Fear of death
Al-Hawl’s children and the security threat in the Middle East
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7147899 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reza Garshasbi (0000-0002-1749-4719, University of Mazandaran), Ali Karimi Maleh (0000-0002-1406-5345, University of Mazandaran, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 47-63 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1943-4480 • E-ISSN: 1943-4472 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19434472.2024.2305947 |
| OpenAlex | W4391692031 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 23 |
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) rise and fall has led to millions of Syrians and Iraqis' displacement. Many displaced now live in refugee camps, one of the largest is called 'Al-Hawl', located in Syria's Hasakah province. A significant number of its residents are children, some of whom are affiliated with ISIS. Experts and international institutions warn that Al-Hawl's children could become the next leaders of jihadist ideologies and pose a threat to the security of the Middle East. Hence, our main question is 'How can these children be the promoters of jihadist ideology like ISIS and threaten Middle Eastern security?' The objective of the present study is to respond to this question by utilizing terror management theory and a descriptive-analytical methodology. We suggest that the salience of mortality in the Al-Hawl camp has intensified the children's fear of in-existence. Consequently, these children are inclined to join the cultural worldview of ISIS, as it provides a robust safeguard to manage and repress this fear. The group membership can provide them with a sense of self-esteem, death transcendence, and immortality
Computer security · Criminology · Middle East · Political science · Terrorism · Computer Science · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Law · Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Advances In Experimental Social Psychology
Terror Management Theory of Self-Esteem and Cultural Worldviews
The Existential Function of Close Relationships
Terror Management Theory
The Al Hol camp in Northeast Syria
Combating Jihadism
Global Jihadism
Attachment, Self-Esteem, Worldviews, and Terror Management
Political conservatism as motivated social cognition
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |