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Date: April 26, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:19 am
Time: 12:19 am
Results for islamism
1 results foundAuthor: Henry Jackson Society Title: Radical Islam Anthology Summary: In early December 2017, the Henry Jackson Society brought together leading experts for our very first Radical Islam conference, in order to discuss the prominence and rise of Islamist extremism. A key takeaway from the conference was a growing need to create an international network to combat the threat of Islamism. This anthology of essays brings together contributions from the network to map and understand this threat. In doing so, it suggests essential next steps. The compiled work contains articles from scholars, academics, politicians, and activists in attendance at our conference, all working to recognise and confront Islamism in their fields. The Anthology raises several important points. First, as reflected in many of the essays contained herein, organisations such as the Muslim Brotherhood linked Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) (in the United States), as well as Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) and CAGE (in the United Kingdom) gain credibility through their work with other organisations and individuals. However, the movement against Islamism is small, and it requires allies. As such, there is a pressing need to create a network concerned with combatting Islamism, which includes Muslim and non-Muslim voices. This network of allies and affiliates must intellectually counter the network of Islamists who operate in a stronger and more sustainable capacity. Second, the threat of terrorism is a global one. This includes new and evolving tactics employed by non-violent extremists within the global arena of the internet. Individuals are becoming increasingly radicalised on their laptops and phones, and communicating the logistics of terrorist attacks on encrypted messaging services. Governments must share more information on new tools and techniques with each other to counter these threats and increase their vigilance. In the United Kingdom, for example, while it remains an offence to keep, publish, or distribute extremist content - both online and offline - a new 'three strikes' law applies a penalty of up to 15 years in jail for those who view terrorist-related material online three or more times. Human rights groups have argued that in some cases, this may violate Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely the right to receive information. Any change in legislation will be met with challenges - and rightly so - but legislation must keep up with the times. For years, the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism (CRT) at the Henry Jackson Society has argued that vulnerable individuals should not have easy access to extremist and instructional terrorist material. Regulating the online space is crucial to obstructing the flow of logistical information and strengthening international legal cooperation. After all, it is in all of our interests to prevent a repeat of 2017, which saw five terror attacks occur in the United Kingdom alone. Third, at the core of confronting and defeating Islamism is understanding why individuals are attracted to, and convinced by, the claims of Islamist extremists in the first place. Unlike the organisations of the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, which aspire to form an Islamic state at some point in the future, the Islamic State (IS) was the first to re-establish a caliphate, giving their followers physical territory to migrate to. This attraction, coupled with IS' sophisticated use of media and social media to spread its message, has led to a greater mobilisation of recruits for IS than its competitors. In Western societies, extremists have become increasingly adept at staying within the confines of the law, posing as non-violent moderates to win legitimacy, while continuing to promote the narratives and literalism of jihadists. These efforts must be tackled with more sophisticated and nuanced counter-messaging. Many individuals drawn to Islamism struggle with a lack of belonging in their countries of residence. This lack of belonging presents unique problems in giving individuals a sense of identity, cause, and purpose - particularly when it comes to allegiance towards their countries, their societies, and their armed forces. People vulnerable to radicalisation crave a feeling of brotherhood, often fulfilled by organisations like Islamic State. This global ummah is rooted in religion, and transcends nationality, ethnicity, and class. Groups like Sharia4Belgium and Hizb ut-Tahrir are especially effective at communicating an idea of membership, which is at the heart of a jihadist propaganda narrative. The growth of a cottage industry of books and public lectures from Islamists, which warn Muslims that they are losing their children to Westernisation, has furthered the agenda of extremists. These messages must be recognised, analysed, and countered appropriately by governments working with community groups, schools, and the police. However, it must also be remembered that much of the useful information used to interdict terrorism has come from members of the public, often through community policing, and often from members of the Muslim community who are concerned about their family members. There should therefore be greater coordination between counter-terrorism police and the intelligence services, and community policing in the UK and internationally. Finally, it is clear that a crime-terror nexus has operated in the backdrop of terrorist activity, from the days of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, to the more recent Islamic State. Criminals and terrorists have areas of mutual interest - the illegal acquisition of weapons, documents, and money - which means some of the same instruments, such as organised crime units, can be used to capture terrorists or would-be terrorists. There is a clear opportunity, therefore, to disrupt the activities of those who disseminate Islamist extremism within the law by focusing on their peripheral criminal activities, such as tax evasion, fraud, and records of domestic violence. This anthology pushes for an increased focus on measures to reduce the appeal of Islamism, violent, and non-violent extremism, and to protect those who may be vulnerable to its message. I have picked up on a few of the themes covered to follow, and encourage those with an interest in radicalisation and terrorism to read the essays contained herein. Details: London: Author, 2018. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2019 at: https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/HJS-Radical-Islam-Anthology-Report-web-2-1.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/HJS-Radical-Islam-Anthology-Report-web-2-1.pdf Shelf Number: 155379 Keywords: Extremism Extremist Violence IslamismIslamist Extremism Radicalization Terrorism |