Edited by K H a L I D K O S E R & T H O M a S T H O R P Strategic

HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

With a lead essay from HAZEL BLEARS

Strategic Prevention is Vital to Tackle Extremism / Angela Salt

Religion as a Partner on the International Stage / Francis Campbell

The Importance of Theological Clarity and Rebuttal in Preventing Extremism / Usama Hasan

Nigeria: Hope, Challenges and Opportunity / Fatima Akilu

To Prevent, Understand Religious Ideology / Peter Welby

Extremism and Complexity of Thinking / Sara Savage

Pakistan: Lessons from Deradicalising Young Taliban Fighters / Feriha Peracha, Raaﬁa Raees Khan, Asma Ayub and Kanza Aijaz

Educating To Protect Young People Against Extremism / Jo Malone

Building Community Resilience to Prevent Extremism in Conﬂict-Afected Environments / Alpaslan Özerdem

Social Engagement: An Efective Way to Tackle Radicalisation / Brian Grim

Singapore: Prevention Requires Participation / Rohan Gunaratna

Mobilising Religious Leaders to Efectively Prevent Extremism / Banke Adetayo

Preventing Violent Extremism: From Dialogue to Delivery / Khalid Koser & Amy E. Cunningham

Edited by

KHALID KOSER & THOMAS THORP

1 This volume is published with the support of the Education and Security: The Challenge of Religious Diversity initiative at McGill University.

Global Perspectives series Editorial Board: Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barabara; John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations; Gregory Sterling, Yale University; Brian Grim, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation.

All rights reserved. Citation, reproduction and or translation of this publication, in whole or in part, for educational or other non- commercial purposes is authorised provided the source is fully acknowledged.

With the exception of Tony Blair Faith Foundation staf, the views expressed by authors remain solely their own and may not necessarily be the view of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales with the number 1123243. We are a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 06198959. Our registered ofce is 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation US has been determined by the IRS to be a publicly- supported 501 (c) 3 organisation which can receive tax-deductible contributions from US donors. As an independent US tax-exempt organisation, TBFF US shares the goals of, and provides support to, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation based in London.

2 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

3 INTRODUCTION Angela Salt

Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Angela Salt OBE joined the Foundation in August 2015 from Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), an international development charity, where she was the UK Director. Previously Angela worked at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games for over ﬁve years as Head of Nations and Regions, and played a key operational communications role during the Games. She has also worked on other high proﬁle events including the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Angela has a background in communications and stakeholder management, largely working in the public and government sectors as well as consultancy. This includes Director roles at the Electoral Commission and Millennium Commission. Angela was awarded the OBE in 2000 for public service.

4 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

STRATEGIC PREVENTION IS VITAL TO TACKLE EXTREMISM

The challenge we face from religious extremism is fundamental. It is a generational struggle, requiring new policies and a sustained, strategic international efort, writes Angela Salt.

Around the world, powerful ideologies province. The Taliban has regained are abusively using religious justifications ground in Afghanistan, and continues to license horrific acts of violence. to fuel conflict in Pakistan, with the This global movement is adaptable to death of Mullah Omar serving only to changing circumstances and its ideology reinvigorate its resolve in the face of is always ready to answer many diferent fracturing loyalty to his successor. There grievances. Vulnerable people, unsure of are obviously a whole host of factors and their identity and belonging, find answers contexts that fuel this violence. But we in death, sometimes their own. The vast cannot fool ourselves that there is no majority reject and condemn these common thread. actions, but if we are to stop them it will require us to both challenge the ideas The intersection of religion and themselves and develop resilience within geopolitics is crucial to understanding those targeted for radicalisation. why these conflicts exist. There is a wider context of rising Hindu nationalist The abhorrent roll call of violent attacks violence in India, extreme Buddhist motivated by extreme religious ideology nationalism across South East Asia, and sadly continued in 2015. The assault by the Jewish extremist groups in Israel. This Taliban on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan religious extremism should of course in December 2014 was swiftly followed be condemned and challenged. But by the attacks in Paris in January 2015, for the sake of the victims and those at and set a grim precedent. Four years risk, the majority of whom are Muslims into the Syrian conflict, its character themselves, we need to recognise that has become increasingly religious and the scale, impact and global reach of sectarian. Islamic State of Iraq and Islamist extremism remains the biggest al-Sham (ISIS) is luring thousands of threat we face, visible in the focus of fighters to its so-called caliphate. Its many of the articles in this volume. ability to inspire attacks elsewhere is increasing as demonstrated in Sousse, This is a battle of ideas, and the only Tunisia, where it aims to destabilise a lasting solution will be one that fully country making progress following the understands these ideas and uproots Arab Spring. ISIS’s growth in Libya them. Security is the first duty of all shows it is equally adept at capitalising governments and whilst it will always be on a less stable post-revolution context. a vital part of the response, hard power Boko Haram in Nigeria expanded its field alone has never and will never be the of terror, carrying out attacks in Niger, whole answer. This is more than just a Cameroon and Chad as well as declaring political or economical problem. allegiance to ISIS as its West African

5 ANGELA SALT

Prevention of extremism is not presents are not unrealistic, and take something we will achieve overnight, in a into consideration the full spectrum year or within an election cycle. If we are of challenges. It is always necessary to to prevent people from being persuaded consider alternative options, as these by extremist ideology, we must match ensure critical assessment and evaluation the commitment that jihadis have of methodology and approach. But we shown to their cause. We have to build a must also recognise what works, and strategy that reaches across generations. where there is positive impact we must We must develop within young people seek to replicate it. the understanding, skills and support to resist and rebut extremism. We have to There are three things that policy build citizenship based on the values that makers should take into account. First, challenge the mind-set of the extremists, we cannot avoid the fact that this is such as the rule of law, justice, open- about religion. To deny this, as Tony mindedness, respect for diversity, Blair said recently, is to misunderstand equality of genders and basic human the problem and therefore misconceive rights. the solution.1 These ideologies may be an abuse of religion, but as Peter Welby Having joined the Faith Foundation tells us, a recent report by the Centre on during a year of global turmoil, I am Religion & Geopolitics shows that they proud to be part of an organisation trying are nonetheless rooted in the values and to ofer understanding and practical ideas accepted by the mainstream.2 This solutions that can build resilience to does not mean that we should pursue extremism. The Faith Foundation has or denigrate mainstream values – as worked over the last seven years to raise Hazel Blears and Usama Hasan state, we awareness of the role of religion and its need them as integral parts of counter- efect on global events, resulting this year narratives. The extreme fringes are not in the launch of the Centre on Religion representative of the majority after all, & Geopolitics, which provides informed and Francis Campbell is right to argue analysis on the interaction of religion and that policy makers must ensure they are conﬂict globally, ofering policy responses not allowed to dictate policy. As he goes to meet the scale of the challenge. The on to say, it does mean that we need a Foundation has also advocated for the diferent attitude towards the discussion important role that education can play in of religion in the public sphere that may countering extremism. We have worked be difcult for secular states to accept. with over 150,000 children around the world, including recently in refugee As Hazel Blears, Usama Hasan, Francis camps, to instil core skills of dialogue and Campbell and Peter Welby all discuss, critical thinking. there is a desperate need for better understanding of modern, mainstream Workable programmes that prevent interpretations of religion amongst extremism are notoriously difcult to policy makers to stop them designing implement. It is therefore essential to bad policy. This is also necessary amongst ﬁnd a path that can help address policy the public to prevent indoctrination by gaps and obstacles. The difcult but simplistic and corrupt interpretations necessary decisions that this volume and to counter prejudice and hate highlights and the policy options it crimes against religious groups based on

6 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

misunderstanding. This need for insight, support communities in this struggle understanding and dialogue is reflected we risk leaving them vulnerable to throughout, including in the portrayal divisive voices in their midst. As Rohan by Feriha Peracha and her colleagues of Gunaratna points out, this needs to their work in Pakistan, and by Jo Malone, come from the top – governments must Alpaslan Özerdem and Brian Grim. engage and implement clear strategies to ensure communities are engaged and Secondly, in understanding that this is committed. But as Alpaslan Özerdem a generational challenge, we need to suggests, we must also ensure that implement reform now in order that the communities can take ownership of these next generation has the understanding projects on the ground, as ownership and skills necessary for building resilience promotes participation. As Brian Grim to extremist ideas. It is clear from what suggests, whole community responses Hazel Blears, Sara Savage, Feriha Peracha are vital to deliver appropriate support and Jo Malone write, that critical thinking structures, and the role of business in – and to think critically about something particular can facilitate this. we have to understand it – is essential to empowering young people to identify Most importantly, as the problem the flaws and bigotry of these narratives. is within religion, that is where the This is reinforced in the examples given solution must be found. We have to by Feriha Peracha and Usama Hasan of engage diferent communities, as Banke the de-radicalisation of former terrorists. Adetayo and Francis Campbell write, to be a part of the answer. The best people The lessons learnt from these to rebut perverse interpretations of a experiences tell us much about the religion are those in the mainstream necessary purpose of our education of the faith themselves. We need to systems. It is perfectly understandable maximise the reach of those capable of that testing of literacy and numeracy is ofering an alternative interpretation a key priority, but it should not be at the that can rebut the propaganda of the expense of social and emotional learning extremists on religious grounds. But we that can instil understanding of, and need to make this as simple as possible. the ability to engage with, others. This Religious leaders are crucial, but we also is vital as research shows us that this is need to build up grassroots responses often lacking amongst extremists.3 The that challenge the extremists’ narratives recommendations made by Jo Malone with simple competing and clear get to the heart of this, and the training messages that are equally forthright and of teachers in critical, student-centred scripturally based. approaches and the evaluation of learning resources to eradicate prejudicial material For governments there are immediate should be a priority for policy makers. and more long-term actions that need urgent attention. Given the role of Finally, we cannot underestimate the ideology, developing understanding about need to fight this problem together. As that ideology and its use is fundamental, Alpaslan Özerdem, Rohan Gunaratna, but building partnerships to undermine Brian Grim, Hazel Blears, Usama Hasan, it is just as necessary. An example of Feriha Peracha and Banke Adetayo this is a joint approach with technology point out, if we do not engage and companies, who understandably face a

7 ANGELA SALT

lot of pressure. Governments need to that are set out in this volume can form work with digital and media organisations the basis of a pathway for policy-makers to promote credible sharable material in navigating these issues. Our work and to challenge extremist messages and advocacy proves that this pathway is ideology. viable, and engagement with our work demonstrates that consensus is building Perhaps most of all governments need to behind this vision. But strategic action is focus on education, on embedding the needed quickly to implement solutions core skills and understanding that can that are not just quick ﬁxes, because the prevent extremism. This brings its own prevention of extremism is one of the challenges. Governments will need to greatest challenges facing this generation work hard to build coalitions for this work, and the next. Extremism threatens not just within society, but also across everything the civilised world has built. government. This work will be strategic Unless we counter it, and urgently and long-term, and it will need continuity counter it together, we face a very and consensus. The ideas and experiences difcult future as a global community.

8 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. T. Blair, Religion and Geopolitics: Why it Matters, Speech delivered at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, 6 October 2015, [http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/ commentaries/opinion/religion-and-geopolitics-why-it-matters].

2. E. El-Badawy, M. Comerford and P. Welby, Inside the Jihadi Mind: Understanding Ideology and Propaganda, London, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2015, [http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation. org/religion-geopolitics/reports-analysis/report/inside-jihadi- mind].

3. N. Hasan, ‘An Arsenal of Believers: Talking to the “Human Bombs”’, The New Yorker, 19 November 2001, [http://www. newyorker.com/magazine/2001/11/19/an-arsenal-of-believers]; A.B. Krueger and J. Maleckova, ‘Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection?’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 17, No. 4, Fall 2003, pp. 119-144.

9 10 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

12 How to Prevent Extremism HAZEL BLEARS

Section One Section Two Section Three RELIGION IN THE EDUCATING AGAINST ENGAGING PUBLIC SPHERE EXTREMISM COMMUNITIES

20 42 64 Religion as a Extremism and Building Community Partner on the Complexity of Thinking: Resilience to Prevent International Stage The Psychological Reason Extremism in Conﬂict- FRANCIS CAMPBELL for Investing in Education Afected Environments SARA SAVAGE ALPASLAN ÖZERDEM 26 The Importance of 48 70 Theological Clarity and Case Study: Pakistan Social Engagement: Rebuttal in Preventing Improve Critical An Efective Way to Tackle Extremism Education, Improve Radicalisation USAMA HASAN Prevention: BRIAN GRIM Lessons from 32 Deradicalising 76 Case Study: Nigeria Young Taliban Fighters Case Study: Singapore Hope, Challenges and FERIHA PERACHA, Prevention Requires Opportunity: Nigeria’s RAAFIA RAEES KHAN, Participation: The Need For Strategy to Counter ASMA AYUB AND KANZA State-Society Partnerships Violent Extremism AIJAZ ROHAN GUNARATNA FATIMA AKILU 56 82 36 Educating To Protect Mobilising Religious To Prevent, Understand Young People Against Leaders to Efectively Religious Ideology Extremism Prevent Extremism PETER WELBY JO MALONE BANKE ADETAYO

88 Conclusion Preventing Violent Extremism: From Dialogue to Delivery KHALID KOSER & AMY E. CUNNINGHAM

11 AUTHOR

HAZEL BLEARS Former UK Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Hazel Blears trained as a lawyer in private practice and local government. She was a councillor on Salford City Council for eight years and was elected to Parliament in 1997. She served as a Government Minister for Health, Policing and Criminal Justice, Communities and Local Government, and latterly Intelligence and Security. Hazel oversaw the implementation of the UK’s PREVENT Agenda to tackle radicalisation and extremism as part of the counter-terrorism strategy. She also dealt with the aftermath of one of the country’s largest terrorist outrages in the 7/7 and 21/7 bombs on London Underground. She was responsible for the formulation of new counter- terrorism legislation, and built lasting relationships with the Muslim community. Hazel is currently a Non-Executive Member of the Board of the Cooperative Group, a Non- Executive Member of Aspire CIC which is a newly formed mutual social care organisation in Salford providing all adult care across the city, a Trustee of the Alzheimer’s Society and Chair of the Institute for Dementia at Salford University. In addition she has established her own consultancy helping companies to move from traditional CSR to using their mainstream business models to make social impact, “Doing Good is Good Business”.

12 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

HOW TO PREVENT EXTREMISM

Confronting extreme ideology is the most important challenge we face today. Empowering teachers and communities to tackle ideology requires informed and experienced ofcials. Governments must not shy away from taking the necessary action, writes Hazel Blears.

