Narcissism and terrorism: how the personality disorder leads to deadly violence
When Man Haron Monis, self-styled Islamic cleric, took 18 hostages in the Lindt cafe in Sydney, he declared himself to be a jihadist on behalf of Islamic State. Reports of the siege immediately went global. But, in fact, Monis had no connection to the group; he had brought the wrong flag to his own siege, and demanded that police bring him the right one in exchange for releasing hostages.
In the inquest into the siege, which concluded last week, Monis was described as a "man spiralling downwards". He had no job but many debts, had lost custody of his children and faced a lengthy jail term. Seeking "power and influence", he had even briefly joined a biker gang, but was rejected as too "weird". "His constant goal in life," junior assisting counsel Sophie Callan summed up, "appears to have been achieving significance."
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