deradicalization: "hug a terrorist"
But the Danish police officers took a different approach: They made it clear to citizens of Denmark who had traveled to Syria that they were welcome to come home, and that when they did, they would receive help with going back to school, finding an apartment, meeting with a psychiatrist or a mentor, or whatever they needed to fully integrate back into society.Their program came to be known as the “Aarhus model.” It’s been called the “hug a terrorist” model in the media, but this description never sits well with the cops. They see themselves as making an entirely practical decision designed to keep their city safe.
As they see it, coming down hard on young, radicalized Muslims will only make them angrier and more of a danger to society. Helping them is the only chance to keep an eye on them and also to keep the peace in their town.
Fighting fire with fire is never a good strategy. There is a reason that others are starting fires and we ask often enough, “how could they possibly start fires?” But we move on as if it is a rhetorical question that begs no further thought. We ought to ask those that start fires, “why?” We ought to then consider and look for opportunities to change ourselves or our societies to be more helpful. This is not weakness, but the greatest strength.
Love is sacrificial.
What does it say about us if we would rather kill a human than to change ourselves for peace?