IfMouradBenchellali'slifehadgoneasplanned,hewouldnotbehere,warningaboutthedangersofmilitantIslam.Fourteenyearsago,hehadajobandafiancee.ThenhewenttoAfghanistan,andhislifeturnedupsidedown.
HesayshisolderbrothertrickedhimintogoingtoAfghanistanforavacation.Instead,heendedupatanal-Qaidatrainingcamp.AndfewmonthslateraprisoneratUSGuantanamoBaydetentioncamp.
Today,33-year-oldBenchellaliisbackhomeinVenissieux,agrittysuburbofLyon,incentralFrance.HeistellinghisstorysoyoungpeoplewillthinktwicebeforejoiningjihadsintheMiddleEast.
Peopledon'tfindalltheanswersbecauseeverystoryispersonal.ButIhelpthemfindsomekeys.
MiddleEastandNorthAfricanspecialistMansouriaMokhefisaysFrenchauthoritiesarealsosearchingforanswers.
“ThemostimportantquestionstodayarewhyaretheseyoungpeopleleavingFrance?And,aboveall,whathasfailedinFrancetohavetheyoungpeopleleavingforjihad?"
Thesequestionsarebeingaskedacrossthecountry,butespeciallyinplaceslikeVenissieux,whereyouthunemploymentishighanddrugdealerslurkintheshadows.ItisherewhereBenchellaligrewup,andwherehisolderbrotherturnedtoradicalIslam.
Benchellalisayshepaidthepriceforthatbrother'sdeceit.Hespent30monthsinGuantanamobeforebeingtransferredtoFrenchcustody.Hewroteabookabouthisexperience.HecalleditAJourneytoHell.