Kokkedal-Last year, 72 young men-regular high school and university students-abandoned their families and studies to make a career as jihadists in Syria. Now, many are coming back and Denmark is welcoming them with open arms.
Most western countries are cracking down on returning fighters. France has seized passports, Britain has arrested 100 returnees and most of the countries follow suit.
Kokkedal has developed an unconventional reintegration program for ex-terrorists which was developed by Connie Hansen, a psychology professor at Kokkedal University. "These returnees are young people struggling with the same issues as any other average teenager. They are trying to find a place in society. So we have to help them to find a way back to normal live," explains Hansen.
The Kokkedal reintegration program includes dolphin therapy. The "3 Month Dolphin Time-Out Program" sends the returnees to "Dolphin Woopy-Doo Paradise" located in Marmaris, Turkey. A 3-Month jihadist orientated program is designed to deradicalize returnees. They play one-on-one with trained therapist and dolphins. The relationship developed throughout the 3 month with the dolphins help to detoxify the mind of radical thoughts, decrease anxiety experienced in terrorist attacks, executions and beheading, and increase motivation to continue attempting new tasks.
"When I communicate to dolphins I can forget all the brutal things I've seen in Syria," says Yussuf Aslan, a former jihadist. "It is invigorating. Before that I was obsessed to fight in Syria. It was similar to a sexual obsession. But now I think, I will return to my engineering studies after the therapy."
The cost is €24.000 for the 3-Month program and covered by health insurance meaning the taxpayers are paying for the program.
Activities are tailored to the needs of the participants. Returnees who beheaded people need intensive care. Ali Erdogan has been traumatized by the beheading he has committed. His therapy involves more communication with dolphins by imitating their clicking and whistling.
"It's my last week here. I was so exhausted after the fights but now I feel very refreshed," says Erdogan. "Next month, I will go back to Syria and work on my terrorist career. I try to be the next Bin Laden."
The Greens of Denmark are welcoming Kokkedal's approach to Syrian returnees. "People need love but not punishment to rehabilitate. They are just victims of the decadent Western society. We should do more for our Muslim fellows. We are even thinking to ban Christmas from Denmark otherwise they might feel discriminated," says the spokesperson of the party.
On the other hand, conservative parties are very skeptical and expressed great concern because 70 of the 72 returnees went back to Syria to join terrorists groups. "This is just an adventure holiday for the terrorists on the expense of taxpayers money. We live in a decadent society," complains the spokesperson of the Danish People's Party.
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