Tackling Muslim Radicalization: Lessons from Scotland

Tackling Muslim Radicalization: Lessons from Scotland JUNE 2010 REPORT Institute for Social Policy and Understanding © 2010 Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding normally does not take institutional positions on public policy issues. The views presented here do not necessarily reflect the views of the institute, its staff, or trustees. Table of Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 CHAPTER 1: THE BACKGROUND OF “RADICAL” ISLAM 4 CHAPTER 2: THE SOLAS PROGRAM 5 CHAPTER 3: OUTCOMES 11 SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER 12 ConClusIon 13 BIOGRAPHIES OF THE SOLAS SCHOLARS About the Author AZEEM IBRAHIM Azeem Ibrahim has an M.B.A. from the University of Wales, an M.Sc. (Econ) in Institute for Social Policy & strategic studies from the University of Aberystwyth, and he is currently reading Understanding Fellow for a Ph.D. in geopolitical strategy from the University of Cambridge. He has been a fellow at Yale University’s World Fellows Program and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is also Senior Research Scholar at the European Centre for Advanced Defence and Strategic Studies. His wide-ranging work on international commerce, geopolitics, and religious radicalization make him a sought after expert world-wide; he has acted in an advisory role to government officials and policy makers in the United Kingdom, Turkey, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. He is also a philanthropist and community activist, advocating for the poor, particularly for greater access to education and clean water. His charitable works include the development and management of an orphanage in Bangladesh for 500 children. Executive Summary THE 9/11 ATTACK upon the United States awakened teachings on these issues clearly and conclusively, Washington to the danger of violent Muslim radical- aberrant views can be corrected and the motivation to ization on its soil. In the long term, the only way to radicalize undermined. defeat radical Islamists is to reduce the motivation for Muslims to radicalize in the first place. This report SOLAS seeks to prevent the production of radical explains the cutting-edge solution currently operating Islamists; it does not dissuade those radicals in Scotland. committed to vigilante justice and terrorism. In other words, its degree of success will be represented by Research into how Muslims become radicalized reveals the quiet changing of minds; the gradual dwindling that the crucial stage in this process occurs when of traffic to radical websites; and, ultimately, fewer young Muslims begin to believe that Islam justifies homegrown attacks being attempted, which means that violence against innocent civilians and close their fewer will have to be foiled. minds to other viewpoints. Such a belief must be cut off at the roots by challenging any interpretation that The experience of SOLAS provides important lessons teaches Muslims that Islam condones violence against on how its program can be replicated elsewhere. innocent civilians and replacing it with mainstream This report distills some of those lessons, such as Islamic teachings. The SOLAS foundation in Scotland is the need to find educators who have impeccable currently engaged in this undertaking. Islamic and secular educational credentials, who are knowledgeable or qualified in secular national law, The clearest sign that a formal Islamic education and who are credible in the eyes of the young people prevents radicalization is the tiny percentage of violent they teach. Since radical narratives commonly regard Islamists – approximately 10% – who have actually the government as a “contaminated brand,” its explicit been exposed to it. None of the perpetrators of the 9/11 involvement can discredit any educational program attack, as well as those who carried out the 7/7 attack with which it is involved or even associated. on London, had any kind of formal religious education from established and widely recognized educational establishments. The term is not intended to imply that there is one mainstream school of Islamic thought, for this is not the case. For instance, mainstream Wahhabi thought differs from mainstream Sufi thought. Within the context of this article, mainstream is used to distinguish these established, traditional schools of thought from younger, less authoritative teachings, some of which condone violence. For radical Islamists, mainstream Islamic scholarship and ethics are a very real threat, perhaps the biggest threat. The SOLAS program discusses controversial issues in order to explain them, based upon scriptural Islamic sources, and to undermine any confusion that may have arisen about them. It also develops initiatives and programs that cater to different Muslim groups. For example, it addresses commonly held mispercep- tions within the community on issues that are most frequently exploited by radicals: jihad, citizenship and civic involvement, anti-Semitism, religious extremism, and others. By presenting mainstream