RadicalizationMuslim radicalization in Britain

Published 1 May 2018

“It is difficult to quantify the extent of Muslim youth radicalization in Britain. Also, we have to be clear about the definition of radicalization. Are we talking about people who are joining extremist organizations or those who just have extremist views? But I agree that there is definitely a general sense that things are not going well here” says an expert on radicalization. “There is no single factor that is driving the youth toward extremism. The issues of identity, alienation, peer pressure, search for a cause, frustration with modernity and acceptance of certain mythological aspects of the Muslim history are all contributing factors.”

In an interview with DW, London-based scholar Farid Panjwani, a Senior Lecturer and Director at the Center for Research and Evaluation in Muslim Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, talks about the reasons behind the growing radicalization of South Asian Muslim youths in the United Kingdom, and what needs to be done to counter extremist threat.

DW: Muslim radicalization poses a serious challenge to British society, with many Muslim youths getting attracted to extremist narratives. What’s pushing Muslim youngsters of South Asian background toward Islamism?
Farid Panjwani
: It is difficult to quantify the extent of Muslim youth radicalization in Britain. Also, we have to be clear about the definition of radicalization. Are we talking about people who are joining extremist organizations or those who just have extremist views? But I agree that there is definitely a general sense that things are not going well here.

There is no single factor that is driving the youth toward extremism. The issues of identity, alienation, peer pressure, search for a cause, frustration with modernity and acceptance of certain mythological aspects of the Muslim history are all contributing factors.

DW: Britain has a large immigrant community from South Asia, particularly from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. These people have been living in the country for decades, then why do some South Asians harbor resentment against Western culture?
Panjwani
: Often, the resentment is not against Western culture but against specific elements within it. There is also a growing resentment against the Western establishment and its policies, particularly foreign policies.

The reasons for this anger range from a personal sense of exclusion and a failure to come out with a systematic critique of colonial and post-colonial histories. But the resentment against the West, particularly against the US, is not restricted to Muslims; it is widely shared in many parts of the world, from Latin America to Africa, and even in Europe. Charles Taylor, a Canadian philosopher, writes about the malaise of modernity — about a feeling that something is not right at the core even though we seem to be making material progress. I think this feeling becomes more intense when combined with ideologies such as political Islam.

DW: Is social exclusion a reason behind the radicalization of some South Asian youths?
Panjwani: If you look at the profiles of people who are involved in extremist activities, social exclusion doesn’t come across as a ubiquitous reason behind radicalization. Some of those who were involved in July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in Britain, for example, were very well adjusted in the country. On the other hand, there are extremists who had a difficult childhood, who commit petty crimes and end up in jail, where they get radicalized. So there are many reasons behind people’s attraction to Islamist narratives.

But social exclusion is definitely an issue that needs to be looked into. Many young Muslims are legal citizens of Britain yet they don’t share a cultural bond with society. They feel the society has failed them and that they can’t live up to their potential. These people are looking for some cause in life. Extremist groups and their recruiters are always looking for such people. But such feelings are widespread and can be found in white working class people also. This shows that we need to look into economic policies and political attitudes that have led to the erosion of social and welfare structures in society.