Transcript Radicalisation

Radicalisation
Radicalisation Theory
• No profile or single pathway in or out
• Debate has been politicised between left and right
resulting in inconsistency and polarisation
• Academia often fails to abandon old models when
dealing with ideological extremism
• There are different levels of radicalisation in terms of
commitment to cause and adoption of strategy
• Early indicators include: cultural isolation, period of
hedonistic behaviour, family conflict, lack of religious
observance and negative peer influences
Radicalization
Push and Pull factors
• Identity – dual-marginalisation and identity crisis
• Grievances – alienation/dislocation, perceptions
of social and political concerns
• Enabling group – active recruiters and
propaganda
• Ideology – simplistic and self-serving solutions
for complex social & geo-political concerns
The Islamist narrative
• Muslims and the West are at war
• Western Capitalism is the root cause of Muslim
suffering and must be attacked intellectually and
physically
• Muslim-majority states are ruled by despotic western
backed puppets and thus must be overthrown and
replaced with Islamist rule
• The West is actively engaged to trying to prevent
the emergence of the future Islamist state and seeks
to continue exploiting and humiliating Muslims
Recruits
• Ideologues vs. Foot-soldiers
• Most are recruited whilst studying at FE colleges
and Universities, often those studying hard
sciences
• Recruits rarely have a complex understanding of
politics or theology beforehand
• Strong desire to ‘belong’ to a cause and a group
• Often come from families where bond with
parents is weak and lack positive role models
Tactics
• Increase the role of the internet as a recruitment tool for
self-radicalisation & instruction
• Seek to provide more English language materials in
order to recruit high-value targets in western countries
• Aim to recruit via shock tactics to induce moral outrage,
followed by explanatory narrative
• Promote ‘individual’ Jihad which:
- requires less expertise and planning
- is harder to detect
- easier to recruit for
● Encourage recruits to carry out spectacular attacks in
order to maximise propaganda value