Over the last 15 years, preventing challenge the dangerous minority, and Islamist extremism has been one of the that they focus on ensuring education greatest challenges facing society. It has the capacity to undermine the has remained so because its root, an ideological lure. ideological narrative that raises one view above all others and which encapsulates The reason why Islamist ideology remains a justification of violence, has gone largely unchallenged is that politicians unchallenged by governments. The result and government ofcials shy away from is that Islamist extremism is now on a tackling the often controversial and larger, more aggressive scale than ever tough decisions that abound in this area. before, both in its physical manifestation Politicians are conflicted and wary about and in the number of people involved. pursuing agendas if they are controversial This is no longer a theoretical conflict but for their constituency. Yet this is a tough one being fought out on the ground. area of policy, diferent to making a specific decision to nationalise the This physical manifestation makes railways, for example, in that traditional prevention all the more difcult. We can policy methods and party political hope that the barbarity and horror of the approaches will not work. Preventing actions we hear about will make most extremism needs coherency across turn away from these perverse ideological parties and across election cycles because interpretations. However, there is the it is a long-term challenge. This is the possibility that this manifestation will poisoning of minds for a violent purpose reinforce the ideology, lending it glamour that threatens citizens and a solution and excitement through the idea of will only be viable in the long-term if it combat and camaraderie. is fully understood and supported across the political spectrum. It is the power of the ideology underpinning Islamist extremism that Political timidity has its consequences, must be confronted. The evidence is clear however, and it has meant that our pursuit that the ideology is important and policy of violent extremists has been separated makers must be brave and be prepared from challenging the underlying ideology. to step forward and tackle it whatever We cannot allow this to continue. There the cost. To truly prevent extremism is now a lack of capacity and knowledge governments need to work holistically. amongst, and support for, government This requires that policy makers have the ofcials to develop policy that truly understanding and honest and authentic empowers people in society to confront experience to work with communities to and undermine extremism. Ofcials’

13 HAZEL BLEARS

degree of understanding often varies it must require an understanding of what according to their exposure to, and Islam says, and of its interpretation. interaction with, communities. Tackling Whilst in government I commissioned ideology means tackling ideals, and respected Muslim scholars to work on dealing with what people think, feel and a modern interpretation of Islam for a express requires more than the usual 21st century democracy where Muslims policy frameworks and levers that work are a minority. Not only was it difcult for poverty reduction or homelessness. to get people involved, but once the This challenge requires complex scholars agreed to undertake the work it understanding, skills and experience, but was difcult to protect them from being more, it needs an ability to analyse where pilloried by those who did not want there the line lies between, say, free speech to be a modern interpretation, and after and that which is unacceptable in a liberal 12 months the project was ended. democracy. However, I still believe that it is essential These arguments rage in political to be brave and empower moderate voices discourse all the time, but ofcials are not in the community to do this work. We are often in that space. This issue takes them still unable to properly and authoritatively there and they need support to develop rebut ideological narratives because no their capacity and understanding, support one is sufciently expert, particularly in which is often lacking. Direct interaction government. There is now the capacity with community members is vital. During and willingness outside of government my time in the United Kingdom’s (UK) to do this work, which should be Department of Communities and Local supported with funding equal to that Government, my Muslim advisers which extremist organisations are able were indispensable. Their contacts in to gather. But governments should not communities and understanding of what step away completely. For it to remain a was going on helped me to hear and priority with government it must remain empower voices other than those of the a priority with ministers, and this issue is extreme minority. Too often extreme currently too important for government voices are heard by ofcials because they to completely cede it to external bodies. are vocal and insistent, and also because There is a fine line that has to be trodden ofcials are too timid about risking being between not dictating to believers and accused of denying people free speech. shirking the duty to protect citizens. We have to ensure they have the support and confidence through appropriate There is a similarity here with the training and immersive experience to debates that raged in the UK around stand up to extreme voices and, when it is the naming of, and legislating on, anti- right, to deny extremists a platform. social behaviour. Previously classified as ‘low-level crime’, it was largely ignored Working with communities on this despite having a huge impact on the lives is equally difcult and riddled with of the poorest people in the country, just controversy. Of course it is not right in as Islamist extremism disproportionately a democracy for governments to tell afects Muslims today. Through the people what they should believe. But this national Respect Programme,1 a culture violence is committed in the name of a change challenged those who said we perverted view of Islam; so combatting were simply demonising young people

14 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

and infringing civil liberties with anti- programmes on the ground which are social behaviour and dispersal orders. In open and accessible to people from all the same way that anti-social behaviour walks of life. laws had to be pushed through to protect victims of anti-social behaviour, against To achieve this, education must be a the arguments of observers, fighting priority. Again there is controversy. In on behalf of moderate Muslims, whose the same way that sex education and beliefs are being perverted and abused in citizenship education were controversial the name of violence, is important. That when first introduced in the UK, the requires having a clear idea of a moderate teaching of religion is difcult and interpretation of Islam. addressing topics to do with extremism is challenging. There is a link between Local government also has an important all three however, and that is the lack role to play, being close to communities, of support for, and confidence held by, and can help to provide the insight and teachers in addressing these issues. In the advice that central government needs. past, sex and relationship education was Removing the role of local government often left to staf who had the spare time, and centralising, or completely often without the appropriate support. securitising, the prevention of extremism The same occurred with citizenship is a mistake, as we lose the capacity education that was meant to bring to work further upstream to prevent politics and democracy alive. Teachers people becoming sympathetic to, or were not specialists and did not feel convinced by, extreme views. We have confident about teaching something that to work long-term, with policy looking they felt possibly crossed a line. Teaching across generations to undermine and religion can be quite threatening unless eradicate extremist ideology. The police you are a specialist, especially when you are important, but over-burdening them are teaching people about their own with the full spectrum of extremism religion, let alone covering complex and prevention is counter-productive. They emotive issues to do with extremism. are not community workers, and there is Teachers must be empowered to own this a need for broader community resilience agenda in schools. and cohesion work alongside security and surveillance. This requires the proper support, training and resources. In the UK, before the We have to build resilience amongst retreat of this policy area to the security women who have huge impact at the sphere, we developed lesson plans and heart of communities, and we must support materials with teachers on these empower young people with stronger topics. Without this area being a cross- knowledge of, and links between, government efort, these important identity, belonging and purpose of both aspects have been neglected. Yet how religion and community. There must be these topics are taught is important. an increased emphasis on citizenship, For example, the good thing about participation in democratic structures, citizenship education in the UK when it and the development of successful role is done well, is that it is action-based and models who are relevant to the lives of addresses head on what young people are young Muslim men and women. All of angry about, getting them involved and this work should be done in practical demonstrating the democratic process

15 HAZEL BLEARS

for addressing grievances. and there is a need for a strong centre. In the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron With the right materials that provide has now expressed a strong personal the right advice and support, teachers commitment to this area. If he can have the confidence to be creative. This translate that into the responsibility of approach is crucial to ensure that the safe each department to local government, space in the classroom is not shut down. government agencies, the police and It must be appropriate, proportionate institutions such as schools, then there and focus on building resilience. If we is hope. During Tony Blair’s premiership build the ability to critique, which should there were regular ‘Grip’ meetings where be developed within every education ministers were held to account by the system, then we should not be afraid to Prime Minister on their performance introduce extreme ideology, whether it is in their policy areas. That form of Stalinist, Fascist or Islamist, and discuss accountability and ownership is vital to how it should be challenged. steering a clear and focused course on such essential issues. The whole country Critical thinking underpins the ability has to be mobilised, just as they would in to resist simplistic extremist messages, a time of national crisis. which on the surface can be seductive. Wanting the revolution is part of growing Empowering teachers to be confident in up and stories of the excitement of being discussing and confronting ideology and on the front line can be persuasive. It was providing critical education that builds the stories of the nationalist republican resilience must be a high priority. Similarly fight in Spain and about Ben-Gurion with communities, governments must and the establishment of Israel that were build strength amongst moderate voices part of my inspiration, for example. But that can challenge the minority and these stories need to be discussed and encourage the courageous. These actions, critiqued, and classrooms with confident however, require ofcials who have the teachers in them are the right place to knowledge and the understanding to be have those conversations. confident in pursuing the necessary path. Of primary importance for governments At the end of the day, with such a is that they ensure their ofcials have complex challenge there is no one honest, authentic, immersive experience, answer. Prevention work is some of and that they are part of the discourse, the hardest there is. But that is why it not separate or above it, flying in and is important that governments take a out. Preventing extremism is the most holistic, collective view. Government is important challenge we face today and often bad at working across departmental we must not shy away from defeating it. boundaries, the UK being no exception,

16 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. More information on the Respect Programme can be found at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070306080821/ http://www.respect.gov.uk/.

Section One RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE Prevention requires understanding the role of religions and their theology, ideology and communities. AUTHOR

FRANCIS CAMPBELL St Mary’s University, Twickenham

Francis Campbell joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Ofce (FCO) as a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service in 1997. Francis has worked at the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and at the FCO. From 1999-2003, he served on the staf of the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, ﬁrst as a Policy Adviser in the No.10 Policy Unit, and then as a Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. He also served on secondment with Amnesty International as the Senior Director of Policy. From 2005-2011 he served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See. From 2011-13 he served as Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan. From 2013- 2014 he was the Head of the Policy Unit in the FCO and Director of Innovation at UK Trade and Investment. In 2014 he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, UK. Campbell is a Member of the Advisory Panel of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, London. He serves as a governor of St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, and also of St. Elizabeth’s School in Richmond, Surrey. He is a trustee of Forward Thinking, a London based NGO and think tank, and is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge University. He is a columnist for The Tablet and is also a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought For The Day. Campbell has a Masters degrees from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, in European Integration, and from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations where he studied as Thouron Fellow. He has Honorary Doctorates from Fordham University, New York, Queen’s University, Belfast, Steubenville University, Ohio, and the Pakistan Institute of Business and Technology, Karachi, and has the President’s Medal from the Catholic University of America.

20 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

RELIGION AS A PARTNER ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Given its portrayal in the media, we may be forgiven for thinking religion can only do bad. But we must not allow its positive role in solving past global problems to be overridden by the actions of a very small minority. Global leaders must look to religion as a partner for its reach, ethical leadership and inﬂuence in society, argues Francis Campbell.

The former United States (US) Secretary Far from being in decline, as many of State, Madeline Albright, said that secular observers have claimed, religion when travelling around the world she was is on the rise. The question for policy always asked the same question: “Why makers must therefore be, how to take can’t we just keep religion out of foreign account and bring the vast majority policy?” Her response was that “we can’t with them? In the context of religious and shouldn’t. Religion is a large part of extremism, the greatest challenge is what motivates people and shapes their ensuring that when policy makers do views of justice and right behaviour. It take religion into account, they do not must be taken into account.”1 let the exception, the extreme fringes of religious communities, dictate their The global signiﬁcance of religious belief whole approach. and identity is widely underestimated, but is in fact considerable. Religious Today many of the issues we face, adherence is growing and ‘unafliation’ especially the problem of religious is declining: between 1970 and 2005 all extremism, require global solutions. the major world religions saw signiﬁcant Through engagement with religious increases in their numbers.2 A Pew report leaders, governments can reach billions showed that, in 2010, 84.6 per cent of of people in communities across the the world’s population adhered to a globe to tackle factors that contribute to religious faith.3 extremism.

The world’s largest religions have History shows us that global religious expanded at a rate that exceeds global communities can have a powerful and population growth. At the beginning positive impact. The signs of the power of the 20th century, 50 per cent of of religion in international afairs were the world’s population were Catholic, evident throughout the post-Second Protestant, Muslim or Hindu. At the World War period, from the Catholic beginning of the 21st century, however, Church’s role in the rise of Solidarity in nearly 64 per cent belonged to these four Poland to the activity of the mujahideen religious groups.4 Africa had 10 million in Afghanistan. Christians representing 10 per cent of the population in 1900; by 2000, that The late Professor Samuel Huntington was up to 360 million, or 46 per cent of of Harvard argued that religious the population. movements helped to usher in a ‘third

21 FRANCIS CAMPBELL

wave’ of democracy in Latin America, However, Western governments, which Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa play such a pivotal role in international and Asia from the 1970s to the early afairs, frequently fail to properly engage 1990s.5 For example in Nicaragua and with matters of faith and religion. That El Salvador, Christian churches played reflects a process of secularisation that a prominent role within the reformist has eroded knowledge and understanding and revolutionary movements of the of religion in many Western societies. 1980s. In the 1990s, religion, ethnicity In the United Kingdom, the teaching of and nationalism collided with devastating religious education has been described force in the Balkans. Mainline Christian as inadequate,11 while in the US, one of churches helped democratisation in the most religious societies in the world, Africa.7 In the Philippines, Cardinal Stephen Prothero claims that just 10 per Sin and Catholic organisations openly cent of teenagers can name the five major condemned the Marcos regime and world religions and only half of adults can helped to bring it down.7 name the first book of the bible.12

On poverty, faith-inspired charities such The increasing marginalisation of religion as Christian Aid, World Jewish Relief and in these Western states means that fewer Islamic Relief are working to alleviate politicians or political staf are themselves sufering across the world. The Catholic religious or have a proper understanding Church, mainly through its religious of its role or force. That has contributed orders, provides about a quarter of the to a loss of perspective within the body care to HIV Aids patients in Africa. politic.

So religion matters and religious Set against this backdrop, it is unsurprising communities have a role to play. Yet that religious illiteracy is giving rise to unless this is engaged and showcased political problems. As Professor Bryan appropriately the minority voice will Hehir of Harvard University has said, continue to prevail. Fundamentally, the “there is an assumption that you do not political class must begin to show greater have to understand religion in order curiosity and a proper understanding of to understand the world. You need to religion. Furthermore, they must start to understand politics, strategy, economics view it in broader perspective, not merely and law, but you do not need to as a source of problems but as a solution understand religion.”13 Hehir says that, to conflict and to challenges such as “policy makers must learn as much as poverty and social divide that can play a possible about religion and incorporate role in radicalisation. that knowledge into their strategies. It’s like brain surgery – a necessary task As an editorial in the Journal of – but fatal if not done well.”14 Policy International Afairs put it, “Religion makers need training to understand the can be one of the most powerful healers entire context to religions and problems in post-conflict situations. It can play a or conflicts that might involve a religious significant role in establishing peace in dynamic. This is important not just for the present and dealing with the past.”9 better policy, but also in order to know The challenge for policy makers is to who to engage to ensure that an extreme harness the unifying potential of faith, minority subset does not define policy. while containing its capacity to divide.10

22 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

At the same time there is also a healthy civic society. This in itself will responsibility on faith groups and their tackle extremism – by bringing religion leaders to actively engage in the broad in we potentially reduce feelings of representative democratic process. marginalisation and irrelevance. Collectively, religions need to recognise they are one voice among many in a At the international level there are pluralist, secular culture. They cannot few institutions that can ofer a global expect to be heard in a noisy public ethical lead other than religious ones. To square unless they are willing to speak understand current global challenges, we out and engage. The extreme minority have to comprehend religion as a source has realised this, and, aside from using of inﬂuence and motivation in peoples’ violence to gain attention, they are lives. Policy makers must learn from increasingly outspoken. The mainstream best practice in the past and partner must be helped and given guidance to with religion and religious communities engage better, persuading and convincing globally to tackle extreme minority ministers rather than expecting special views and the factors that foster them. treatment. NGOs and faith-based They must acknowledge the positive organisations that engage in advocacy that has gone before to show that they themselves can play a role in training and are aware that the negative minority facilitating access for religious leaders, are an exception and not the norm. especially as they are more likely to bring If they get that wrong then they risk in representatives from the majority instrumentalising religion and religious communities rather than the extreme communities, further alienating them minority. and exacerbating the problem.

If policy makers were more open to the World religions have played their part role of religion, religious communities in shaping globalisation as they ofer may be more likely to come forward. identities that transcend cultural, national Western democracies need debate and and class boundaries. Political leaders vibrant diferences to remain alive and must now engage with this religious soft to achieve renewal. It is their oxygen. power, supporting mainstream religious Instead of a ‘programmatic secularism’, leaders to stop it being manipulated by which banishes religion from the public extremists. If religion is given its rightful square, we need a shift in thinking with place on the international stage, it can Western leaders welcoming religions help to achieve positive change across as vital partners and contributors to a borders.

23 FRANCIS CAMPBELL

Endnotes

1. M. Albright, The Mighty and the Almighty, New York, Harper- Collins, 2006, p. 285.

2. D.B. Barrett, G.T. Kurian and T.M. Johnson (eds.), The World Christian Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001; The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, The Future of the Global Muslim Population, 27 January 2011, [http:// pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population. aspx]; and T.M. Johnson and G.A. Zurlo, The World Christian Database, 2005, Leiden, Brill, 2005.

3. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050, 2 April 2015, [http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious- projections-2010-2050/].

4. World Christian Encyclopaedia, cited in T. Shah and M. Dufy Toft, ‘God is Winning’ (awaiting publication), but précis in T. Shah and M. Dufy Toft, ‘Why God is Winning’, Foreign Policy, No. 155, July/August 2006, [http://foreignpolicy. com/2009/10/19/why-god-is-winning/], pp. 39-43.

5. S.P. Huntington, ‘Religion and the Third Wave’, The National Interest, Summer 1991, pp. 29-42.

6. S. Jafari, ‘Local Religious Peacemakers: An Untapped Resource in U.S. Foreign Policy’, Journal of International Afairs, Vol. 61, No. 1, 2007, pp. 111-130.

