. And if you believe that it is legitimate to do X, then for them to not do X, you need to change the belief that underpins the intention towards that action.”

Shaikh said the NGO model was particularly well suited to that work, acknowledging that government agencies may not be able to undertake it themselves.