Should We Listen to Former Extremists?
Some who have renounced their past in neo-Nazi or jihadist movements now hope to save others from the same fate. But there are risks to this approach—not least to the “formers” themselves.
They have TED talks and TV shows and research centers. You can even book some for events through a talent agent.
Some were neo-Nazis. Some were jihadists.
All are now part of a small but growing field of ex-radicals fighting radicalism—across the ideological spectrum—in what’s become a de facto consulting gig for a handful of articulate “formers.” Whether through research, public speaking, or counseling services, these people say they now wish to pull people off the paths they themselves once took into hate or violence. That experience makes them infinitely more convincing than a government official tweeting discouragement at an ISIS sympathizer. But divisions also exist within the community over how exactly