Islamic Tackling Muslim Radicalization: Lessons from Scotland 1 CHAPTER 1: The Background of “Radical” Islam InTRoduCTIon The 9/11 attack awakened the United States to the danger of violent Muslim radicalism on its own soil. In the years that followed, traditional approaches to preventing repeat attacks have focused on preventing future strikes. Such approaches are inadequate, however, because they prevent the immediate danger but do not address the problem’s long-term causes. This report is premised on the proposition that the only long-term way to defeat such radicals is to reduce, or actually extinguish, the motivation for young Muslims to radicalize in the first place. “TO PREVenT This report, therefore, explains the cutting-edge solution being employed in Scotland. By educating young Muslims in authentic Islam, the SOLAS Foundation suCH A SITUATIon, enables them to recognize any radical interpretations that they may come upon in the future by means of several cheap, simple, and government-free methods. THIS RADICAL Ideology The successes achieved so far can be replicated elsewhere. MusT be CUT off RADICALIzed MuslIMS: CAuses AT THE RooTS BY The dangers posed by radicalization are clear. Less well publicized are the results of the numerous academic studies on how it occurs. Yet some good evidence is available. For example Marc Sageman, a former CIA operations officer, has CHAllengING RADICAL conducted the largest survey of radical Muslims to date in order to locate the causes for radicalization. In a groundbreaking study, he analyzed over 500 profiles INTERPRETATIons and concluded that this phenomenon normally occurs in four distinct stages: of IslAM.” 1] It is sparked when the individual reacts with moral outrage to stories of Muslims suffering around the world; 2] for some, that spark is inflamed by an interpretation that explains such suffering in the context of consistent policies in Western countries that are viewed as hostile to Muslims around the world; 3] the ensuing resentment is fuelled by negative personal experiences in Western countries (e.g., discrimination, inequality, or just an inability to get on despite good qualifications); and 4] the individual joins a terrorist network that becomes like a second family, albeit one closed to the outside world. This situation stokes the radical worldview and prepares the initiate for action and, in some cases, martyrdom. The crucial stage is reached when a young Muslim begins to believe that Islam justifies vigilante justice and closes his/her mind to other viewpoints. To prevent such a situation, this radical ideology must be cut off at the roots by challenging radical interpretations of Islam, such as those that explain Muslim suffering in terms of a Manichaean war between Islam and the West or teach that Islam condones violence against civilians. If this is to be done successfully, young Muslims must be engaged directly and be exposed to other viewpoints. 2 Institute for Social Policy and Understanding THE LACK of IslAMIC EduCATIon In some areas this gap has been filled by radical preachers, unqualified in Islamic law and theology The clearest sign that a formal mainstream Islamic and normally from outside of Europe, who have education prevents violence is the tiny percentage replaced traditional pietistic, Islam with an ignorant, of violent Islamists who have actually received it. “pamphlet-based” Islam that emphasizes politics. Reza Aslan, a research associate at the University of Quintan Wiktorowicz, author of Radical Islam Rising: Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy Muslim Extremism in the West (2005) notes that the in Santa Monica, argues that almost 90% of violent most susceptible young people are those who are not Islamists have had no religious education at all. For in a position to objectively evaluate whether a credible example, none of those who carried out the 9/11 or understanding of Islam is being provided or not. Most the 7/7 attacks had received such an education. Even of them are, in fact, religious novices exploring their al-Qaeda’s leadership lacks religious credibility. Osama faith in depth for the first time. Bin Laden never attended a religious seminary and has no formal religious training. Most of its leaders have Thus, the best way to prevent radicalization and the 1 backgrounds in medicine, engineering, or business. terrorism it allows is simply to educate our young Osama Bin Laden has no formal religious training people in mainstream Islamic teachings so that they and never attended a seminary. He dropped out of a will be able to recognize and, after placing such radical university in Jeddah, where he was studying economics narratives, dubious theology, or ignorant preaching in and management. Ayman Zawahiri is a qualified their proper contexts, reject them. For radical Islamists, medical doctor. Abu Musab al-Suri, “one of Al Qaeda’s mainstream Islamic scholarship and ethics are a very leading military thinkers,” studied mechanical real – perhaps the largest – threat.

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