JEDDAH: The Daesh terrorist group is actively recruiting drug addicts and psychiatric patients because they are easy to manipulate, according to psychologists quoted in a local publication recently.

Hamid Al-Ghamdi, a psychology consultant, said: “These patients and drug addicts suffer from psychological and other problems. They mostly have low levels of education and deviant and perverted thoughts,” he said.

He said these people are docile and stubborn at the same time. “They sometimes deem what is right and lawful as forbidden, and at other times say that forbidden behavior is permissible. They have odd ideas,” he said.

It is therefore easy for terrorists groups to brainwash them, he said. “Terrorist groups give these recruits tranquilizers and drugs to ensure they have confidence to carry out crimes. This is not the behavior of normal people, who would hesitate before committing a crime.”

Ali Sahfan, a professor of psychology, said these people are aggressive and unlikely to abide by laws. “They are opportunists who only care for themselves. They commit heinous crimes such as bombings, beheading and dancing on the bodies of their victims, with no regret whatsoever.

They are aggressive and blood thirsty people because of their upbringing and social isolation,” he said.