Introduction
One of the most disturbing trends within the white supremacist movement is neo-Nazi Satanism.[1] Inspired by the Order of the Nine Angles (ONA), a fringe British neo-Nazi Satanist group that was founded five decades ago, neo-Nazi Satanism today is linked to acts of violence and terrorist plots and seen as a potential threat by the CIA and MI5. Primarily because of the internet, ONA has evolved into a transnational, leaderless, and decentralized network of like-minded individuals and groups who merge Satanism with National Socialism, whilst also courting terrorists, cult leaders, tyrants, and child rapists. Adherents or better say, followers on this occultist milieu, promote sexual violence, criminal, terroristic and anti-social actions.[2]
ONA-affiliated groups (“nexions”) or similar neo-Nazi Satanist groups, are active in Britain, United States, Italy, Brazil, New Zealand, and other countries for several decades. Moreover, ONA has been linked, directly and indirectly, to the most extreme neo-Nazi organizations that have emerged over the past decade. Some key examples that were banned in UK context since late 2016, include National Action, System Resistance Network (SRN), Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD), Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), Atomwaffen Division (AWD) and its successor National Socialist Order (NSO), and The Base.
In the past and for several decades, the threat posed by the ONA and those who follow its teachings or practitioners was barely noticed by law enforcement agencies, government officials, academia, and the media, with the exception of the works by the anti-racist groups such as HOPE not hate and few scholars who studied the ONA and described its views and relations to violence and extremism.[3] That was changed with the emergence of the “Siege-culture”[4] and new transnational, neo-Nazi accelerationist communities and cells that emerged from online spaces such as Iron March and Fascist Forge.[5]
Siege Culture, the Rise of neo-Nazi Satanism, and Opposition to ONA
According to several U.S. intelligence agencies, the ONA plays an influential role within these neo-Nazi communities,[6] which promote terrorism, sexual violence, polarization, separatism, and racial hatred. Because of its views and actions by ONA practitioners, the Counter Extremism Project even named David Myatt, the alleged founder of ONA under the pseudonym Anton Long and a known neo-Nazi militant ideologue, as one of the most dangerous extremists in the world.[7] ONA-inspired Satanism not only provokes internal controversy, but also alienates members of the white supremacist milieu and creates antagonism towards those who enable the infiltration of such Satanists into the National Socialist community.
ONA’s neo-Nazi Satanism always provoked negative reactions, not only from anti-racist watchdogs and the government, but also within the neo-Nazi scene. The fact that ONA and affiliated nexions advocate for the infiltration to the police, the army, and religious or extremist groups in order to subvert their ways caused infighting even within the Siege-culture milieu, as some rejected the influence of Satanists on groups such as AWD and claimed that such neo-Nazi Satanist entities are honeypots used by law enforcement agencies.[8] Indeed, the founder of the US-based ONA nexion called Tempel ov Blood was revealed to be a paid informant since the early 2000s.[9]
According to a former prominent leader of Combat 18 who agreed to answer some questions regarding ONA on terms of anonymity, thus will be called here “Thomas”,[10] David Myatt was known to be “a Satanist in the Midlands” and the ONA was known “to be on the fringes of Nazism in the UK.” Thomas was responsible for recruitment to C18 during the 1990s. He was always “very anti [ONA] and tried to stop them recruiting young people.” I asked Thomas if he thinks that there was a negative or positive change in ONA’s attractiveness and appealing to young generation of neo-Nazis. In his opinion, the ONA “is now more popular, because its message has been amplified by its supporters using the internet to promote the networks beliefs.”
Thomas also believes that ONA “and other Satanist influenced individuals see the far-right as a place it can recruit lost individuals and gain influence.” He went further to explain that ONA-inspired groups “are dangerous, because they do not seek power in any traditional way, instead they seek to create chaos […] and in some cases mayhem.” According to the former C18 leader, ONA’s effect on white supremacists is clear, as it “empowers them to advocate a kind of racial nihilism.”
I asked Thomas for his opinion about the attractiveness and the appeal ONA has on the young generation. “What attracted them to it was its online footprint, people talking about it and wanting to be seen as someone in the know. Also, the availability of their publications online made it easy to learn more and embrace their beliefs.” Most of the people who Thomas met and were involved with, inspired by, or linked to ONA were ppredominately “males, between 16- 24, middle class, well educated,” who study at college or university and look “for something that’s edgy.” He explained to me that “Many believe Satanism, is the next part of their journey,” and that “Satanism can sit side by side” with National Socialism.
