Radicalisation - What Is Happening?

[agchristie]

Further to the case of the young female who fled Scotland to Syria, how do we explain the process of radicalisation? The influences, thought processes of those involved, etc. Who is to blame?

Seems a straightforward question - but is it?

[Obiter]

It is a straightforward question. Unfortunately it has no straightforward answers.

[sandyRoe]

Perhaps they never felt they properly belonged, or were accepted, in their adopted country. If they went and fought to establish their utopian dream they'd belong to a band of brothers/sisters where they were accepted.

[agchristie]

Obiter - True, but I can always award a 'best answer'!

[agchristie]

sandyRoe - do you think that it is more of an identity issue and not 'fitting in' as opposed to wider influences?

[sandyRoe]

It's clearly not the only reason but it must play a big part. They want to feel they belong and are looking for something they can give their whole hearted allegiance to.

[agchristie]

Indeed Mr Roe I believe that is one explanation.

[sunny-dave]

Perhaps if we banned *all* organised religion in this country, then people would have to think for themselves?

[agchristie]

sunny-dave - is that not part of the problem that extremists do too much thinking and soul searching that they lose grip of reality?

[sunny-dave]

I think they are (by and large) led/pushed into exploring radical alternatives by the shadowy forces within the religious communities.

[agchristie]

I wonder who AB's consider who, therefore, is chiefly to blame.

The moderates who have become corrupted or those who do the brainwashing?

[Brinjal]

But where do they feel they belong. There is a reasonably large population of Muslims in zimbabwe while I don't know of any who have gone to fight I do know that the opinion among the young men is in support of what is happening.
When Daniel Pearl was murdered some years ago they were texting the video all around town. The elder state that this is not the true face of Islam and is only supported by a small 15% of the Moslems there approximately 1.6 billion Moslems world wide about 23% of world population. 15% of 1.6 billion is an awful lot of radicals.

[dieseldick]

the answer is really simple. it comes from their unholy book of hate the quran.

Qur'an (3:28) - "Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them..." This last part means that the Muslim is allowed to feign friendship if it is of benefit. Renowned scholar Ibn Kathir states that "believers are allowed to show friendship outwardly, but never inwardly."

[naomi24]

//Perhaps they never felt they properly belonged, or were accepted, in their adopted country.//

That assumes they’re all immigrants. They’re not.

[agchristie]

Brinjal - I have seen a figure of 7% so not sure about the reliability of those figures.

Do you suggest then, in general, that it is mainly young people who are influencing the radicals?

[sandyRoe]

Naomi, that was a bit of slack writing on my part. Better if I'd written: Perhaps they felt that their communities never properly belonged or were accepted...
I'm sure I've read somewhere that unemployment in the north among people of Asian descent is much higher than that of native communities.

[Brinjal]

Even 7% is a huge number 1.1 million

[Brinjal]

I think that there are a lot of radicals across the age groups but young people are more susceptible to I doctrination.

[naomi24]

The idea that Islam has received a bad deal from the west is promulgated freely and with little opposition. That, together with the dangerous concept that the people of Islam, regardless of ethnic origin, are one ‘brotherhood’ and that non-Muslims and apostates are the enemy, encourages people to unite, or in the case of converts, to support a misguided cause in support of what they see as the down-trodden. In our democratic efforts to promote freedom for all, and moreover to respect religious beliefs and practices, we’re allowing freedoms for some to take precedence over freedoms for others, as illustrated by the recent news that, depending upon the religious persuasion of the speaker, some universities have allowed segregated seating at lectures. Faith schools should be closed, mosques should be monitored, the burka, the visible symbol of fundamentalist Islam, should be banned, and radical preachers and anyone else who is in the business of endorsing hatred should be imprisoned for life. These people have declared war. Unfortunately, we’re not listening.

[Brinjal]

That should have read 112. Million

[agchristie]

Naomi, thank you for your thorough response which would meet with little disagreement on here I suspect.

Just one question, in what way do you consider mosques should be monitored? Is there the potential for increased sensitivity and perception of meddling in Islamic affairs and thus perpetuate the sort of issues we have now?