7. P. Giford, The Christian Churches and the Democratisation of Africa, Leiden, Brill, 1995; and P. Giford, African Christianity: Its Public Role, London, Hurst & Co., 1998.

8. T. Shah and M. Dufy Toft, op. cit..

9. Editor’s Forward, Journal of International Afairs, Vol. 61, No. 1, 2007, p. vi.

10. M. Albright, op. cit., p. 66.

11. J. Burns, ‘Over half of schools failing in religious education, says Ofsted’, BBC News, 6 October 2013, [http://www.bbc. co.uk/news/education-24399813].

24 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

12. S. Prothero, Religious Literacy, London, Harper Collins, 2008.

13. B. Hehir cited in M. Albright, op. cit., p. 66.

14. B. Hehir cited in M. Albright, op. cit., p. 74.

25 AUTHOR

USAMA HASAN Quilliam

Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan (PhD, MA, MSc, FRAS) is Senior Researcher in Islamic Studies at Quilliam. He works on reconciling Islam and modernity. Between 2013-15, Hasan has worked on Islam, politics and conﬂict resolution in the UK, Nigeria, Kosovo, the Middle East and North Africa. Recent publications include with Charlie Winter ‘The Balanced Nation: Islam and the Challenges of Extremism, Fundamentalism, Islamism and Jihadism’ for Philosophia, forthcoming; From Dhimmitude to Democracy: Islamic Law, Non-Muslims & Equal Citizenship for Quilliam in 2015; ‘“Democracy is Hypocrisy!” European Muslims, democratic malaise and Islamist extremism’ in the Journal of Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Winter 2013; ‘Women’s Rights & Gender Equality in Islam’ in Speaking in God’s Name: Re- examining Gender in Islam for Inspire, forthcoming; No Compulsion in Religion – Islam and the Freedom of Belief for Quilliam in 2013; The Balance of Islam in Challenging Extremism for Quilliam in 2012; and ‘The Veil Between Tradition & Reason, Culture & Context’ in Islam and the Veil edited by Theodore Gabriel and Rabiha Hannan for Continuum in 2011.

26 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

THE IMPORTANCE OF THEOLOGICAL CLARITY AND REBUTTAL IN PREVENTING EXTREMISM

The public’s understanding, or lack thereof, of religions and their theology has signiﬁcant implications for preventing extremism. With regards to Islamist extremism, misunderstanding and piecemeal or distorted knowledge of Islam leave people vulnerable to prejudice and indoctrination, providing fertile ground for recruiters to both extreme Islamist groups and far-right Islamophobic groups. It is vital that policy makers support and magnify mainstream, nuanced theology to improve understanding and undermine extremist narratives built on theological perversions, writes Usama Hasan.

With the Name of God, the Compassionate, in his videotaped message, recorded the Merciful. before the attacks, to justify his group’s actions. The crux of the argument was Over 30 years’ service as an imam in an ‘us versus them’ wartime narrative. the United Kingdom (UK), including 15 Similarly, the main instigator of the years as a radical imam and 10 years as Woolwich terrorist attack in which a reformist voice; three and a half years Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered in 2013, as a researcher at Quilliam, a think- used pseudo-theological arguments tank promoting universal human rights, based on ‘Lands of War’ and ‘Lands of democracy and counter-extremism; and Islam’ narratives, clearly inspired by the three and a half years as an ‘Intervention pre-modern Islamic conception of dar al- Provider’ (a mentor specialising in de- harb and dar al-islam respectively.1 radicalisation) on behalf of the UK Government’s Ofce for Security and On a more positive note, however, it Counter-Terrorism, I have come across is clear that an improved theological many examples of the positive and understanding that includes nuance and negative impacts that can be gained clarity can create a swing in the opposite through nuanced or poor theological direction. Javed (not his real name), a clarity respectively. I would like to ofer Western Muslim of Pakistani origin who two important principles, backed up is currently serving a long prison sentence by various examples, to which policy after being convicted of terrorism, cited makers need to respond to improve the the theological works of staf at the prevention of extremism. Quilliam Foundation as having helped him along his journey towards renouncing Firstly, theology matters, and can be his previous terrorist attitudes. As very persuasive in both radicalisation the authors of a report including his and deradicalisation. Poor or pseudo- testimony amongst nine others state, theological arguments are the mainstay Javed came to the conclusion that it of extremist binaries used to create was important to “understand the roots simplistic reasoning for violence. of modern Islamist movements” and the Amongst many examples, the ringleader “errors in their simpliﬁed political and of the 7/7 terrorist attack in London in religious arguments.” 2005 used (poor) theological arguments

27 USAMA HASAN

Furthermore, Javed found that “nuanced greater public understanding is needed, arguments against the salafi jihadi and moreover that that understanding movement are far more important than is nuanced and informed. My second simple condemnations.” Through his principle, therefore, is that misleading research, Javed was surprised by the level generalisations about religion and of improper analysis that was “simplified, extremism, and a failure to understand misplaced or outright erroneous” and nuances, can lead to counter-productive recognised that “many analysts are statements and policies. trying to explain a phenomenon they don’t understand.” He found that the Javed’s testimony above makes this clear. complexity and multitude of factors But beyond this there is often a failure to that fuelled the problem are often not appreciate the nuance of difering Muslim acknowledged. In his words, “Improper views on a variety of matters. In particular, analysis leads to misguided policy measures the existence of reformist, progressive that are either inefective, or worse, do and/or liberal voices within the spectrum more harm than good [emphasis added].”2 of Muslim opinion is often disregarded or ignored, thus strengthening the hand Anecdotally, in 2014, a Religious Studies of extremist voices. For example, the teacher at a London secondary school current UK Government’s CONTEST was having problems with a Muslim (counter-terrorism) strategy is schoolboy who was expressing views summarised in a 125-page publication.5 intolerant of other religions and, indeed, A previous version of this strategy ran of other Muslim viewpoints. The teacher into many more pages and used largely handed the boy a copy of my treatise religiously-neutral language, except that on freedom of religion from an Islamic it stated that any Muslim who believed viewpoint and reported that within ten in khilafah (caliphate), sharia (sacred law) minutes the pupil had read the main or jihad (non-violent or violent struggle) points, retracted and apologised for his was an extremist. This ignored the fact previous views.3 that there are moderate and progressive interpretations of these pre-modern, There have also been several examples traditional Islamic concepts that are of families of British recruits to Islamic fully in line with modern norms, and State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) risked alienating many Muslims, as well engaging their sons and daughters in as ruining the impact of a 180-page theological argument, with some success. document on UK Muslim communities For example, one of the youth justified because of three ill-advised lines. joining the self-proclaimed ‘caliphate’ by claiming that Saudi Arabia is not Islamic In ignoring these interpretations, this enough because it does not levy the statement removed the possibility of pre-modern jizya tax on non-Muslims. providing a viable alternative narrative, Ironically, this youth is unaware that entirely compatible with current the last acknowledged caliphate, the international standards. It ignored modern Ottoman Empire, abolished the jizya understandings of caliphate as just in 1839 on the basis of traditional, governance, progressive interpretations progressive Islamic jurisprudence.4 of sharia being in line with universal human rights including gender-equality, From these examples it is clear that and classical interpretations of jihad that

28 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

include both inner spiritual struggle as attacks happened in overwhelmingly well as just and ethical warfare.6 The latter Muslim countries and the heroic security interpretations are crucial for efective forces as well as medical staf treating the counter- or alternative narratives to victims were largely Muslim, as were the religious extremism, and must not be victims themselves in the Pakistan attack. undermined by ofcial documents that Since Islam is ‘part of the furniture’ in ignore them. these countries, it is in the background as a benign spiritual force, much like An even more dangerous failure of the Anglican Church in England. Locals understanding is the cultural diference intuitively recognise that the terrorists’ in classification in the West between claims to be representing their faith are ‘mainstream’ Western religions and utterly ridiculous and spurious. ‘Eastern’ religions like Islam. Violent extremists or terrorists in Western However, in the Western world where countries who claim to act in the Islam is still in the process of being name of Christianity or Judaism, such ‘indigenised’ and is often seen as ‘other’, as the Ku Klux Klan, Anders Breivik despite its centuries-old presence in or Baruch Goldstein, are correctly Europe, there is still the unfortunate dismissed as fringe elements who have tendency to regard such terrorist attacks perverted and dishonoured their faith. and groups, such as ISIS, as legitimately Because Christianity and Judaism have representing Islam. Analysts and historically been intrinsic and intuitive historians have made this grave error.7 to Western countries and Israel, and It is vital to avoid this, as it is easily spun are therefore well understood, there as ‘Islamophobia’ by both far-right and is no serious attempt to link terrorist Islamist extremist groups, leaving Muslim atrocities to a major world faith, except communities open to marginalisation for an acknowledgment of extremist and demonisation, and their disafected interpretations. However, it would be youth vulnerable to recruitment by very easy for people in non-Judaeo/ terrorist groups, thus having another Christian countries to mistakenly think counter-productive efect. that these atrocities somehow reflect Christianity or Judaism, since there is Despite the above serious issues, a deficit of knowledge, experience and there is good news. Policy makers are familiarity in this regard. There is a similar beginning to understand the importance situation with the 969 movement, a of theological clarity and the need to violent extremist phenomenon led by support mainstream voices in order to Buddhist monks in Myanmar. disconnect the extremists from the Islamic faith. In the UK, for example, the Similarly, when it comes to the world 2011 version of CONTEST avoids the of Islam, the vast majority of Muslims mistakes of the past and is theologically everywhere intuitively recognise that clearer. UK imams have also initiated a extremists and terrorists are perverting new online magazine Haqiqah (Reality) their faith. Recent examples are the that engages in theological counter- Peshawar school massacre in December narratives against ISIS’ Dabiq magazine.8 2014 and the massacre of Western, The UK Home Secretary quoted directly mainly British, tourists at Sousse in from the Quran twice in her conference Tunisia in June 2015. In both cases, these speech of 2014, in support of inclusive

29 USAMA HASAN

Islamic messages, notwithstanding the There is need for greater public critics.9 understanding and nuanced messaging that is supportive of the mainstream With ISIS taking exclusivist and which can counter and undermine interpretations of religion to the most radicalisation to both Islamist extremism barbaric, practical extremes, there is and Islamophobic far-right extremism. a pressing need, for theological clarity As in any period of religious conﬂict, in promoting inclusive interpretations we require radical theology of the right of religion. As President Obama once kind to help heal divisions in the world. observed, inclusive interpretations of As Jonathan Swift put it, “We have just all major world religions are the only enough religion to make us hate, but not way forward, since the only alternative enough to make us love one another.” is further division, hatred and conﬂict.

Endnotes

1. For a discussion of such concepts, see R. Ali, and H. Stuart, A Guide to Refuting Jihadism: Critiquing Radical Islamist Claims to Theological Authenticity, with an introduction by Usama Hasan, London, Henry Jackson Society, 2014, [http:// henryjacksonsociety.org/2014/02/04/a-guide-to-refuting- jihadism-critiquing-radical-islamist-claims-to-theological- authenticity].

2. For more on Javed’s story and testimony, see R. Manning and C. La Bau, In and Out Of Extremism, London, Quilliam, 2015, [http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/ publications/free/in-and-out-of-extremism.pdf], pp. 50-52. For more detailed ﬁrst-hand testimonies of former Islamists, see E. Husain, The Islamist: Why I Joined Radical Islam in Britain, What I Saw Inside and Why I Left, London, Penguin, 2007; M. Nawaz, Radical: My Journey from Islamist Extremism to a Democratic Awakening, London, WH Allen, 2013.

30 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

3. U. Hasan, No Compulsion In Religion – Islam & the Freedom of Belief, London, Quilliam, 2013, [http://www.quilliamfoundation. org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/no-compulsion-in- religion-islam-and-the-freedom-of-belief.pdf]. Available in 10 languages at www.islamandreligiousfreedom.org.

4. For more discussion on the abolition of the jizya in a wider context, see U. Hasan, From Dhimmitude to Democracy: Islamic Law, Non-Muslims & Equal Citizenship, London, Quilliam, 2015, [http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/ publications/free/from-dhimmitude-to-democracy.pdf].

5. HM Government, CONTEST: The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, Crown Copyright, 2011, [https://www. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ ﬁle/97995/strategy-contest.pdf].

6. For example, see U. Hasan, ‘Counter-Narratives to Radical Islamism’, BBC News Magazine, May 2013, [http://www.bbc. co.uk/news/magazine-22640614]; C. Winter and U. Hasan, ‘The Balanced Nation: Islam and the Challenges of Extremism, Fundamentalism, Islamism and Jihadism’, Philosophia, 2015/2016 (forthcoming); M. Nawaz, ‘“Dangerous Concepts” and the Struggle Within: Reclaiming State and Politics from the Islamists’, in E. Patterson and J. Gallagher, Debating the War of Ideas, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, pp. 35-53; S. Harris and M. Nawaz, Islam and the Future of Tolerance, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2015.

7. Analysts: for example, Graeme Wood saying the “Islamic State is very Islamic” in ‘What ISIS Really Wants’, The Atlantic, March 2015. Historians: for example, Tom Holland, ‘We must not deny the religious roots of Islamic State’, New Statesman, March 2015. The error in the basic premise of this article may be illustrated by imagining a similar article about Christianity entitled, We must not deny the religious roots of the Ku Klux Klan.

8. ImamsOnline.com, Haqiqah, Issues 1 & 2, 2015.

9. For example, D. Murray, ‘Why is Theresa May pretending that Islam is a ‘religion of peace’?’, The Spectator, September 2014. Would Murray have objected to similarly positive descriptions of Christianity?

31 AUTHOR

FATIMA AKILU Former Director of Behavioural Analysis and Strategic Communication, Nigerian Ofce of the National Security Adviser

Dr Fatima Akilu was until recently the Director of Behavioural Analysis and Strategic Communication at the Nigerian Ofce of the National Security Adviser, developing a multiple approach strategy that consists of a prison deradicalisation programme, a counter-radicalisation programme geared towards stemming the tide of radicalisation and building community resilience, and a strategic communication unit that has a public diplomacy arm as well as a messaging component. She was instrumental in designing Nigeria’s Counter Violent Extremism Programme, including driving policy changes in the areas of education and mental health through the provision of post traumatic stress disorder counselling. Previously, Akilu was Head of Communications for the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals, and has worked in the ﬁeld of psychology and health for more than two decades in Africa, Europe and the United States. She has been an educator holding teaching positions in various universities and an advocate for a number of marginalised groups such as the homeless, the mentally ill, prisoners, victims of HIV/Aids and the developmentally disabled. Fatima Akilu holds a Bachelors degree in English, an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology and a PhD in Psychology from Reading University and is currently Chairman of the Editorial Board of Leadership Newspapers.

32 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Case Study: Nigeria HOPE, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITY: NIGERIA’S STRATEGY TO COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM

The last decade has seen many challenges for Nigeria to overcome. Perhaps the greatest threat to domestic security has come from the rise of Boko Haram. Nigeria has had to respond and innovate rapidly in the face of this extreme Islamist insurgency. The strategy that it has developed in response bears some important lessons and signposts for those who might wish to prevent extremism before it becomes violent, writes Fatima Akilu.

History has taught us that one of the Nigeria has had to innovate to meet most lethal weapons in a terrorist’s these challenges. Terrorism has provided arsenal is an audacity of imagination Nigeria with unexpected opportunities and an ability to adapt and respond to reform its criminal justice system, swiftly. Many of today’s extremists, born broaden its legal frameworks with the or raised in a technological age, have introduction of new bills that address hijacked the very tools that have made terrorism and money laundering, as well our world and lives easier to navigate. as create a counter-terrorism centre with With a potent mix of religion, hubris and an intelligence fusion unit. Highlighted marginalisation narratives, they have by this response is the manner in which succeeded in convincing thousands of religion is understood and addressed in others who are dealing with a myriad of the public sphere, especially in addressing disappointments and vulnerabilities, or radicalisation and public awareness. who are simply seeking new adventures. States, whether fortunate enough not to While modern day terrorists have been be mired in conﬂict or not, should take able to adapt and continue to reinvent note of this in developing strategies to themselves, states’ responses have been prevent the build up of extremism in the slow and limited in their reach. ﬁrst place.

