The Call for Component Analyses of the Saudi Arabian Risk Reduction Initiative: An Examination of Religious Re-education’s Role in the Deradicalization and Disengagement Process

Is it possible to dissolve the violent religious ideology behind the majority of terrorist behavior and keep the ‘person’ intact? This proposal suggests a potential method to assess the impact of religious re-education on reducing future instances of terrorist behavior. The paper addresses current terms, problems and limits surrounding deradicalization. It also appraises empirical evidence behind current deradicalization programs. It attempts to analyze one component of the Saudi Arabian Deradicalization program (religious re-education) through a behavior analytic framework. It builds on previous research to suggest that social reinforcement through moderate Muslim clerics may reduce the frequency of terrorist behavior. This proposal hopes to successfully argue the necessity of putting each component of the Saudi Arabian Deradicalization program under similar scrutiny.