Mental Illness and Jihad

"It's always a dangerous thing to diagnose anyone from a distance, especially when they're dead."
"Total mental balance is an ideal and elusive goal for any of us. And the natural, first thing that comes to mind is [when something horrific occurs], well, he must be crazy."
"But most criminals, most substance abusers and most political or religious extremists are 'mentally unbalanced' at least some of the time. Our man (Michael Zehaf-Bibeau) was all of these."
"This doesn't mean that we have a psychiatric diagnosis that fits him, or a psychiatric treatment that would have cured him, or an explanation for his behaviour that satisfies, or that we could ever predict who, or when."
"Not every person who feels lost or has a messed up life is mentally ill. [There is some increase in violence among the severely mentally ill] But it's not enormous, and they're responsible for only a tiny amount of the violence in the world."
"[The killer -- Michael Zehaf-Bibeau -- might have absorbed radical teachings bringing meaning] to what was previously his meaningless life]. And if he was willing to kill and die for this, that is regrettable.
"It is something that all of us have to begin to worry about -- how we're going to prevent others from finding meaning in this bizarre way, this destructive way."
Dr. Allen Frances, professor emeritus, Duke University

The Ottawa gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, had had his passport seized recently. Photograph: Zuma/Rex

Dr. Frances, if anyone knows, paints a picture of what generally is thought of those who join forces with the Islamic State in their nihilistic world view and focus on bringing violent, totalitarian Islamism front and centre, to the world at large, through a global conquest of the world order. As chair of the task force producing the fourth version of psychiatry's official manual of mental illness he does have experience and professional knowledge to back up his perceptions.

Violence appeals to many people. Society is rife with sociopaths, psychopaths, people who live their lives in livid disgruntlement with authority and the very concept of democratic liberties; the two confusing them since their idea of authority is rigidly repressive, dictatorial, fanatical and regimented. The very antithesis of liberal democracy which upholds equality rights and pluralistic equality of opportunities with constitutional protection for freedoms relevant to free societies.

Their conflict is one of unmerciful fanatical domination of those unable to protect themselves, against the values of civilized societies. These are society's bullies who have never accepted the very absurdity that everyone is imbued in a decent, just society with equal rights and equal opportunities. For them, however, rights and opportunities are inherited by force of action, going to those who never hesitate to impose punishment on others who might hope to challenge their radical ideology.

The meek and mild Muslims in free societies who find themselves confused by the violence attributed to Islamism, repeat in their fear and trepidation that Islam is a religion of peace and fellowship and respect for all. Their Islam may be. Invariably, when they write pleading letters to the editor for understanding of Islam they take pains to mention they're members of the Ahmadi Muslim sect, repeating in their disingenuous innocence their love for the West rather than majority Muslim countries where their sect is oppressed and abused.

The confused parents of converts to Islam who turn to fanaticism would much prefer to believe and to hope that the public will believe with them, that their loved ones aren't really Islamist fanatics eager to kill and be killed as martyrs, but mentally ill. The irony there is that in the not-so-distant past it was a matter of great family shame to admit that a family member had a mental illness. Now, liberal civil societies are eager to prove how understanding they are, and forgiving of mental illness; it is, after all, an unfortunate affliction.

An acceptable one, earning patience, understanding and aid to the sufferer. Whose acts of anti-social violence are seen through the prism of forgiveness. Not so, the deliberate absorption into violent jihad with its siren call of bloodletting without end, so attractive to those whose minds are fairly intact, but completely imbued with a misanthropic vision of a universal caliphate. Accepting that one's son or brother has chosen that path is painful anathema.