Al Shifa Home: A Model for the Rehabilitation of ISIS Combatants
Keywords:
Al Shifa Home, Deradicalization, ISCAP, Ideological (Dis)engagement, Rehabilitation, Violent ExtremismAbstract
Managing former violent extremists, especially jihadist-affiliated offenders, remains a global challenge. Indefinite detention is unsustainable, yet release without intervention carries serious risks. This paper presents practitioner-based insights from Al Shifa Home (ASH), East Africa’s first private deradicalization center, offering a promising model for disengagement and reintegration. Since May 2023, ASH has supported 194 former Islamic State combatants through a 12-week residential program combining psychosocial care, ideological rehabilitation, and livelihood training. Early results show 90% mental health improvement, 75% reduction in violent intent, and only two recidivism attempts. Post-program, all participants pursued education or employment, with 33% countering extremist influence. ASH’s model draws on local cultural frameworks, strategic disengagement methods, and Koehler’s “re-pluralization” theory. This paper explores its theory of change, operations, and early outcomes, arguing for holistic rehabilitation that blends psychological, ideological, and socio-economic support. ASH offers valuable lessons for effective, humane extremist disengagement in conflict-affected regions.
References
Behe, M. J. (1996). Molecular machines: Experimental support for the design inference. Access Research Network. https://www.arn.org/docs/behe/mb_mm92496.htm
Borum, R. (2011). Radicalization into violent extremism I: A review of social science theories. Journal of Strategic Security, 4(4), 7–36.
Bukarti, A. B. (2024). Evaluating Boko Haram’s War within the Islamic legal Framework (Doctoral Dissertation, SOAS University of London, School of Law, Gender and Media Studies).
Bukarti, A. B. (2022, March). It's a bit tricky: Exploring ISIS's ties with Boko Haram. George Washington University Program on Extremism. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/ISIS-Ties-with-Boko-Haram_Bukarti_March-2022.pdf
Bukarti, B. (2020, May 6). The challenge of Boko Haram defectors in Chad. [Commentary]. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2020/05/the-challenge-of-boko-haram-defectors-in-chad/
Bukarti, A. B., & Bryson, R. (2019, April 30). Dealing with Boko Haram defectors in the Lake Chad Basin: Lessons from Nigeria. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. https://institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/dealing-boko-haram-defectors-lake-chad-basin-lessons-nigeria
Bukarti, B. (2019, March 27). Making peace with enemies: Nigeria’s reintegration of Boko Haram fighters [Commentary]. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2019/03/making-peace-with-enemies-nigerias-reintegration-of-boko-haram-fighters/
Bukarti, A. B. (2018, May 24). The battle for hearts and minds in the Lake Chad Basin [Commentary]. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. https://institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/battle-hearts-and-minds-lake-chad-basin
Burke, J. (2020, April 28). Convicted terrorists less likely to reoffend than other criminals – study. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/apr/28/convicted-terrorists-less-likely-to-reoffend-than-other-criminals-study
Dettmer, J. (2020, February 5). Britain’s Boris Johnson moves to keep terrorists imprisoned. Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/a/europe_britains-boris-johnson-moves-keep-terrorists-imprisoned/6183764.html
Dodd, V., & Sabbagh, D. (2020, February 3). Streatham attacker was released amid fears he felt terrorism 'justified'. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/03/streatham-attacker-was-under-full-surveillance-from-day-of-release
Goldberg, A., & Clifton, H. (2020, March 10). De-radicalisation approach needs 'fundamental review' - Prison Officers' Association. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51801724
Guy-Evans, O. (2025, April 16). Stockholm syndrome in relationships: Impact on mental health. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/stockholm-syndrome.html
Gyte, J., Zeiger, S., & Hunter, T. (2021). Blueprint of a rehabilitation and reintegration center: Guiding principles for rehabilitating and reintegrating returning foreign terrorist fighters and their family members. Hedayah. https://hedayahcenter.org/resources/rftfrehabblueprint/
Herman, J. L. (2002). Recovery from psychological trauma. Australasian Psychiatry, 10(Suppl. 1), 145–148. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1819.1998.0520s5S145.x
Horgan, J. (2008). Leaving terrorism behind: Individual and collective disengagement. Routledge.
Horgan, J. (2014). The psychology of terrorism (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Horgan, J. G., Altier, M. B., Shortland, N., & Taylor, M. (2016). Walking away: The disengagement and de-radicalization of a violent right-wing extremist. Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, 9(2), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/19434472.2016.1156722
Koehler, D. (2015, June 26). Violent radicalization revisited: A practice-oriented model. ETH Zurich, Center for Security Studies. https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/192640/ISN_191575_en.pdf
Koehler, D. (2017). Understanding deradicalization: Methods, tools, and programs for countering violent extremism. Routledge.