In Nigeria, a decade old movement that Any response to violent extremism must began peacefully, commonly referred to be long-term, holistic and robust enough as Boko Haram and predominantly based to address its root causes. A military in Nigeria’s northeast, has morphed approach can only be part of a solution. into one of the world’s most deadly The response must also address more insurgencies. In the last three years structural societal defects that make it alone they have caused the deaths of difcult for some youth to access jobs, more than 10,000 people. Hundreds education or social security. While there more have been kidnapped, while almost is no deﬁned pathway to terrorism, two million have become displaced, their poverty, lack of opportunities for youth, homes and communities destroyed. and political and social marginalisation In the last year the group has pledged play their part. allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) further internationalising However, governments must also begin the conﬂict. by understanding the causes of youth anomie and disillusionment, and their

33 FATIMA AKILU

meaning that is at the heart of many assessment. This stream is helping radicalisation narratives. In this we cannot extremists to realise that certain forms avoid the pull of charismatic religious of behaviour are incompatible with both leaders and narratives, and ideology based their faith and the society to which they on religious principles, which prey upon belong, enabling them to eventually identity conﬂicts, poor understanding of transition through a community-based religion, and tensions between diferent aftercare programme. religious and ethnic groups. There are several important factors From 2012, the Federal Government that engage religion in public work in of Nigeria adopted a broader approach this stream that other governments to countering violent extremism that should look to develop. First, an expert encompasses peace, security and group of religious scholars, trained in development to complement the counselling, who can provide robust and military response to Boko Haram. critical rebuttals of Islamist narratives Nigeria’s Countering Violent Extremism and ideology, and train others to provide Programme is both vertical, involving this intervention. Second, expert federal, state and local government, psychologists and counsellors to facilitate and horizontal, involving civil society, an holistic approach to the rehabilitation academics, and traditional, religious of prisoners, using in-depth psychological and community leaders. It consists analysis and research to understand of four streams that engage people the root causes of extremism and other already radicalised, prevent others from criminal ideologies. Third, a package becoming radicalised, counter extreme of vocational training for inmates that narratives, and provide psychosocial includes ensuring they have both a basic support for traumatised victims of level of general and religious education, terrorist activities. and which helps them acquire skills to assist their reintegration into society. The importance of prisons, both in Finally, it is vital to provide training for terms of radicalisation in prisons and the prison staf to professionally handle terror opportunity to deradicalise inmates, was suspects and issues of rehabilitation, and a priority. The deradicalisation stream to institutionalise this within the prison aims to reintegrate convicted violent system. extremist ofenders back into society through targeted programmes delivered The second stream in strategic by imams, psychologists, therapists and communication, works to produce prison staf, which challenge radical counter-narratives, by raising public thought and behaviour whilst respecting awareness of moderate views as a stark human rights. In particular, these contrast to violent extremism and by programmes focus on religious education promoting core national values. The to improve understanding about both Nigerian Government has worked with their own and others’ religion, and imams religious leaders to design counter- are also being trained to deal with ideology narratives aimed at the population at based on Islam. The programmes also large, especially those who may be focus on cognitive behaviour therapy, sympathetic to extreme views without anger management, relapse prevention, necessarily being violent. The aim empathy, and risk management and is to reduce tolerance for extremist

34 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

rhetoric because this sympathy is often critical thinking and logical reasoning; a widespread but overlooked problem. that promote intra- and inter-faith Media content for TV, radio and the action to build community awareness, Internet is being developed in order understanding, engagement and to improve public knowledge and raise resilience; and which efectively foster awareness of the illegitimate claims made and fund impactful engagement between by extremists. government, civil society organisations and communities. Connected to this drive, a project to strengthen the Government’s public Finally, the fourth stream has created a diplomacy is training civil servants in framework for psychological intervention. strategic communications. A parallel Violent extremism has caused wide- project is being developed with the ranging trauma across northern Nigeria Nigerian Defence Academy. This and the government has had to develop a will provide long-term strategic comprehensive trauma response. This has communication capabilities for both civil included a new policy for the provision of servants and the Armed Forces, giving care for post-traumatic stress disorder them greater capabilities in their fight through the National Primary Health against violent extremism. Eforts in this Care Development Agency. This will need area have led to the development of a to provide care both for victims of violent comprehensive public relations strategy extremism and for former extremists across all Government agencies and the who have often witnessed horrific acts creation of a single counter-extremism and need support to reintegrate. It is information platform. Additionally envisioned that Nigeria will need to train credible voices on various other platforms upwards of 7,000 healthcare providers addressing national identity, tolerance and counsellors to meet this demand and community resilience are being over the next five years. In response to amplified to communicate Nigeria’s core this Nigeria is working on creating a values. Trauma Institute tasked with developing training and assessment tools. The radicalisation prevention stream focuses on community engagement and It is still too early to assess the overall education-based projects. It is designed contribution of this programme to to stem the flow of recruits and reduce achieving national peace and stability, vulnerability to radicalisation. The Society and the strategy is currently focused Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) on the Boko Haram led insurgency at a Project created by the Ofce of the time when more Nigerian’s are joining National Security Adviser is responsible ISIS. However, though it is still a young for this stream. SAVE takes a ‘whole of programme, it is built upon the needs that society’ approach, working in six states have directly arisen from dealing with the and with eighteen local governments to problem of extremism. If governments link Government interventions with civil work proactively to pre-empt the society eforts, expanding the reach of problems to which Nigeria has had to both. The aspects of SAVE that have react, these steps should ofer some hope proved most efective to its objective in that extremism can be prevented before early evaluation are those that improve it turns violent. education provision by promoting

35 AUTHOR

PETER WELBY Centre on Religion & Geopolitics

Peter Welby is the Editorial Manager for the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics, an initiative of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2013. Prior to that, he spent two years in Egypt where he studied Arabic, and he has also lived in Yemen. He has written for Newsweek, The Spectator and the Independent, has appeared on the Hufngton Post web channel HufPost Live, and his research has been featured in the Daily Beast.

36 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

TO PREVENT, UNDERSTAND RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGY

There are a myriad of grievance factors that play a role in radicalisation, but to prevent people falling into this spiral we need to understand the role that ideology based on religion plays in tying them together. Only when policy makers understand how the ideology draws upon religious principles can they understand how to protect adherents of those religions and prevent them being lured into extremism, argues Peter Welby.

Governments tend to avoid the role Yet despite such statements, even when of religion in extremism, meaning that the central importance of religious policy and strategy to prevent extremism ideology is acknowledged, the lack of fails to address an underlying thread that hard evidence as to its nature or role ties grievance narratives together. There makes it difcult to apply the knowledge are two common roots to this neglect. to a policy response. Many practitioners The first comes from a well-meant in the field of counter-radicalisation can desire to avoid stigmatising certain see the link between extremism and communities, stoked by a fear that religious ideologies, but do not know ascribing motivating power to ‘religious how to analyse them. Any analysis will ideology’ runs perilously close to finding inevitably struggle with the multiple the religion guilty for crimes committed reasons that people are drawn towards in its name. The second, more dogmatic extremist narratives, and the language of root is a secular rejection of ascribing grievance that accompanies the language motivating power to such an irrational of ideology: as Akilu writes, extremists are force as religion. This position may regard bred by a “potent mix of religion, hubris religious ideology as a cypher for more and marginalisation narratives.” Hasan underlying grievances, be they economic, makes the valuable additional point that social or political. However, Campbell, even when analysis is attempted, it is Hasan and Akilu clearly demonstrate the frequently stymied by “many analysts… importance of understanding the role of trying to explain a phenomenon they religion in, and, moreover, in partnering don’t understand.” with religion to fight back against, extremism if we are to prevent it. Nevertheless, while we can acknowledge the political, social and economic There are encouraging signs at senior grievances that create space for religious levels of governments of growing extremism, responses have to engage awareness of the importance of ideology. with what brings them all together: British Prime Minister David Cameron religious ideology. Without a mobilising has repeatedly spoken of the importance ideology, those grievances are disparate; of countering the ideology behind violent crime may be higher in areas of violent extremism. At a leaders summit deprivation, but it will often coalesce on countering violent extremism at the around gang culture or organised crime United Nations General Assembly on rather than religious extremism. 29 September 2015, President Obama spoke of the need to defeat extremist The Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s ideologies in a battle of ideas. Centre on Religion & Geopolitics

37 PETER WELBY

recently attempted to address the lack ideology and narrative is crucial in of evidence that has stymied policy identifying a group’s weaknesses. responses to the ideological element of Ideologies do change over time, religious extremism. Our report, Inside but slowly. Narratives, on the other the Jihadi Mind: Understanding Ideology hand, change rapidly, according to and Propaganda,1 gathered 114 items of circumstance, focusing on the current ofcial propaganda from Islamic State dominant enemy, for example, or the of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), al-Qaeda location of the current conflict. Attacking in the Arabian Peninsula and Jabhat the narratives that a group deploys to aid al-Nusra (al-Qaeda’s afliate in Syria), its recruitment may weaken the group, including articles, videos and anthems. but it will not weaken the movement. We then categorised the content of the propaganda into themes, which were in Moreover, though those ideologies are turn divided between ‘ideological’ themes coherent, they are not without their (the core system of religious and political weaknesses. For example, our research beliefs) and ‘narratives’ (how those beliefs showed that the two Islamic values of are applied to the current situation). iman (faith) and ihsan (good works) are used repeatedly in Salafi-jihadi Our findings presented for the first time propaganda, but are inconsistently quantitative evidence of two things: that defined. Targeting such weaknesses will Salafi-jihadi propaganda was imbued with disrupt the recruitment capacity of a coherent ideology designed to appeal to jihadis by emphasising the distance of the wider Muslim community; and that the ideology from orthodox Islam. The the ideology was broadly shared by three Salafi-jihadi ideology depends on its rival Salafi-jihadi groups. understanding of Islamic creedal values, which can only be tackled if counter- Both findings are essential to policy narratives are based on a framework makers in formulating a constructive of orthodox Islamic theology. It also policy response. Two clear policy relies on a wider non-violent current of pathways become obvious. First, Islamism, represented by groups such with such diferent narrative themes as the Muslim Brotherhood or Jamaat- (Jabhat al-Nusra frequently fights ISIS, e-Islami, that call for an Islamic state. contesting its claim to be a legitimate Counter-narratives must show that such caliphate and denouncing it as ‘extreme’) ideologies are a modern phenomenon, the ideology must be a crucial factor in outside of the orthodox mainstream. persuading people to join the groups. They must also recognise that 62 per Therefore engaging in the battle of ideas cent of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are will be necessary, and must focus on soft under the age of 30, and must work with power and be robustly financed. Second, popular influencers, including celebrities, a response must focus on the nature of sportspeople and musicians, to spread the extremist ideology’s appeal to the their message. broader community. It must understand how and why it connects with wider This battle of ideas needs to be efectively beliefs and lures recruits, and it must resourced. Proponents of extremism – undermine those connections. both violent and non-violent – have huge resources at their disposal, which are For the first, the diference between used to fund preachers, textbooks and

38 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

propaganda around the world. Those who Greater engagement with communities oppose them must have similar funding and religious leaders, as Akilu and if counter-narratives are going to be Campbell note, can “reduce tolerance for efectively amplified. This funding cannot extremist rhetoric.” This requires a greater only come from governments; it must dependence of counter-narratives on also come from individuals. established theology, deployed in a similarly robust and emphatic fashion For the second, an acknowledgment to that given by jihadis. Search engines that extremist ideologies exploit and and social media platforms should draw upon religious values to facilitate promote credible religious content recruitment and to justify their actions is that rebuts jihadi ideology and provide essential to an efective policy response. warnings when search terms might lead The countervailing temptation to deny to extremist material. Grassroots eforts the religious basis of the ideologies from within the Muslim community undermines our capacity to target their must be given the space and support to weaknesses. The evidence of Inside the challenge the ideological framework of Jihadi Mind shows that 62 per cent of extremism. Greater funding will help, but Salafi-jihadi propaganda refers to Islamic the broader community need a greater creedal values; 42 per cent to Islamic end understanding of the ideology they times prophecy; 87 per cent refers to must challenge. If those with the power Islamic scripture or scholarship. to efect change do not understand the source of the danger, their responses will The connection of the ideology to the not be appropriately targeted. religion is clear, and has to be recognised. Hasan is correct to say that all religions There are, of course, a great many factors have extremists who claim to act in their that must be addressed by policy makers names, and to identify them as fringe as they establish counter-extremism elements. This is true of Salafi-jihadism strategies. Without a doubt, social and Islam. The extremism depends alienation, racism, poverty and a myriad upon the religion, but that does not of other factors play a role. But if we mean, as Hasan rightly points out, that are to prevent religious extremism, we it is a legitimate interpretation. It is must recognise its motivating force. essential that policy makers both target Religious ideology draws all the disparate their responses at the link between the grievances, real or imagined, together. ideology and the religion, and recognise, Once it has been recognised, it must be as Campbell notes and Hasan writes, understood, as only then will constructive that the majority of Muslims regard and targeted policy options become clear. the jihadis’ claim to represent Islam as “utterly ridiculous and spurious.”

Endnotes

1. E. El-Badawy, M. Comerford and P. Welby, Inside the Jihadi Mind: Understanding Ideology and Propaganda, London, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2015, [http://www. tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/reports- analysis/report/inside-jihadi-mind].

Section Two EDUCATING AGAINST EXTREMISM Prevention requires embedding understanding and skills to build resilience to extremism. AUTHOR

SARA SAVAGE University of Cambridge

Dr Sara Savage is a social psychologist and is Senior Research Associate at the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge. She and her colleagues have developed an intervention to address extremism, sectarianism and inter-group conﬂict based on social neuroscience principles and the operationalisation of Peter Suedfeld’s construct of Integrative Complexity (IC). The IC model is now used in a range of countries, in venues including schools, supported by continual empirical assessment and publications. Savage has published widely on the theory, intervention model and results of this work, including ‘Head and Heart in Preventing Religious Radicalization’ in Head and Heart: Perspectives from Religion and Psychology by Watt and Dumbreck for Templeton Press in 2013; with Jose Liht, ‘Preventing Violent Extremism through Value Complexity: Being Muslim Being British’, and with Liht and Anjum Khan, ‘Preventing Violent Extremism through Value Complexity: Being Kenyan Being Muslim’, both in the Journal of Strategic Security in 2013 and 2014 respectively. For more information about IC Thinking please visit www. ICTcambridge.org or www.iseescotland.org.uk.

42 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

EXTREMISM AND COMPLEXITY OF THINKING: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REASON FOR INVESTING IN EDUCATION

The intensiﬁcation of religious identity that has marked the turn of the 21st century has seen religions, previously embedded as one of many cultural resources, being turned into abstracted clear-cut conceptual systems, employing mainly black and white, ‘us versus them’ categories, that impoverish critical thinking. To prevent extremism, policy makers must focus on interventions that raise the complexity of thinking, argues Sara Savage.

