COMMUNITY and RADICALISATION an Examination of Perceptions, Ideas, Beliefs and Solutions Throughout Australia
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COMMUNITY AND RADICALISATION An examination of perceptions, ideas, beliefs and solutions throughout Australia Dr Hussein Tahiri, Victoria Police Professor Michele Grossman, Victoria University Release date: September 2013 The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the project partners: Victoria Police, Victoria University or the Australian Multicultural Foundation. The project partners are not responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this report. The views expressed by government stakeholders in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or State and Territory Governments. © 2013 Victoria Police and Victoria University Published by: Counter-Terrorism Coordination Unit, Victoria Police, 637 Flinders Street, Docklands, Victoria 3008 Australia This publication is copyright. No part of this report may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this report may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publishers except in accordance with the provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Community and Radicalisation: an We extend special thanks to the We would also like to thank Victoria examination of perceptions, ideas, AMF’s Executive Director, Dr Hass University for various aspects of beliefs and solutions throughout Dellal, who facilitated the focus technical and administrative support Australia is based on a collaborative groups conducted during the for the project, in particular Ms Jo research project conducted by course of the project. Lynn Cain Agius, Mr Kailesh Gunesh and Victoria Police, Victoria University and Athalia Zwartz from the AMF Ms Niky Poposki. and the Australian Multicultural also provided valuable support in Foundation (AMF). The research organising and preparing the data Finally, we extend our deep program was funded by the from focus group participants. appreciation to the many individuals, Countering Violent Extremism groups and organisations throughout Sub-Committee (CVESC) of the We offer the same special thanks Australia who offered their views Australia-New Zealand Counter- to Kevin Dunn, Professor of Human and opinions and were generous in Terrorism Committee. Geography and Urban Studies and sharing their experiences with the Dean, School of Social Sciences research team. We are very grateful The authors are grateful to all and Psychology at University of for their forthright and passionate project and funding partners for Western Sydney. Professor Dunn responses. This project would not their support. We would also served as external academic have been possible without their like to thank the Commonwealth peer reviewer for this study and commitment and contribution. Attorney-General’s Department provided generous, in-depth and and Australia’s States and constructive expert feedback Hussein Tahiri and Territories for their participation on the report in draft form. Michele Grossman and constructive comments. June 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 6 Aims and scope of study . .7 Methodology . .7 Limitations . .8 Summary of key findings . .8 Introduction 16 Methodology 18 Overview . 19 Key assumptions . 19 Scope of the study. 20 Limitations . 20 Data sources . 20 Methods of data collection. 21 Interviews . 21 Focus groups . 21 Written submissions . 23 Data analysis . 23 Chapter 1: The concepts of radicalisation and extremism 24 The role of violence in concepts of radicalisation and extremism . 29 Conclusion. 30 Chapter 2: Causes and drivers of radicalisation and extremism 31 Individual and personal factors . 33 Socio-cultural factors. 39 Religious and community leadership . 45 Political factors . 47 Conclusion. 50 Chapter 3: Violence as a solution or response to grievances and problems 52 The use of violence as a response to grievances or problems . 53 Social exclusion, marginalisation and disenfranchisement . 55 Can violence ever be justified? . 58 Conclusion. 61 Chapter 4: The efficacy of democratic processes to address political grievances 62 Democratic processes are effective in addressing political grievances . 63 The limitations of democracy . 64 Conclusion. 68 Chapter 5: Perceived links between Islam, extremism and terrorism 69 Media drives perceptions of the relationship between Islam and terrorism. 70 Non-media drivers of the perceived link between Islam and terrorism . 71 Does a perceived link between Islam and terrorism affect people’s general view of Muslims? 75 Conclusion. 77 Chapter 6: The role of media within discourses of radicalisation and extremism 79 Part I: Television, radio and print. 80 Part I: Conclusion . 85 Part II: The internet and other social media . 86 Social dynamics of the internet and other social media . 86 Social impacts of the internet and other social media. 90 Social challenges of the internet and other social media . 92 Part II: Conclusion . 95 Chapter 7: Perceptions of Operations Pendennis and Neath 98 Procedural integrity of Operations Pendennis and Neath and their outcomes . 99 Operations Neath and Pendennis were not justified . .101 Perceptions of operational policing during Pendennis and Neath . .101 Conclusion. .105 Chapter 8: Preventing or mitigating the threat of radicalisation and violent extremism 106 Counter-narratives of radicalisation and extremism . .107 Who should be developing and disseminating counter-narratives? . .107 Who should counter-narratives be aimed at? . .108 What kinds of counter-narratives work best? . .109 How can we make violent extremism less appealing? . .110 The role of police in preventing or mitigating violent extremism . .113 The role of government in preventing or mitigating violent extremism. .114 Empower communities to identify how they can best contribute . .114 Education and understanding can best counter violent extremism. .115 Engaging communities in the process of social cohesion . .116 The role of communities in preventing or mitigating violent extremism . .119 All communities . .119 Muslim Australian communities . .120 Challenges for Muslim communities in cooperating with counter-extremism initiatives . .120 The role of ordinary people in preventing or mitigating violent extremism . .122 Conclusion. .124 Chapter 9: Conclusion: Cross-cutting themes and perspectives on community and radicalisation 127 Chapter 10: Considerations for the future 135 Considerations for governments at all levels . .136 Considerations for policing agencies . .137 Considerations for communities. .137 Considerations for government-community partnerships . .137 Improving understanding and acceptance of Muslims in Australia . .137 Equipping young people to become more resilient . .138 About the authors 139 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 Aims and scope of study Methodology 4. The ability to hear a range of community and stakeholder Community and Radicalisation: an Four key interrelated assumptions voices across a broad Examination of Perceptions, Ideas, informed the study’s design and purposive national sample Beliefs and Solutions throughout methodology: is a critical component of Australia was a year-long national Australia’s ability to understand study designed and conducted as a 1. Within the last decade, forms and engage with community qualitative research project through of terrorism and terrorism- concerns, and solutions, in a partnership between Victoria related activities conducted developing effective strategies Police, Victoria University and the by organisations and for addressing contemporary Australian Multicultural Foundation. individuals who claim to act forms of radicalisation, The key aims of the study were: in the name of Islam have extremism and terrorism. dominated the domestic and • To identify how communities international discussion on, In addition to these assumptions, the understand the meanings and response to, terrorism. study design also included a focus of and relationship between on exploring public perceptions radicalisation and extremism. 2. Many Muslim and non-Muslim of two recent nationally publicised communities, in Australia as counter-terrorism operations – • To explore community elsewhere, have been disturbed Operation Pendennis (Melbourne perceptions of the underlying by the way in which – especially and Sydney) and Operation Neath drivers for radicalisation following the US terrorist (Melbourne) – and their subsequent and extremism. attacks of 9/11 and the British arrests, trials, convictions and bombings of 7/7 – perceptions • To explore perceptions of sentencing. While Victoria Police of Islam as a religion and a the impact of radicalisation has examined the implications culture have seemingly become and extremism on sense of of Operation Pendennis from an inextricably associated with community and social harmony internal and inter-agency operational terrorism. This perception and cohesion. perspective, considerably less is largely a consequence of effort has been devoted to date the occurrence and nature of • To solicit community views in assessing its social impacts acts of terrorism and violent about effective approaches to for both Muslim and non-Muslim extremism perpetrated by and solutions for eliminating or communities throughout Australia. reducing the threat of violent those who claim to act in the extremism in Australia.