Tajik Jihadists in the SyrianCivil War : A Case Study of Radicalization through the 3N Model

This study explores the radicalization, recruitment, and mobilization of Tajik jihadists who migrated to Syria and joined militant jihadist groups during the Syrian civil war. Findings indicate that factors such as poverty, corruption, religious repression, and political exclusion created a profound sense of humiliation and insignificance, prompting a quest for significance through jihad. Religious narratives promising martyrdom, paradise, and divine justice served to legitimize their actions, while networks of family, peers, and online clerics facilitated their journey to Syria. This study contributes to understanding of how foreign fighters from Central Asian countries, such as Tajikistan, are drawn into global conflicts, and it highlights key implications for policy, prevention, and future research. This study adopts a qualitative research approach with a case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the involvement of Tajik jihadist fighters using the Three-N Model of Radicalization, Needs, Narratives, and Networks, developed by Kruglanski et al. (2019). Through this theoretical lens, the study examines how personal grievances, ideological framing, and social networks contributed to the interviewees’ recruitment and participation in jihadist activities. The research is based on five qualitative interviews with Tajik fighters currently residing in Syria.