The current resurgence of religion is not frustrations. Here, a shift has occurred; simply a return to traditional religion. It religions that are rich, embedded and is an intensification of religious identity, nuanced over history are turned, in used as a tool to counter threats to extremis, into systems that are abstract, individual or group identity. For those clear-cut, black and white.5 This shift feeling threatened, an intensified, is underpinned by how the mind works improved religion seems to be the – how the mind simplifies thinking in only resource left to better human life. response to perceived threat to values Believing that other eforts have only and long-term stress.6 By understanding made things worse, their purpose is to this process, policy makers will not only achieve human values of equality, justice, improve prediction of extreme or violent dignity, social belonging and a sense of behaviour, but can also improve the transcendence that confers meaning in design and evaluation of interventions. life. To prevent this shift occurring and to reverse it once it has happened, we have As a last hope, intensified religion to understand this psychological process requires dedication and sacrifice. Yet in and raise critical thinking standards. distilling religion to a point of absolute moral clarity,1 a clear demarcation is A simplified structure and low created between one’s own religion and complexity of thinking is precisely what all others, with the knock-on efect of is shown by analysis of the discourse derogating, even dehumanising, out- of a range of extremisms measured by groups.2 Although meant to empower,3 various constructs including Integrative this intensification of religion seems to Complexity (IC).7 IC measures how be a one-way dynamic from which no a person thinks, not what they think, believer can be seen to withdraw.4 targeting behaviour rather than beliefs. Violent extremist or terrorist groups’ Religion is a great cultural resource. rhetoric is even lower in complexity than Problems arise when it is turned into the their non-terrorist, but ideologically only resource for achieving justice, as similar, counterparts. intensified religion lacks the flexibility to contribute to practical economic, social Islamist, territorial (for example and political problems, creating further Northern Ireland), white supremacist

43 SARA SAVAGE

and animal rights extremisms show an ideologies is a false dichotomy. Early increasing degree of commitment to pathways into violence or terrorism violent action is attended by a steady and may in fact difer from early pathways significant lowering of IC. In short, IC into non-violent extremism. However, scores diferentiate significantly across extremist ideology supports terrorism by the ranked categories of (legal) activist, providing legitimation, and by inspiring radical and terrorist groups.8 This is in practical community support and an line with research over four decades audience for whom the performance of regarding political actors’ structure violence is meaningful. The actions of of thinking (measured by IC) which terrorists maintain and intensify extreme shows that when IC drops from its usual beliefs, whereas the loss of broad- baseline, real world conflict, and even based extremist community support military action, is predicted within weeks. spells demise, within years, for the When IC rises, peaceful solutions to terrorist group. This is a story of mutual conflict ensue.9 interaction between the two pathways, or ends of the spectrum, the violent Dozens of ‘vulnerability to extremism’ and the non-violent. Both pathways factors have been identified since 9/11. share low complexity thinking, the non- McCauley, for example, identifies 250 violent being a stage on the pathway to transition points between the holding the violent end, which shows the lowest of radical opinion and taking action.10 complexity of all. Individuals can be drawn to, or away from, extremism by their experience of Conceptualising extremism of all kinds, interventions or inhibitors, activations and across the spectrum of non-violent or catalysts, that in turn are modified or to violent, in terms of its structure of intensified by the surrounding culture thinking is pertinent to both primary and political context. The sum of research prevention (for early stage radicalisation, into violent extremism distils exactly sectarianism and intergroup conflict) this: there is no one pathway to extreme and secondary and tertiary prevention opinion or violent actions. and rehabilitation (for those showing signs of advancing towards violence However, our research based on 43 or actual involvement in violence, IC Thinking group interventions (with respectively). Multi-agency security four comparison studies, for a total of interventions are mandatory when 47 studies) suggests that lowered IC violence has been involved. However, acts as an amplifier for ‘vulnerability to rehabilitate ofenders it is crucial to extremism’ factors.11 If taken into also to increase the complexity of their account in future research, measuring thinking both to reduce the likelihood of integrative complexity may indeed a return to violence, and as an empirically improve prediction; a core concern for measurable method. Complexity policy makers focused understandably of thinking provides a non-fakeable on the need to identify ‘tipping points’ to baseline of measurement,12 which can violence. act as a common thread and indicator for the otherwise heterogeneous, Yet for policy makers, focusing solely on culture specific, multi-agency approach acts of, or the tipping points to, terrorism to primary, secondary and tertiary at the expense of widespread extremist prevention and rehabilitation.

44 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

For policy makers, the IC Thinking practises unmasking the rhetorical approach to prevention of extremism, strategies and social manipulation of sectarianism and inter-group conflict extremist groups, for on-going resilience provides a method of designing and to extremism. measuring efective interventions.13 IC Thinking considers that whatever Results across 43 IC Thinking group vulnerabilities are at play, extremist analyses shows expected, statistically ideologies have a common, simple significant pre- to post-intervention binary structure underpinned by value patterns. These demonstrate that monism, the concern for only one value, increased value complexity leads to per issue, at the expense of all other increased empathy (for one’s own and human values. It is precisely this lack of other groups), which leads to increases complexity on the ‘hot’ issues that are in IC and higher logical reasoning. This exploited by extremists, which ofers a increase leads to an adaptive conflict site for intervention and a pathway for style and pro-social behaviour and well- rehabilitation.14 For primary prevention, being, including improved academic this fact ofers an opportunity to reduce achievement, according to independent vulnerability by strategically embedding teacher observations in schools in methods to promote complex thinking Scotland.16 skills in education, without having to address every known pathway and factor There is a growing understanding amongst in the progression of radicalisation for a research and practitioner communities given individual or group. This can greatly that to counter extremism, prevention reduce the prevalence of the problem.15 measures should improve critical thinking. These thoughts have been articulated The IC Thinking method develops in diferent ways by counter-extremism complex values-based reasoning around think tanks, prevention providers and these ‘hot’ issues used to bifurcate the government bodies around the world, social world and polarise social groups. calling for schools-based critical thinking It is important that these are explored counter-extremism curricula. Better in an open-ended way from multiple thinking abilities need also to draw viewpoints, through multiple interactive on values and social intelligence, and learning styles. This enables the education to support this should be made development of a more diferentiated, available as widely as possible to reduce but integrated, understanding of one’s the prevalence of constricted perception in- and out-groups’ value hierarchies, and worldviews that mark conflict and whilst preserving the core of one’s own extremism. value position. The method enables an understanding of emotional states and IC abilities, and their equivalents, how these can motivate violence due to empower people to engage more fully their impact on thinking and perception. with wider society by increasing their The net result is that participants develop ability to perceive some validity in a larger, more complex problem space, opposing viewpoints, and providing validated by the intervention peer group, methods to integrate those viewpoints along with meta-cognitive and emotional with their own for practical solutions management skills that are transferable without a loss of value integrity. These to a range of life challenges. This also skills in ‘critical thinking plus’ are needed

45 SARA SAVAGE

for resolving practical social, economic behind this approach should encourage and political problems that give rise to policy makers that this would not be a extremism in the ﬁrst place. The evidence wasted efort.

Endnotes

1. J. Ginges, S. Atran, S. Sachdeva and D. Medin, ‘Psychology out of the Laboratory: The Challenge of Violent Extremism’, American Psychologist, Vol. 66, 2011, pp. 507–519.

2. H. Tajfel, Human Groups and Social Categories: Studies in Social Psychology, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1981.

3. M. Jurgensmeyer, ‘Religion and Conﬂict in Global Perspective’, in D. Cere and T. Thorp (eds.), Religion and Conﬂict: Responding to the Challenges, London, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2014, pp. 14-20.

4. L. Festinger, R. Riecken and S. Schacter, When Prophecy Fails, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 1956.

5. O. Roy, Holy Ignorance: When Religion and Culture Part Ways, London, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 2010.

6. P. Suedfeld, ‘Cognitive Processing of Politics and Politicians: Archival Studies of Conceptual and Integrative Complexity’, Journal of Personality, Vol. 78, 2010, pp. 1669-1702; S. Savage, ‘Head and Heart in Preventing Religious Radicalization’, in F. Watts and G. Dumbreck (eds.), Head and Heart: Perspectives from Religion and Psychology, Pennsylvania, Templeton Press, 2013, pp. 157-194.

7. L.C. Conway, L.J. Gornick, S. Houck, K.H. Towgood and K.R. Conway, ‘The Hidden Implications of Radical Group Rhetoric: Integrative Complexity and Terrorism’, Dynamics of Asymmetric

46 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Conﬂict: Pathways Toward Terrorism and Genocide, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2011, [http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rdac20], pp. 155-165.

8. P. Suedfeld, R. Cross and C. Logan, ‘Can Thematic Analysis Separate the Pyramid of Ideas from the Pyramid of Actions? A Comparison Among Diferent Degrees of Commitment to Violence’, in H. Cabayan, V. Sitterle and M. Yandura (eds.), Looking Back, Looking Forward: Perspectives on Terrorism and Responses to It, Strategic Multi-layer Assessment White Paper, Washington DC, Pentagon, September 2013, pp. 61-68.

9. P. Suedfeld, ‘Cognitive Processing of Politics and Politicians’, op. cit.; P. Suedfeld, D. Leighton and L. Conway, ‘Integrative Complexity and Cognitive Management in International Confrontations: Research and Potential Applications’, in M. Fitzduf and C.E. Stout (eds.), The Psychology of Resolving Global Conﬂicts: From War to Peace, Vol. 1, New York, Praeger, 2005, pp. 211-237.

10. C. McCauley and S. Moskalenko, ‘Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: Pathways Toward Terrorism’, Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 415–433.

11. S. Savage, A. Khan and J. Liht, ‘Preventing Violent Extremism in Kenya through Value Complexity: Being Kenyan Being Muslim’, Journal of Strategic Security, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2014, pp. 1-26.

12. G. Baker-Brown, E.J. Ballard, S. Bluck, B. de Vries, P. Suedfeld, and P.E. Tetlock, ‘The Conceptual/Integrative Complexity Scoring Manual’, in C.P. Smith (ed.), Motivation and Personality: Handbook of Thematic Content Analysis, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 401-418.

13. For more information about IC Thinking, please see www. ICTcambridge.org and www.iseescotland.org.uk.

14. L.J. Liht and S. Savage, ‘Preventing Violent Extremism Through Value Complexity: Being Muslim Being British’, Journal of Strategic Security, Vol. 6, No. 4, 2013, pp. 44-66.

15. G. Caplan, Principles of Preventive Psychiatry, London, Tavistock, 1964.

16. E. Boyd-MacMillan and S. Savage, ‘A New Intervention for Intra-Christian Sectarianism: I SEE! Life Skills for a Changing Scotland’, forthcoming.

47 AUTHOR

FERIHA PERACHA RAAFIA RAEES KHAN ASMA AYUB KANZA AIJAZ

Dr Feriha Peracha is a Clinical and Neuro-Psychologist (PhD, University College London) and is the CEO of Social Welfare Academics and Training organisation (SWAaT), a charity working to prevent and counter violent extremism in Pakistan. She has been the Director of Sabaoon (a residential centre for the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of adolescents involved in violent extremism) since 2009, and leads a dedicated and committed team of psychologists.

Raaﬁa Raees Khan (MPhil Clinical and Counselling Psychology) is Vice-CEO of SWAaT and oversees the monitoring of the reintegrated Sabaoon graduates.

Asma Ayub (MSc and ADCP, Clinical Psychology) oversees SWAaT’s deradicalisation programmes in Quetta and Bara, Peshawer.

Kanza Aijaz (MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from King’s College, London) is an Assistant Programme Manager in SWAaT’s Monitoring Team and a researcher.

48 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Case Study: Pakistan IMPROVE CRITICAL EDUCATION, IMPROVE PREVENTION: LESSONS FROM DERADICALISING YOUNG TALIBAN FIGHTERS

In Pakistan, widespread poverty, a heavily strained school system and an indoctrinatory mode of learning are leaving young people vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremist groups. Sabaoon, a deradicalisation and rehabilitation project for young militant fighters in Swat, provides evidence of these as significant underlying factors. There is a lot to learn about preventing radicalisation from this work, write Feriha Peracha, Raafia Raees Khan, Asma Ayub and Kanza Aijaz.

Pakistan has sufered significantly for what needs to be done to prevent the from terrorism over recent years. growth of extremism worldwide. Most horrifying is the use of young people in suicide attacks, and attacks Sabaoon is a flagship project, initiated on young people. The mass shooting by the Pakistan Army in 2009, which at the Army Public School, Peshawar, rehabilitates adolescent and pre- which killed over 130 students, or the adolescent male members of extremist shooting of Malala Yousafzai at point groups apprehended by the army in blank range in October 2012 are just Swat and surrounding areas. SWAaT’s two such incidents. Unfortunately this team of psychologists have developed a violence would seem set to continue as highly individualised model that includes widespread poverty and poor education mainstream education, vocational fail to provide hope to young people for training and psychosocial support (figure their future, nor the ability to build their one).1 resilience to extremist narratives. Class sizes, the school dropout rate and the Profiles of the 230 young people at mode and form of teaching discourage Sabaoon between September 2009 and questioning and enquiry, making young September 2015, suggests the following people vulnerable to indoctrination, common traits: radicalisation and recruitment by extremist organisations. 1. Inductees were between 14 and 17 with a mean average age of 15.6. For over six years now, the Social They are generally the middle Welfare Academics and Training children from a large family (mean organisation (SWAaT) has been working size of eight, maximum of 24), to deradicalise and rehabilitate former where the biological father is often militant youth, involved in violent absent (mostly working abroad in extremist activities, through the Sabaoon the Middle East). centre (meaning first ray of sunlight at 2. Inductees have low socioeconomic dawn) in Swat, Pakistan. Our findings status, coming from high poverty demonstrate the impact that can be backgrounds of around 15,000- made by improvements in the education 20,000 Pakistani Rupees per system, and have important implications month (approximately 90-120

49 PERACHA, KHAN, AYUB & AIJAZ

Britsh Pounds or 140-190 United and self-identity, anger management, States (US) Dollars). They will problem solving and decision-making, generally have dropped out of critical thinking, logical reasoning, and school or been truant and are largely to extra-curricular activities. Corrective illiterate, and may have run away religious instruction is given to from home as well. They have lacked counteract the indoctrination the young supervision of their activities. people have received from these groups, 3. Inductees lack critical thinking or with interactive sessions designed to logical reasoning skills, and have emphasise tolerance rather than focusing little religious understanding of their solely on Islam. Common themes of own faith and almost none of other other existing religions are also discussed. faiths. 4. Inductees often display signs of Sabaoon has successfully reintegrated head injury and the possibility of 164 individuals so far, and, with soft neuropathology. continuing support and monitoring, there has been no recidivism, a fact that The most poignant impression gained is internationally recognised. Sabaoon from these analyses is that these are not graduates are acting as ambassadors in dangerous children, but that they can be their own communities and across Swat made to behave in dangerous ways. and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More than 50 per cent are pursuing academic goals These detailed proﬁles of each young and hope to establish careers. Many are person’s motivations to join an extremist training in vocational skills and, where organisation are gathered and used possible, are providing free services in to determine new coping strategies. their own communities. Emphasis is given to building self-esteem

FIGURE 1: Sabaoon’s deradicalisation and rehabilitation model

• Intake Narrative • Family Narrative • Psychometric • Community Visit and Risk ASSESSMENT AT Assestment Evaluation INDUCTION

• Mainstream Education • Psychosocial Support • Vocational Training • Sports and Recreation • Corrective Religious INTERVENTION Instruction

• Post Reintegration • Monitoring for the Monitoring Prevention of Recidivism • Reinduction (Re-engagement into REINTEGRATION Militancy)

50 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Our findings highlight two key aspects translation, when verses were misquoted of education that policy makers must from the Quran they accepted false address if extremism is to be prevented, narratives without verification. Rote especially in developing countries or learning makes the teacher’s job easier, regions. but for students it raises their anxiety about being ‘wrong’ and makes them First, an important aspect in these hesitant to ask questions. Independent interventions must be the raising thinking is discouraged in such large class of young people’s logical reasoning sizes. and critical thinking skills. Our initial assessments of critical thinking and Furthermore, based on our analysis of logical reasoning skills amongst students information from inductees, families and joining Sabaoon, using Raven’s Standard ex-terrorists, we have distinguished that Progressive Matrices (SPM), are dismal. allocation of responsibilities at training A lack of these skills is strongly related camps or markaz is given by commanders to being easily indoctrinated. By way based on levels of cognitive ability. Those of demonstration, it is widely believed with lower cognitive function, the young among inductees that, despite the or poorly educated, are given menial evidence in front of their eyes, the or short-lived jobs, including suicide soldiers at checkpoints belong to the US missions. Army rather than the Pakistan Army. Furthermore, they have been led to Critical thinking is essential to believe that “It is written in the Quran deradicalisation. Our initial assessments that the Pakistan Army personnel are of inductees reflect the severity of the kafirs or murtids (non believers) and jihad problem, as only one individual secured is to kill them”, and that directions to kill the average 50th percentile and no US soldiers are also given in the Quran. individual scored higher. However, as This despite the obvious fact that neither demonstrated in figure two, after a nine- the USA nor Pakistan existed 1400 years month intervention at Sabaoon, eight ago, which makes it impossible for either individuals achieved the average 50th to be mentioned in the Quran. percentile, and an additional four reached the 75th percentile. At another project This is a clear indication that the Pakistani undertaken in Quetta called Umeed-e- public school system does not develop Nau, findings from a smaller group of 15 students’ ability to question information, students again shows a significant change meaning that they simply accept these in pre and post scores following a year of dictated narratives from figures of academic and psychosocial intervention authority. This is perhaps unsurprising (figure three). given that teachers are overstretched with classes of 80-100 students, The significant diference in the results allowing little tolerance for questions and shown in figure three reinforces the certainly no time to provide the answers. fact that even over a short intervention Rote learning is the mode that prevails period, eforts to improve the critical for academic success, and the Quran is thinking skills, using education methods learnt by rote in Arabic, a language 99 per that encourage inquiry and vocational cent do not understand. As most young training, have significant impact on the people have never read the Quran with students, particularly if the teacher