Koehler, D., & Fiebig, V. (2019). Knowing what to do: Academic and practitioner understanding of how to counter violent radicalization. Perspectives on Terrorism, 13(3), 44–62. https://pt.icct.nl/sites/default/files/2023-06/04---koehler-and-fiebig.pdf
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1495268/
Lynch, M. (2016). De-radicalization and the role of Islamic ideology in the war on terror. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 40(2), 125–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924036.2016.1185166
Maher, S. (2017). Salafi-jihadism: The history of an idea. Hurst & Company
Marsden, S. V. (2017). Reintegrating extremists: Deradicalisation and desistance. Palgrave Macmillan.
Miller, C., & Fenton, N. (2015). Countering radicalization and extremism: The role of community and policing. Journal of Policing, Intelligence, and Counter Terrorism, 10(2), 132–147.
Mullins, C. W. (2018). Saudi Arabia's de-radicalization program: The ideological approach. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 41(1), 72–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2017.1331911
Neumann, P. R. (2013). The trouble with radicalization. International Affairs, 89(4), 873–893.
O'Farrell, R., Weiss, C., Candland, T., & Poole, L. (2024, April 11). Clerics in the Congo: Understanding the ideology of the Islamic State in Central Africa. Hudson Institute. https://www.hudson.org/terrorism/clerics-congo-understanding-ideology-islamic-state-central-africa
Peters, C. (2021, August 11). Sudesh Amman: Another failure of ‘deradicalisation’. Spiked Online. https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/08/11/sudesh-amman-another-failure-of-deradicalisation/
Sandford, D. (2019, December 4). London Bridge: Usman Khan completed untested rehabilitation scheme. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58233560
Schmid, A. P. (2013). Radicalization, de-radicalization, and counter-radicalization: A conceptual discussion and literature review. International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. https://icct.nl/app/uploads/2013/03/ICCT-Schmid-Radicalisation-De-Radicalisation-Counter-Radicalisation-March-2013.pdf
Senzai, F., & McCants, W. (2015, April 8). Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? In Experts weigh in (part 8). Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/experts-weigh-in-part-8-is-quietist-salafism-the-antidote-to-isis/
Silke, A., & Morrison, J. (2020, September). Re-offending by released terrorist prisoners: Separating hype from reality [ICCT Policy Brief]. https://icct.nl/sites/default/files/2022-12/Re-Offending-by-Released-Terrorist-Prisoners.pdf
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-1097. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
Thill, M. (2021). In search of a winning formula: Lessons on DDR and community reintegration in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Literature review]. https://ssrc-cdn1.s3.amazonaws.com/crmuploads/new_publication_3/in-search-of-a-winning-formula-lessons-on-ddr-and-community-reintegration-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo.pdf
United Nations Development Programme. (2017). Journey to extremism in Africa: Drivers, incentives and the tipping point for recruitment. https://journey-to-extremism.undp.org/content/v1/downloads/UNDP-JourneyToExtremism-report-2017-english.pdf
United Nations Development Programme. (2023). Journey to extremism in Africa: Pathways to recruitment and disengagement. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/publications/journey-extremism-africa-pathways-recruitment-and-disengagement
UNODC Eastern Africa. (n.d.). Uganda: Preventing violent extremism in prisons. https://www.unodc.org/easternafrica/about/preventing-violent-extremism-in-prisons.html
Van der Heide, L., & Schuurman, B. (2018). Reintegrating terrorists in the Netherlands: Evaluating the Dutch approach. Journal for Deradicalization. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/179/134
United Nations Security Council. (2023, June 13). Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (S/2018/531). United Nations. https://docs.un.org/en/s/2023/431
Rabasa, A., Pettyjohn, S. L., Ghez, J. J., & Boucek, C. (2010). Deradicalizing Islamist extremists. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2010/RAND_MG1053.pdf
Weiss, C., O'Farrell, R., Candland, T., & Poole, L. (2023, June). Fatal transaction: The funding behind the Islamic State's Central Africa Province. George Washington University Program on Extremism. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/2023-06/fatal-transaction-final.pdf
World Health Organization. (2013). Psychological first aid: Facilitator’s manual for orienting field workers. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/102380/9789241548618_eng.pdf?sequence=1
World Health Organization. (2018). Problem Management Plus (PM+): Individual psychological help for adults impaired by distress in communities exposed to adversity (WHO/MSD/MER/16.2). World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/375604/WHO_MSD_MER_18.5_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Wright, C. (2019, November). An examination of jihadi recidivism rates in the United States. Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/examination-jihadi-recidivism-rates-united-states/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Bulama Bukarti, Caleb Tukahiirwa, David Ocitti, Nasiifu Kizito, Noah Tumwebaze, Peace Kyasiimire, Ryan O’Farrell
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The JD Journal for Deradicalization uses a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND) Licence. You are free to share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format under the following conditions:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, andindicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
