Mohammed Merah and the Birth of Post-Modern Jihadism: The Genesis of Merah’s Jihadist Extremism as a Rupture and Its Effects on the French Society

This chapter explores the influence of violent conflict zones on the construction of Mohammed Merah’s jihadist personality. Furthermore, it examines how jihadism can fulfill Mohammed Merah’s personal needs. In search of love, esteem, and belonging, he joined a jihadist community to find security and recognition. He sought to distinguish himself from others by becoming a charismatic leader and thereby going down in the annals of jihadism. Additionally, Merah absorbed jihadist ideology during his travels to conflict-ridden Islamic countries. His journey convicted him of the validity related to his future actions. His objective was to degrade the French state using a strategy based on rationality, a jihadist career and humiliation. Moreover, it highlights in particular Mohammed Merah’s influence on the youth of Toulouse, and on the French youth in general who still sees him as an icon because he was able to accomplish the unimaginable.