51 PERACHA, KHAN, AYUB & AIJAZ

FIGURE 2: Sabaoon SPM assessment, number of people per percentile pre- and post-intervention (December 2009-December 2010)

80 Pre Post 70

30 NO. OF PARTICIPANTS NO. 20

0 5th %ile 10th %ile 25th %ile 50th %ile 75th %ile to student ratio is favourable. This women) – becomes a potent stimulus improvement has obvious impact on for joining these groups. However, as the student’s ability to critique and economic indicators go down, the need for assess false narratives. On this basis, it religious narratives also declines. A young is fundamentally important that policy boy earning two US Dollars per week is makers work to incorporate such methods easily enticed by twenty US Dollars to into their country’s education curriculum place an IED at any given location. In in order to prevent extremism. Swat, as a majority of the population is under the age of 15, and considering Second, where education does not school attendance and the school provide the hope to escape poverty, dropout rate, it may be extrapolated that provide an explanation of grievances, approximately 200,000, or almost 25 or contribute to the production of per cent of, young people are vulnerable constructive and attainable goals, young and at risk of recruitment by extremist or people are particularly vulnerable to terrorist groups. extremism. Contrary to Sageman and others,2 our ﬁndings support Noricks’s However, we have found that a short data that shows a negative correlation intervention focused on improving between a state’s wealth and terrorist critical thinking skills actually increases activities within that state.3 Where school enrolment, attendance and school dropout rates are high, due to a grades, halting or decreasing the drop need to work or because schooling seems out rates in secondary and high schools. pointless, recruitment is pervasive. This signiﬁcantly alters the likelihood of a young person being radicalised or The promise of extremist religious recruited into an extremist or terrorist narratives – a bountiful life after death, organisation. free from stress, worries and with an abundance of hoors (beautiful young The School Intervention Programme

52 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

FIGURE 3: Quetta SPM assessment, raw scores per person pre- and post-intervention.

50 Pre Post 40

20 RAW SCORE RAW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 PARTICIPANT

(SIP) was started in the most vulnerable enhance critical thinking in the student areas of Swat where recruitment to population. These cover teaching extremism has been the highest. It is strategies that focus on active listening important to note that even though and interactive learning through research we were unable to improve the overall projects in study-based clubs (such as teacher to student ratio, encouraging debating or science). study clubs, debating and literary interests by providing libraries and With minimum intervention, the student improving access to computers does have dropout rate fell from 32 per cent in an impact on reasoning abilities. 2012 to negligible levels of 0.5 per cent in 2013 (where this remainder indicates SIP was implemented in ﬁve schools individuals who have migrated to other reaching approximately 4,500 students. schools or joined the workforce). Figure In addition to improving classroom four shows that SIP efected an overall resources and access to the Internet improvement of 12 per cent in critical (and therefore exposure to the world thinking (as assessed by SPM) across the and beyond), teacher training modules ﬁve schools over a 12-month period. The were conducted after a thorough GAP improvement in critical thinking allows analysis to assess ways to develop and young people to assess the narratives

FIGURE 4: Logical reasoning and critical thinking skills assessed by SPM pre- and post-SIP intervention (December 2012-December 2013)

50 Pre Post 40

10 NO. OF PARTICIPANTS NO.

0 5th %ile 10th %ile 25th %ile 50th %ile 75th %ile 90th %ile 95th %ile

53 PERACHA, KHAN, AYUB & AIJAZ

provided by recruiters. Minimising average person has too much to lose.” the drop out rate suggests that there The average Pakistani has very little to has been no recruitment to extremist lose in material terms and supposedly organisations from these vulnerable everything to gain in investing in ‘life schools since the SIP intervention. after death’. Improving the quality of education improves the purpose of education, and We need to create an alternative. Our this is critical not only to providing an evidence demonstrates the urgent need environment that is conducive to building to forge partnerships for education, resilience amongst young people, but to health and economic uplift amongst poor keeping them in school in the ﬁrst place. and vulnerable communities in order to prevent extremism. Policy makers should It is well documented in the US State work to improve existing school systems Department report of 2014 that by providing supplemental resources neither economic sanctions nor military to encourage practices that inculcate reprisals have proved to be successful in critical thinking. This will not only increase efecting positive changes to the policies the chance that young people will not of countries designated as terrorism accept the narratives given by extremist sponsors.4 Beate Hermilin once said, recruiters, but can prevent extremism “there is little likelihood of a war in being a necessary or attractive option. Europe and the Americas again; the

54 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. More on their work can be found in Peracha, Khan, Ahmad, Khan, Hussein and Choudry, ‘Socio Demographic Variables in the Vulnerable Youth Predisposed Towards Militancy (Swat, Pakistan)’, Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2012, pp. 439-447.

2. M. Sageman, Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the 21st Century, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.

3. D.M.E. Noricks, ‘The root causes of terrorism’, in P.K. Davis and K. Cragin (eds.), Social Science for Counterterrorism: Putting the Pieces Together, Santa Monica, RAND Corporation, 2009, [http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG849. pdf].

4. BBC, ‘Terror attacks increased by a third in 2014, US says’, 19 June 2015, [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us- canada-33206784].

55 AUTHOR

JO MALONE Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Jo Malone is a Senior Project Manager at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation where she has responsibility for projects and elements of programmes related to dialogue and education. She joined the Faith Foundation at the inception of the Face to Faith programme and has played a lead role in its development. Malone is a Religious Education advisor in the UK, a member of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales and a professional member of various educational bodies in the UK. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was for 14 years a class teacher and a curriculum and pastoral manager in various state secondary schools in England as well as working as a consultant for safeguarding projects and for examination boards.

56 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

EDUCATING TO PROTECT YOUNG PEOPLE AGAINST EXTREMISM

Education remains our best hope of preventing extremism in the long-term, if we emphasise the aspects of education that can protect young people against radicalisation to extremism. For some educational systems this means rethinking their education priorities and introducing new approaches to teaching and learning. Governments urgently need to invest in teacher training and educational resources to implement these changes, writes Jo Malone.

The role of education in preventing extremist ideology more young people extremism is paradoxical. Access to will be recruited, perpetuating the cycle education in general or the raising of violence. While education in general of attainment alone will not combat may not prevent extremism, there are extremism and terrorism. Many recruits five aspects to education that do. Policy are better educated than the average makers need to ensure that education population, but they tend to lack critical opens minds, builds critical thinking, inter-religious and inter-cultural literacy. increases cultural and religious literacy, Extremists also use a narrow curriculum and allows young people to explore and teaching approach to close the their multiple identities and belonging minds of students and indoctrinate to develop citizenship. Across all of this, them with extreme narratives, values teachers need support and training in and interpretations of scripture that appropriate teaching approaches. create a binary worldview that justifies violence. Boko Haram and Taliban To counter extreme and divisive funded madrassas, for example, are well narratives and ideology, education must documented. Consider also the current open the minds of young people to be Safronisation of the curriculum in India comfortable with diversity and diference, under the Bharatiya Janata Party or reducing misunderstanding, prejudice the content of Saudi textbooks that are and stereotypes. It is important that exported globally. Western education young people can diferentiate between systems also struggle to adequately diferent value positions, respecting and protect students, demonstrated by high appreciating that each has its worth for profile cases of young people leaving to the person or people holding it; what join violent extremist groups abroad or Savage terms ‘Developed Integrative plotting attacks at home. Complexity’ (IC). It is significant that research shows that lowered IC (a more Yet used efectively, education remains closed minded and simplistic thinking our best hope to prevent extremism process) “acts as an amplifier for in the long-term. Despite billions vulnerability to extremism”. invested by governments to fight violent extremism, terrorist attacks increased by In order to open minds, education needs 300 per cent between 2007 and 2013.1 to provide students with exposure to, Unless we can prevent radicalisation to and lived experience of, the other.

57 JO MALONE

Experiential learning encourages enquiry as rote learning, for student-centred and openness to new information and practices can dramatically improve interpretations as well as deepening critical thinking, as Peracha et al show. understanding of those diferent to Teachers feel unsupported, which we ourselves. By teaching dialogue skills we have seen reflected in reactions to the can give students a voice, helping them training and resources we provide for to better negotiate diference. In the Face to Faith. This is especially evident Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Face to in videoconferences where one teacher Faith programme, for example, we do has used our methods and engaged their this through safe online interaction and students with the resources thoroughly videoconferencing, with teaching advice and another has not. The quality of on creating safe spaces for dialogue and students’ dialogue skills and consequently opportunities for encountering those the learning they can take away from the of diferent cultures, faiths and beliefs. encounter in the latter is far below that Policy makers can learn a lot from this of the former. experience and from the lessons learnt by other NGOs that have undertaken Open-mindedness will only be similar work, the resources that have been achieved, however, if young people tried and tested, and the approaches that are more culturally and religiously get the best results. Partnerships should literate. Students should understand be developed to mainstream the best the teachings and beliefs of their own interventions.3 faith (if they have one) and learn about other world religions and the beliefs Critical thinking enables open enquiry of those in their communities so that and the appreciation of diference. This they have the knowledge to question is the overriding theme that comes misinterpretations of religious texts from Savage’s and Peracha, Khan, Ayub and teachings. Education reform and and Aijaz’s articles. Their evaluation improvement must extend to the reform demonstrates that logical reasoning of religious education. If the young men and critical thinking skills can inoculate at Sabaoon had learnt Arabic or had against indoctrination, enabling young high quality translations of the Quran people to critically assess and engage available, for example, they may have with arguments presented to them. This been able to engage with its teachings has also been our finding from Face to and rebut the Taliban’s narratives. Faith. Our experience is that students better understand the values, beliefs Professor Robert Jackson goes a step and lives of others if they have critically further suggesting that education systems evaluated their own influences and how should also ofer the opportunities for their assumptions are formed. We also young people to understand the life lived need to teach young people to be critical of faith and belief. consumers of the media and of what they see, hear and read online. Education that includes knowledge of the other involves Improving the quality of education by a moral and ethical position and is reducing the student to teacher ratio and not merely a cognitive function. investing in teacher training to exchange The opportunity to question teacher-centred approaches, such and challenge through dialogue

58 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

and relevance to students’ of belonging and identity. Peracha et al experiences are essential for have identified self-esteem and identity developing empathy. This as factors that pulled the young boys at form of education, along with Sabaoon into the Taliban, and these play the promotion of a counter- a significant part in their successful de- narrative, can prepare students radicalisation programme. Elsewhere, to develop the ability to critique for the white supremacist this can mean extremist ideologies and refrain the thrill of joining a secretive group from succumbing to its sway.4 such as The American Front, Wiking- Jugend or Combat 18, to name a few This importance of experiential learning from the hundreds that exist. For the directly with and from one another about Islamist extremist this is a sense of how their beliefs, faiths and values impact belonging to the Ummah, being an Ally their lives can change stereotypes and of Allah, the act of Takfir and identifying biases, as, for example with this United as an underdog.6 By exploring identity States student and the burqa. Her and belonging, education can improve teacher reports that, “The response of citizenship helping to tie people to their the female student in Pakistan caught her communities and reducing the pull of by surprise. She remarked in class later extreme groups. Across the international that day that the belief that covering a community, citizenship education woman’s body actually extols a woman’s is seen as a vital part of preventing dignity and value was one she had never extremism. Indeed, done well, action- considered.” based citizenship can help young people to feel a part of increasingly diverse Importantly, open-minded, critical communities. education helps young people to explore and understand the complexity of their Open-minded, experiential education multiple identities and to develop a sense that includes dialogue should be a part of belonging in their communities. Some of this. A group of students in Devon, young Muslims in the West, especially United Kingdom, participating in Face those from second or third generation to Faith, for instance, were, according diaspora communities, are struggling to their teacher, “in a fixed-mind-set with an identity crisis. Elsewhere young about Islam. [They had a] deep-rooted people can feel torn by the consequences ignorance that all Muslims are terrorists of globalisation. In looking for both a and should ‘go home’.” After using sense of identity and belonging, religion the Face to Faith resources and being can fill the gap. If young people feel connected with a group of Muslim alienated both from their minority, students who could challenge these ethnic or parental culture and from the stereotypes and prejudices, the teacher majority mainstream culture, they may reports that, “The change in attitude be unable or unwilling to fulfil either these boys had after the videoconference group’s normative expectations. Religion was extraordinary – something which is can become the principal anchor of one of the most memorable moments of identity.5 my teaching career.”

One of the most attractive allures To prevent extremism, governments must ofered by extremist groups is a sense commit to implementing reforms that

59 JO MALONE

embed these five aspects of education. of good practice. To help teachers, there Across all five, teacher training and should be careful scrutiny of materials resource creation are urgent priorities. that are used in the classroom to Unless teachers have appropriate content ensure that they promote plurality and and are confident about delivering it, inclusivity and do not denigrate groups educating to prevent extremism will not or communities. Governments must succeed. Governments must invest in ensure that standards are maintained identifying and developing appropriate by setting up monitoring processes so pedagogical approaches and in improving that young people have the best quality teacher training. Opportunities should be education possible. We all have a duty of created for teachers to access continued care to protect young people against the professional development and build risks of being drawn into extremism and professional communities for the sharing terrorism. Education allows us to do this.

60 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. P.G. Wasielewski study of 172 al-Qaeda terrorists concludes, in ‘Deﬁning the War on Terror’, Joint Force Quarterly, Vol. 44, 1st Quarter, 2007, that they were mainly comprised of middle to upper class, highly educated men. A.B. Krueger supports this in What Makes a Terrorist: Economics and the Roots of Terrorism, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2007, pointing out that 65 per cent of suicide bombers in Gaza between the late 1980s and May 2002 had high-school level education or higher, compared to 15 per cent of the population in Gaza. From 250 interviews with extremists, N. Hassan concludes, in ‘An Arsenal of Believers’, The New Yorker, 19 November 2001, [http://www. newyorker.com/magazine/2001/11/19/an-arsenal-of-believers], that the vast majority lack inter-religious and inter-cultural literacy.

2. A. Biglan, ‘Where Terrorism Research Goes Wrong’, The New York Times, 6 March 2015, [http://www.nytimes. com/2015/03/08/opinion/sunday/where-terrorism-research- went-wrong.html?_r=1].

3. Alongside Face to Faith [http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/ projects/supporting-next-generation], governments could seek the support of The British Council’s Connecting Classrooms [https://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassrooms- learning/home], Global Nomads [http://gng.org/], Soliya [http:// www.soliya.net/], iEarn [http://www.iearn.org/], Three Faiths Forum [http://www.3f.org.uk/schools/], or Skype classroom [https://education.microsoft.com/skypeintheclassroom], to name a few.

4. R. Jackson, ‘Signposts’: Policy and Practice for Teaching about Religions and Non-Religious Worldviews in Intercultural Education, Strasbourg, Council of Europe Publishing, 2014.

