Ella is a 15-year-old white girl attending a public Danish school. Her interests are shopping, exercising, make-up, animal welfare, Netflix, Facebook, Snapchat etc. She also loves music. Ella has moved a lot and she has attended many different schools. One of her classmates describe her as a quiet and reserved person. She sits mostly by herself in school and she does not attend any social activities with her classmates. Ella has a friend, Lisa, from one of her previous schools. Even though Ella is now attending a new school Ella and Lisa are still in contact but mainly through social media. Lisa tells that Ella sometimes write about not feeling welcome at school. It is difficult for her to keep changing schools and she is tired of moving. When Ella went to Lisa’s school she was a victim of bullying. At least, that is what Lisa tells. Lisa also recognize Ella as a quiet girl but still very sweet and a very good friend.
But then suddenly something changes…
During the summer, Ella travels to Turkey with her family and after returning, she tells her friends and family online that she has converted to Islam. One of her friends asks her on Facebook why she converted and she answers, ‘Because I have read so much about it and I can relate to all of it. I feel it was the best thing I could do. I have finally found the meaning in my life’
Shortly after, Ella’s friends and family experience that Ella seems to change her behavior on social media. As an example, she starts to cite verse from the Koran and she states that she has stopped drinking alcohol. Some of her statuses start to show support for Jihad and when one of her friends ask her online what that means, she answers, ‘holy war’. Another friend then asks her if she supports Jihad and her answer is a short, ‘yes’.
Some of her pictures start to change as well. She changes her profile picture to one where she is standing with a gun in her hand and she writes that she has started taking shooting-lessons. She also starts giving good advice to her friends on how to become a great shooter.
She writes, ‘It is possible to attend shooting-camps if that is what you want’. She also attends groups on Facebook for converts and in these groups, she starts showing interest for the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir. Lisa is a little confused as she still experiences Ella as a sweet girl and a good friend. They are still in contact but one day Lisa receives the news that the police have arrested Ella. They have found a great amount of ingredients that are used to produce bombs and Ella are being suspected to have planned bombing two Danish schools. Ella is now remanded in custody and Lisa has no idea what happened and why.
Questions:
- Do you think Ella’s past have had an influence on her radicalization-process?
- What do you think the school, the teachers and the students could have done to help Ella?
- Could a situation like Ella’s happen at your school?
- How can parents be integrated in the prevention work?
- How does the case relate to Belonging, Identity, Expression and Motivation (IBEM)?