Despite the calls to ban the ONA, Thomas does not think that outlawing ONA would be efficient and productive in the struggle against radical-right violence. He also rejects the claim that Myatt is one of the world’s most dangerous individuals. “I do think his [Myatt] ideas are dangerous and damaging, but personally I would focus on his ideas which are dangerous, not the individual.” He added that “Banning organisations, sends groups further underground and the more we do this, the less we will see of them. Personally, I believe it is better for these organisations to be public, so they can be invited to talk, be challenged and alternatives offered to their views.”
Conclusions
Banning a leaderless, decentralized network, like the ONA, which advocates violent experiences as part of the evolution of its adherents, is not an easy task. First, unlike other terrorist groups, ONA and its affiliated groups lack an organizational or hierarchical structure, leadership or membership. Secondly, ONA and its followers produced a huge number of manuscripts about magic, rituals, religion, ideology, and other topics that are of interest of this Occultic milieu. Some manuscripts were translated into different languages; hence exposing others to ONA’s views and enabling the establishment of new nexions outside of Britain. Third, it is likely that even if ONA will be banned in Britain, its followers will continue to disseminate old and new materials regardless its legal status. Furthermore, and as “Thomas” claimed, banning such groups will send them further underground, thus complicating the efforts to track and monitor their activities both online and offline.
Another relevant question that should be address is, what are the possible effects and ramifications of such a legislative move by decision-makers on ONA followers who anyway operate in the shadows and try to hide their views and actions? Moreover, is it possible to ban ONA manuscripts and symbols, tarot cards, chants, and other material that was produced by the ONA and its nexions? If the ONA will be proscribed in the UK, would it stop its online presence and influence? Is it possible to sanction, for instance, British citizens who sell or disseminate such materials? On the other hand, ignoring the ONA also seems problematic; and banning ONA will send a clear message that this twisted form of neo-Nazi Satanism has crossed all red lines and that advocating for racism, antisemitism, and violence will not be tolerated and will not remain unanswered by governments and law enforcement agencies.
Dr Ariel Koch is a Senior Fellow at CARR and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, Reichman University, Israel. See full profile here.
©Ariel Koch. Views expressed on this website are individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect that of the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR). We are pleased to share previously unpublished materials with the community under creative commons license 4.0 (Attribution-NoDerivatives).
[1] In this article, neo-Nazi Satanism will be defined as “occult practices that include the worship of Satan and rejection of Judeo-Christian religions, in favour of Nazism.” See: William Allchorn, “From Gangs to Groupuscules and Solo-Actor Terrorism: New Zealand Radical Right Narratives and Counter-Narratives In The Context of the Christchurch Attack”, Hedayah and the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR), April 1, 2021.
[2] Dominic Alessio and Robert Wallis, “Racist occultism in the UK: behind the Order of Nine Angles (O9A),” Open Democracy, 23 July 2020; Ariel Koch, “The Nazi Satanists promoting extreme violence and terrorism,” Open Democracy, February 4, 2021.
[3] Nick Lowles (ed.), “State of Hate 2019: People vs. The Elite?,” HOPE not hate, 2019: 80-85.; Nicholas Goodrick Clarke, Hitler’s Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism (USA: New York University Press, 1998), pp. 213-222.
[4] Bethan Johnson and Matthew Feldman, “Siege Culture After Siege: Anatomy of a Neo-Nazi Terrorist Doctrine,” The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, July 21, 2021.
[5] Alex Newhouse, “The Threat Is the Network: The Multi-Node Structure of Neo-Fascist Accelerationism,” CTC Sentinel, Volume 14, Issue 5, June 2021, 17-25; Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Samuel Hodgson and Colin P. Clarke, “The Growing Threat Posed by Accelerationism and Accelerationist Groups Worldwide”, Foreign Policy Research Institute, April 20, 2020.
[6] A downloadable copy of the report is available here: Jana Winter, “U.S. intelligence agencies are increasingly focused on domestic extremists. Their latest target: Satanists,” Yahoo! News, December 19, 2020.
[7] “The Top 20 Most Dangerous Extremists Around the World,” Counter Extremism Project, [n.d.].
[8] Kelly Weill, “Satanism Drama Is Tearing Apart the Murderous Neo-Nazi Group Atomwaffen,” The Daily Beast, March 21, 2018.
[9] Matthew Gault, “FBI Bankrolled Publisher of Occult Neo-Nazi Books, Feds Claim,” Vice News, August 25, 2021.
[10] The interview was conducted through an email exchange during August 2021.