5. A. Awan, Fundamentalism for Dummies and Losers: Understanding the Rise of Religious Identities in the Light of the Charlie Hebdo Attacks, Paper presented at Open University conference Social Media, Religion and Political Violence Forum, 15 June 2015.

6. See ‘Group Identity’, in E. El-Badawy, M. Comerford and P. Welby, Inside the Jihadi Mind: Understanding Ideology and Propaganda, London, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2015, [http:// www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/reports- analysis/report/inside-jihadi-mind], p. 39.

Section Three ENGAGING COMMUNITIES Prevention requires a whole of society approach to undermine extremism. AUTHOR

ALPASLAN ÖZERDEM Coventry University

Professor Alpaslan Özerdem is Co-Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK. With over 20 years of field research experience in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka and Turkey, he specialises in the politics of humanitarian interventions, disaster response, conflict prevention, the reintegration of former combatants, and post-conflict state building. Özerdem has also taken an active role in the initiation and management of several advisory and applied research projects for a wide range of national and international organisations such as the United Nations and international NGOs. He has undertaken numerous research projects including for the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council on faith-based conflict prevention; the British Academy on youth and peace-building; the US Institute of Peace on reintegration of ex-combatants; and on conflict transformation and leadership. Özerdem has published extensively including Post War Recovery: Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration for I.B. Tauris in 2008; co-author of Managing Emergencies and Crises for Jones & Bartlett in 2011; co-editor of Child Soldiers: From Recruitment to Reintegration for Palgrave Macmillan in 2011; co-author of Peace in Turkey 2023: The Question of Human Security and Conflict Transformation for Lexington Books in 2013; co-editor of Human Security in Turkey for Routledge in 2013; co-author of Youth in Conflict and Peacebuilding: Mobilization, Reintegration and Reconciliation for Palgrave in 2015; and co-editor of Local Ownership in International Peacebuilding for Routledge in 2015. Professor Özerdem is also President of the Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN), a UK based think tank.

64 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TO PREVENT EXTREMISM IN CONFLICT- AFFECTED ENVIRONMENTS

Conﬂict transformation and peace-building eforts have a large role to play in building resilience amongst communities to pressures exerted by extremists. A community’s ability to secure and sustain its own resources and be responsible for determining its own future creates greater solidarity against insurgents. But this approach must come through a community- based process of building understanding and dialogue if it is to create a lasting solution, writes Alpaslan Özerdem.

The last decade has seen an important or other imbalances. As such, peace- shift take place within peace-building builders cannot simply aim to rebuild discourse toward more inclusive and societies as they were. Rather, they participatory modes of working. This must seek to understand how societies, has sparked interest in community- identities, group boundaries and roles based approaches and seen previous have transformed, and incorporate peace-building paradigms criticised for this into participatory community overlooking the importance of local interventions.2 ownership, with a lack of programming, research and analysis taking place at this Despite the toll that conflict can take level.1 The importance of community- on communities, they have often based approaches for appropriately proved to be the most resilient in the addressing the extensive needs of face of humanitarian crises caused conflict and post-conflict societies is by war or conflict. Many conflict- further highlighted by the emerging afected societies typically have public challenge of extremism in conflict- institutions that are weak or divisive, afected environments. Contexts such as and communities will often step into Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, the Philippines the breach to provide basic services and and Somalia, have made clear the coping mechanisms for survival. As such importance of paying particular attention there is significant mileage in engaging to the resilience of communities for communities in conflict transformation preventing extremism. and in other related activities such as tension monitoring, relief work and Conflict-afected communities often reconstruction. find themselves radically altered in the aftermath of mass violence and this may This is because community-based have a profound efect on their capacities approaches transform conflict from the to build peace and guard against extreme bottom up, empowering local community voices in their midst. Some groups may groups, and in turn institutions, by giving be under or over represented vis-à- the community direct control over vis pre-conflict levels, due perhaps to decision-making. They can be used to displacement or deaths. Populations build social capital in divided societies can be left with serious gender, ethnic by providing safe spaces for interaction,

65 ALPASLAN ÖZERDEM

communication and joint decision- wielded by the state may compensate for making, as well as communicating and weak capacity by adding the leverage of responding to local priorities throughout imprisonment or reprisal by the military. the conflict and in its aftermath. Targeted violence on civilians may seek However, this capacity is put at risk to ofset or undermine the government’s under the strain of competing bids for primary role of protection, making it support and loyalty from participants imperative to rely on stronger rebels in the conflict. Building community for security in areas controlled by them. resilience really matters, therefore, Credible security guarantees from rebels in regard to community-combatant can incentivise civilian support for them.7 relations. This is particularly important, Changes in relations between rebels and as non-state armed group interaction civilians are relative to rebel capability with the community can be mutually and the dynamic of the contest between reinforcing, predatory, protective or even insurgents and government. Hence, symbiotic.3 Armed groups often rely on sympathy for, and collaboration with, civilians to provide sanctuary, provisions, rebels is contingent on the latter’s ability information and other resources, placing to protect in the long-term. Conversely, strain on a community’s ability to fill indiscriminate violence may render the gap left by the absence of state civilians indiferent in their support structures.4 to either side or simply lead them to evacuate.8 Key trends in current research highlight the nature of insurgency as being Organisational weakness can translate the primary determinant of rebel into violence directed towards civilians behaviour towards local communities. since governance provision and related While opportunistic rebellions permit benefits are less likely to be ofered indiscipline in their ranks to maintain making it difcult to secure loyalty membership and retain recruits, through peaceful means. Strong rebel predation is closely linked with limited groups often present a mix of selective access and heightened competition incentives and selective repression to for resources and recruitment pools.5 entice support. Government counter- Insurgent violence ofers a strategic insurgency strategies that are premised tool for controlling local population and on indiscriminate regime violence can resources critical for group sustenance. also undermine local support and result in the rebels being the populace’s preferred Another strand of research investigates security providers. presence or lack of group competition and active rivalry as the defining variable The transformative approach to peace- of rebel behaviour.6 Civilians are at the building and reconciliation recognises centre of competing incentives from these tensions and their consequences rebel and government forces for loyalty, for communities and seeks to identify support and local resources. Selective the means to build resilience to them and incentives in the arena of public services, bring about a lasting solution through wages or security by either side may dialogue and exchange. This solution make afliation fluid and contingent on should be based on meeting the needs of who ofers better benefits. Legal power each party, and can involve major social,

66 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

economic and political restructuring to elements amongst them. The diferences move towards a more just and equitable within each group are so significant society. In the transformative view, that creating the conditions for conflict conflict and change are recognised transformation amongst them is likely to as normal parts of human life. They be as difcult as for a political settlement are neither inherently positive nor between the two sides. Conflict negative and can often provide us with transformation strategies at grassroots opportunities to create constructive levels with the full engagement of change processes that reduce violence communities will likely bear much more and increase social justice. efective and sustainable outcomes.

Therefore, in seeking to assist Secondly, in building resilience we need communities in transforming conflict by to be acutely attentive to ensuring that building their resilience, there are three processes of transformation are locally core principles that should be noted. owned. A peace-building process that Firstly, conflict transformation should be places external actors in the driving pursued through means that are actively seat imposing peace from above is non-violent. Non-violence involves fundamentally at odds with a conflict a conscious and deliberate restraint transformative approach. External from violence in circumstances where assistance might be required to kick- this might be expected, in a context start and create enabling conditions for of contention between two or more dialogue, but external actors must act as adversaries. Active non-violence is at the facilitators rather than decision-makers heart of conflict transformation, as a deep if the local actors are to have a strong and sustaining solution requires dialogue sense of ownership. There is now an and accommodation between the conflict urgent need, well recognised by peace- parties that cannot be achieved in a building practitioners, to move beyond context of violence or coercion. In other assumed problem identification and words, such an approach needs to be inferred community needs towards more informed by a commitment to the study participatory and demand-led modes of of how to wage conflict non-violently and action. promote peace, justice and human rights through peaceful means.9 Local ownership is a frequently used term within peace-building and can connote For this, it is essential to understand local buy-in, consultation, participation, intra-group conflicts in order to create and/or leadership. Yet even with the the conditions of harmony and co- recent move towards more local level existence that can build the unity programming work in peace-building, required for community resilience. For local ownership has not always been example, the end of the Israel-Palestine guaranteed. It is important to make the conflict has long been considered as distinction between community-centred needing a resolution between the two initiatives, where peace-building is placed parties through third party engagement. within local communities but others retain However, neither Palestinians nor Israelis decision-making power, and community- could be considered a homogeneous based initiatives where communities are entity and are therefore both susceptible in full control of the process. While there to being influenced by more extreme is a lack of consensus as to what level of

67 ALPASLAN ÖZERDEM

ownership yields the greatest results, Again, international actors should act as there is a general consensus that there facilitators to enable local actors to find is not enough emphasis on ensuring their own path to peace, rather than local ownership within current practice. leading it themselves. In other words, This negatively afects perceptions of international actors need to revisit legitimacy on the ground and also misses their traditional ways of responding to an opportunity for building capacity and these challenges in a top-down way, ensuring sustainability.10 and be prepared for not only listening to what local communities say, but Finally, it is imperative that this also to act upon what they say through respect for local ownership over peace- their means of facilitation, support and building processes is embedded within a empowerment. supportive context. Local actors must be properly linked within the wider system By empowering communities to maintain in a way that supports integrated peace- cohesive, sustainable resilience as a building and sustains resilience.The group during and after conflict in these political reality of peace-building is such ways, the ability of communities to resist that material and non-material support and prevent extreme voices within their from external actors is a key determinant midst will be strengthened. This in turn of success. The crucial factor is in how decreases the likelihood of prolonged this support is channelled and how and diversified conflict, and increases the relationships between local and non-local chance of lasting peace when a resolution actors are formed. is found.

68 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. R. Mac Ginty, ‘Everyday Peace: Bottom-up and Local Agency in Conﬂict-Afected Societies’, Security Dialogue, Vol. 45, No. 6, 2014, pp. 548-564.

2. H. Haider, Community-Based Approaches to Peacebuilding in Conﬂict-Afected and Fragile Contexts, Birmingham, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, 2009.

3. W. Reno, ‘Patronage Politics and the Behaviour of Armed Groups’, Civil Wars, Vol. 9, No. 4, 2006, pp. 324-42.

4. T.D. Mason, ‘Insurgency, Counterinsurgency, and the Rational Peasant’, Public Choice, Vol. 86, No. 1–2, 1996, pp. 63-83.

5. J.M. Weinstein, Inside Rebellion: The Politics of Insurgent Violence, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2006.

6. C.M. Metelits, ‘The Consequences of Rivalry: Explaining Insurgent Violence Using Fuzzy Sets’, Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 62, 2009, pp. 673-84.

7. S.N. Kalyvas, The Logic of Violence in Civil War, Cambridge MA, Cambridge University Press, 2006.

8. W.H. Moore, ‘Rational Rebels: Overcoming the Free-Rider Problem’, Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2, 1995, pp. 417-34.

9. R.M. Wood, ‘Rebel Capability and Strategic Violence Against Civilians’, Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 47, No. 5, 2010, pp. 601-14.

10. S.Y. Lee and A. Ozerdem (eds.), Local Ownership in International Peacebuilding: Key Theoretical and Practical Issues, London, Routledge, 2015.

69 AUTHOR

BRIAN GRIM Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Brian J. Grim (PhD) is president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) and a leading expert on international religious demography and the socioeconomic impact of restrictions on religious freedom. He holds a visiting professorship at St. Mary’s, Twickenham, where he is developing the RFBF’s Empowerment+ initiative to increase religious freedom by countering radicalisation. Brian also supports and works closely with the ‘Business for Peace’ platform of the United Nations Global Compact. Brian is a member of the World Economic Forum’s council on the role of faith and is an advisor for the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He is an associate scholar at the Religious Liberty Project at Georgetown University and an afliated scholar at Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion and World Afairs. Prior to becoming RFBF’s president in 2014, Brian directed the largest social science efort to collect and analyse global data on religion at the Pew Research Center. He also worked for two decades as an educator in the former Soviet Union, China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Brian holds a doctorate in sociology from the Pennsylvania State University and is author of numerous articles and books including with Roger Finke The Price of Freedom Denied for Cambridge University Press in 2011; with Todd Johnson The World’s Religions in Figures for Wiley in 2013; with Johnson, Vegard Skirbekk and Gina Zurlo the annual Yearbook of International Religious Demography for Brill; and is co-editor of The World Religion Database for Brill. Grim writes the Weekly Number Blog and also is a TEDx speaker. For more information about the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, please visit www. religiousfreedomandbusiness.org.

70 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT: AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TACKLE RADICALISATION

Diverse pathways to extremism exist, and complex patterns of grievances unique to each individual make identifying and combatting radicalisation difcult. Amongst these grievances, unemployment and poverty are signiﬁcant. The solution to radicalisation needs to look beyond government programmes alone and also involve building relationships with those at risk, including through business and faith communities, argues Brian Grim.

The January 2015 attacks in Paris, recruit suicide bombers from the ranks of carried out by those with a reported link the poor and they look to the wealthy to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, for cash because, as observed in the Yale reafrmed an urgent question. If policing Review of International Studies, the rich European streets and co-ordinating “would rather donate their money than an international response to Islamist their sons to the cause.”4 extremism is not enough to stem the tide of radicalisation, what more should be More than that, extremists think done? The answer involves understanding strategically about business and the two things: the socio-economic context economy. The January attacks in Paris of the advance of Islamist extremists, targeted two local businesses connected especially the horrific advance of Islamic with much bigger industries: Hyper State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and the Cacher, the multi-billion dollar Kosher diverse social and personal pathways to food industry, and Charlie Hebdo, the radicalisation.1 multi-trillion dollar media industry. On a larger scale, the 9/11 al-Qaeda attack According to a Pew Research survey in on the World Trade Centre in New York 2013,2 in the years running up to the – soaring symbols of development and ISIS advance, the Iraqi public’s chief progress – was not a random choice. concern was unemployment. Less than In 2004, Osama bin Laden said in a half of those surveyed in Iraq considered taped speech, “We are continuing this conflict between religious groups to be policy in bleeding America to the point a very large problem. But by contrast, of bankruptcy. Every dollar of al-Qaeda three-quarters of those surveyed defeated a million dollars [spent by the considered unemployment to be a “very US], including the loss of a huge number large problem” for the country. Indeed, of jobs.”5 the lack of jobs arguably softened the ground for ISIS’s sudden advance. Some studies suggest that radical extremism can play a role during times Although research indicates that a of global economic downturn.6 Whether poor economy does not cause violent or not this is the case, the foreign policy extremism, it contributes to the focus of many of the world’s leading conditions that extremists can exploit.3 economies has without a doubt been on Indeed, extremists know how to use war and peace rather than business. poverty and wealth for their benefit. They

71 BRIAN GRIM

If violent extremists attack businesses leaders. In implementing them we often and take advantage of a bad economy overlook the way in which businesses and to sow seeds of religious discord and faith volunteers can build relationships violence, better business must be part with those at risk of radicalisation. of the response to radical extremism. This requires an understanding that the The instrumental link between social radicalisation process is not only social impact investing and countering but also deeply personal. radicalisation is person-to-person contact. Social investment that has The “pathway by which one person impact requires personal and business is radicalised can have a completely relationships characterised by love diferent efect on someone else”, and respect, not hate and intolerance. observes Rafaello Pantucci of London’s Accordingly, the need is for business RUSI think tank.7 A similar conclusion people in partnership with faith was reached by the Paris-based Centre volunteers to build personal relationships of Prevention of Sectarian Derivatives with those at risk of radicalisation. linked to Islam (CPDSI), which finds The involvement of interfaith teams that contemporary extremist discourse (including humanists) is a critical appeals to those from any background, component because countering religious not just those who are considered socially hate can most efectively be done with ‘at risk’.8 However, improving the lives “love of neighbour” as exemplified in and futures of those living on the edge the Good Samaritan (a foreigner with a or fringes of society will be beneficial. foreign faith). Being on the margins breeds feelings of powerlessness and isolation – the very Here, neighbourly love is not an emotion conditions that can make people most but a practical commitment to help susceptible to proposals to find power mentor those in need with individualised through violence. resources that help them provide for their own needs as well as those of their Reflecting the views of many, Pope families and extended families. These Francis said that “it is urgent that toolkits, such as those being created at governments throughout the world the moment by my Religious Freedom commit themselves to developing an & Business Foundation together with St. international framework capable of Mary’s University, Twickenham for our promoting a market of high impact Empowerment+ initiative,11 need to relate investments, and thus to combating an across faith traditions, being practical economy which excludes and discards.”10 as much for Muslims as Mormons, for Similarly, British Prime Minister David Humanists and Agnostics as Hindus and Cameron argues, “Social investment Catholics. They should have resources can be a great force for social change on that can be customised as needed to the planet. It can help us to build bigger address themes related to a balanced and stronger societies. That power is in life: education, health, employment, our hands. And together we will use it to productivity and stewardship, household build a better future for ourselves, for our finances, and spiritual strength.12 children and for generations to come.” Building a network of mentors in These are grand statements by world this way will also help to identify

