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Sadomasochism and the Jihadi Death Cult

JL;DR SUMMARY Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin explores the psychological underpinnings of Islamist terrorism, arguing that beyond ideological drives, sadomasochism plays a significant role in the appeal of extremist groups like ISIS. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Cultural IdentityPsychoanalysisViolenceIdeologyArab CultureSadomasochismIslamist TerrorismEarly Childhood DevelopmentShame Honor CultureTerrorism Psychology

Places mentioned

Amman, Jordan
"Anwar Tarawneh, the wife of Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh, takes part in a rally calling for the release of her captive husband in Amman on Feb. 3, 2015.(Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty Images)"

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Retrieved 2026-02-21 05:32:10 UTC
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