72 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

sustainable investments that promote for tackling radicalisation by building integration and economic development relationships with those at risk through in communities where people at risk of business and faith communities. First, radicalisation live. Such projects should governments should help fund, and adhere to several important criteria: a collaborate with, carefully designed pilot high probability of a successful business programmes in key cities. Good pilots venture; applicability of the business are very important because they test model to other situations; representation and establish the most efective way to of diferent faith traditions; and run initiatives in various settings with promoting productive collaboration multiple stakeholders. Well designed between religious minorities and other pilots with proper government support segments of society. can win over sceptics and energise scores, perhaps thousands of volunteers. As the Rand Corporation note, Second, because the pathways into The most successful radicalisation are diverse, community- programmes attend to a based initiatives, such as Empowerment+, radical’s emotional well-being should not be conceptualised as by ofering counselling and programmes that solely intervene helping the ex-militant locate when someone is thought to be on the a supportive social network; verge of anti-social, criminal or violent address practical factors by, for behaviour. Rather, they should be example, providing training and conceptualised and branded as social a job; and work to moderate the cohesion and enterprise initiatives. They radical’s beliefs by challenging should be aimed at primary prevention extremist Islamism. Moreover, through the sort of practical integration to facilitate the reintegration and empowerment that can help those of ex-radicals into society, experiencing a wide range of socio- de-radicalisation programmes economic risks to build resilience to should continue to support radicalisation. and monitor those who have reformed.13 Third, the government can serve as a convening platform to invite businesses Integration and empowerment can help to join with faith groups in a programme those at risk of radicalisation to follow of dialogue and exchange. In the case a diferent course, which is why the of Empowerment+, this would be involvement of business is so critical. By done through community advisory mixing good information and support committees. Businesses should advise and structures through business mentoring, help communities through local mentors it is possible to catalyse sustainable – and the reach of faith communities businesses that increase integration and makes them prime candidates as mentors resilience in communities where there – to develop sustainable initiatives and is a high risk of radicalisation through strategies for developing welfare support personal interaction and the building of and business mentoring. In this way local productive relationships.14 businesses can receive support and advice and help to improve the local economy. There are clear policy implications

73 BRIAN GRIM

In turn, businesses, by working with local vocational training and community volunteers from faith communities, would welfare projects. establish better contacts, insights and connections with communities, with new When love of neighbour is accompanied business opportunities possibly opening by empowering social investment, up. Employees can gain new experience integration and interfaith appreciation by working with local communities and result. In the end, all this is good for through voluntary service. Moreover, business because, as the Archbishop businesses can improve their corporate of Canterbury Justin Welby appositely social responsibility record by providing notes, good business is about opportunities through, and working with, good relationships.15 This applies initiatives for those on the margins of to neighbourhoods in cities and society, or by providing social impact communities throughout Europe, as well investment funds for education, as sufering populations in northern Iraq.

Endnotes

1. See B.J. Grim, Four ways businesses can help to build world peace, World Economic Forum, 9 October 2014 [https://agenda.weforum.org/2014/10/businesses-help- build-peace/]; and Centre on Religion & Geopolitics, New Trends in Youth Radicalisation, 9 December 2014, [http:// tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/reports-analysis/ report/new-trends-youth-radicalisation].

2. Pew Research Center, The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society, Survey Topline Results, 2013, [http://www.pewforum. org/ﬁles/2013/04/worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society- topline1.pdf].

3. Centre on Religion & Geopolitics, Global Terrorism in 2013 Dominated by Four Groups, 18 November 2014, [http:// tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/reports-analysis/ report/global-terrorism-2013-dominated-four-groups].

74 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

4. J. Garzon, ‘Explaining the Enabling Environment: The Terrorism-Poverty Nexus Revisited’, The Yale Review of International Studies, April 2011, [http://yris.yira.org/essays/160].

5. CNN, Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S., 2 November 2004, [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/01/binladen. tape/].

6. A. Abadie and J. Gardeazabal, ‘Terrorism and the World Economy’, European Economic Review, Vol. 52, 2008, [http:// www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/aabadie/twep.pdf], pp. 1-27.

7. R. Pantucci, Viewpoints: How should Radicalisation be Tackled?, 29 May 2013, [http://rafaellopantucci.com/2013/05/29/ viewpoints-how-should-radicalisation-be-tackled/].

8. Centre on Religion & Geopolitics, New Trends in Youth Radicalisation, op. cit..

9. Pope Francis, Impact Investing for the Poor, 16 June 2014, [https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2014/ june/documents/papa-francesco_20140616_convegno- justpeace.html].

10. D. Cameron, Speech given at the Social Impact Investment Forum, 6 June 2013, [https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/ prime-ministers-speech-at-the-social-impact-investment- conference].

11. Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, ‘Empowerment Pluse Initiative to Counter Radicalisation’, [http:// religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/empowerment-plus].

12. See http://religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/groups-and- toolkit for more information.

13. A. Rabasa, S.L. Pettyjohn, J.J. Ghez and C. Boucek, Deradicalizing Islamist Extremists, Rand Corporation, 2010, [http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1053.html].

14. See http://religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/integrative- business for more information.

15. J. Welby, Speech to the Blueprint for Better Business conference, 24 October 2013, [http://www. archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/5167/archbishops- speech-to-the-blueprint-for-better-business-conference].

75 AUTHOR

ROHAN GUNARATNA Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research

Rohan Gunaratna (MA Notre Dame, PhD St Andrews) is a specialist in the global threat environment, with expertise in threat groups in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He is the Head of Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, one of the world’s largest specialist counter- terrorism research and training centres. He specialises in both rehabilitation implementation and reintegration of terrorists. Gunaratna has conducted training on terrorist rehabilitation in Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, and has reviewed programmes in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Uzbekistan. He chaired the inaugural International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation in Singapore in February 2009, the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Resilience in March 2013, and convened the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration in April 2015. Gunaratna has published widely, including co-editing with Mohamed bin Ali Terrorist Rehabilitation: A New Frontier in Counter Terrorism for Imperial College Press in 2015, co-authoring with Ami Angell Terrorist Rehabilitation: The US Experience in Iraq for CRC Press in 2011, and co-editing with Jolene Jerard and Lawrence Rubin Terrorist Rehabilitation and Counter Radicalization: New Approaches to Counter Terrorism for Routledge in 2011.

76 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Case Study: Singapore PREVENTION REQUIRES PARTICIPATION: THE NEED FOR STATE-SOCIETY PARTNERSHIPS

Since 9/11, the threat of insurgency, extremism and terrorism from non-state militant groups has increased exponentially. Considering the growth trajectory of terrorism and extremism, the ﬁght can no longer be battled only by the state. Platforms of partnership between state and society should be built to enhance interaction and dialogue between diverse ethnic and religious communities that will lead to greater resilience, argues Rohan Gunaratna.

With the meteoric rise of Islamic State of of religious leaders, educators and the Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and its afliates, media is essential. With the threat posed the nature of the Asian threat landscape by home-grown cells and foreign fighter has changed. The threat is territorial returnees, it is paramount to invest in and global, but also local, the dominant building both community engagement threat being from self-radicalised home- and rehabilitation. grown cells and individuals that emerge within often marginalised or aggrieved Singapore, which has mitigated communities. This new front of global its terrorist threat through strong terrorism presents an ever-growing partnerships between its Government threat to the security and stability of and its communities, can provide an Asian countries and a severe threat to example for governments elsewhere. Singapore. It requires a response that Singapore recognises that as the threat builds better links between the state and is both national and international, simply diverse modern communities. raising its walls can no longer ensure its security. The Government’s primary The fight against global extremism and focus is maintaining the security and the ideology of groups such as ISIS is stability of Singapore and assisting its long-term. It cannot be defeated by a immediate neighbours to manage the military response alone. Governments threat. Developments in Southeast Asia must build strategic platforms and the world at large have an impact and partnerships with civil society on Singapore’s multi-ethnic and multi- organisations, community groups and religious terrain. The ties of Singapore the business sector. The focus should and its residents to Malaysia and be to prevent support and advocacy Indonesia makes managing Singapore’s for extremism through education and security a regional efort. awareness, and to disrupt the influence of extremist groups through early action While maintaining highly capable tactical by intelligence and law enforcement. To teams on the ground for quick response, intercept funding streams, the support Singapore has efectively integrated its of the banking and financial institutions hard and soft approaches to produce a is paramount. To rebut propaganda, smarter security. Singapore strives to ideology and narratives, the support develop a ‘whole of society’ approach by

77 ROHAN GUNARATNA

working with a wide range of institutions especially engaging and partnering with including community, religious and community leaders. As an extension academic organisations. Singapore’s of the state securing society, they Government has concentrated its eforts will ensure safety and security in their in three areas. First, it emphasises communities. To make them defenders community engagement to promote of the community and protectors of moderation, toleration and coexistence, their countries, community leaders must especially amongst young people, through be empowered as valued stakeholders, initiatives such as the Taman Bacaan encouraged, facilitated and supported programme, a grassroots community by the government. By inviting leaders care organisation that works with into networks that provide this support, Muslim youth. Second, it has improved governments can begin to build trust that terrorist rehabilitation and reintegration will enable leaders to feel comfortable in through the Religious Rehabilitation engaging with them on security issues. Group, which counters the ideological State-society partnerships will not be misunderstanding of detained extremists, built overnight, however. It will take and the After-care Association, which many months of investment to earn the provides welfare and rehabilitation trust of the community, especially of services to reintegrate ex-ofenders into young people. Important in this will be communities. Third, it has worked hard to education, both formal and informal, to raise awareness of the threat and improve safeguard young people from extremist its capacity to respond. It has done this narratives and protect community-state through quality training workshops and relationships. study programmes, such as those at the International Centre for Political Friends, family and neighbours are Violence and Terrorism Research often the ﬁrst to recognise indications (ICPVTR) and the S. Rajaratnam School of radicalisation. Yet when a concern of International Studies.1 arises, they may be hesitant to report it to the security services. Governments Several lessons can be learnt from should train communities to recognise this experience. To secure countries radicalisation and pre-attack terrorist threatened by terrorism and extremism, activity, and should publicise partner there is a need to create an environment organisations that can help and provide hostile to terrorists and unfriendly advice to community members at risk. to their supporters. A legal and a Properly constructed, such an approach governance framework is needed to deny can facilitate a ‘safe’, community-based hate preachers platforms, and to stop the pathway to counter radicalisation and misuse of media platforms for terrorist prevent attacks. It should be inculcated messaging and the abuse of places of in the public’s consciousness: if the public worship and educational institutions to are alert, vigilant and not complacent, a indoctrinate. However, governments terrorist attack will never succeed. must also work with civil society, community and business partners to Second, to enhance community shape and inﬂuence the human terrain. interaction, awareness campaigns should be conducted through city, town and First, to disrupt terrorist planning, village community centres, associations investing in the community is key, and other bodies to reach the grassroots.

78 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

The local authorities should work with in communities, though carefully religious and other community leaders, scrutinising the end users to ensure that including elders and teachers, to build the investment is appropriately used. counter-narratives and ideological Working with the business community and theological responses. Given the will also enable greater interaction need for social cohesion, harmony between government, society and programmes, clubs and centres can be industry, broadening funding pools and created to strengthen bonds between creating a whole of society approach. communities. By constantly investing in By working with service providers, for communal relations, the flow of counter instance, governments and their partners terrorism information can be improved can deny terrorists and extremists and the potential for communal tension the opportunities to exploit global mitigated. communication systems, and can improve early identification of radicalisation by Universities and other institutes of health and education providers. Better, higher education should host expertise more trusting relationships can also be and learning needed to promote developed between communities and moderation and toleration, develop service providers. Similarly, by working greater understanding between faith with the banking and financial industry, and ethnic communities, and develop terrorists’ funding streams can be shut counter-messaging. At a time when down. there are such perverse interpretations of Islam that can misrepresent it in Finally, collaboration between public opinion, it is paramount to government and civil society should also create programmes and centres that help teachers and community leaders can disseminate information about to build, operate and maintain strategic mainstream and nuanced understandings communication platforms to influence of Islam. Governments should work with the population. It is imperative to engage universities and centres of learning to the mass media to build positive public establish them as authoritative voices opinion. As the human terrain is key to on Islam. Such institutions should work security and stability, the media should closely with the community, grassroots develop a zero tolerance approach leaders, civil society and madrassas. to terrorism and extremism, while To this end, the study and research of being careful not to stigmatise whole comparative religion should be increased communities at the risk of harming to enhance popular understanding of social cohesion. To prevent sensational common religious principles and to reporting, the media needs to be trained undermine conspiracy theories about and retrained both on how terrorist diferent religions. organisations manipulate news and on how to ensure nuance and understanding Third, to build resilience and capacity in their reporting. Governments and within communities it will be important their partners should engage traditional, to involve the business community new media and other platforms, to for funding and services. Corporate remove harmful content and promote Social Responsibility means that messages of harmony. businesses should invest a percentage of their revenue to promoting harmony Success will be found in developing

79 ROHAN GUNARATNA

partnerships that deliver a full spectrum Rehabilitation Group and the Aftercare response. Singapore has served as a Group are already models used by many global model and also shared its expertise other countries in the region. with countries in East Asia and beyond. Following the White House Summit The ﬁght against terrorism and extremism on Countering Violent Extremism can be won. Its success depends not in February 2015, Singapore hosted only on government capabilities but the East Asia Summit Symposium on community commitment to defeat Religious Rehabilitation and Social terror and extremist ideas. Strong and Reintegration in April. Convened by the trusting state-society partnerships are ICPVTR at the S. Rajaratnam School vital to building capacity and resilience in of International Studies, a collaborative communities so that they can play their platform to move from co-operation to part in the ﬁght. Communities need to collaboration between government and be supported to recognise their role and civil society was launched. Strategies on feel that they can undertake it. They can Aftercare and Reintegration (SOAR) is then foster the dialogue and interaction a global repository of information and needed between their members to resources for counter extremism and identify those at risk and intervene to de-radicalisation strategies managed build their resilience and prevent the by ICPVTR. Singapore’s Religious growth of extremism.

80 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. For more on Singapore’s experience, see R. Gunaratna and M.F.B.M. Hassan, ‘Terrorist Rehabilitation: The Singapore Experience’, in R. Gunaratna and M. Bin Ali (eds.), Terrorist Rehabilitation: A New Frontier in Counter-Terrorism, London, Imperial College Press, 2015, pp. 41-70.

81 AUTHOR

BANKE ADETAYO Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Banke Adetayo is a Senior Project Manager at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and leads the Faiths Act Sierra Leone programme. She joined the Faith Foundation’s Faiths Act Fellowship in 2011, working in a team of four to run the malaria prevention education programme in Sierra Leone. She is also currently leading the scoping into a community engagement project in Kenya. She has worked in international development for organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), and has a background in public engagement in science and health, and has experience in capacity building and skills development.

82 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

MOBILISING RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO EFFECTIVELY PREVENT EXTREMISM

Engaging communities in preventing extremism often relies on fostering relationships that allow access to both community leaders and the grassroots. The attributes of religious leaders place them in a unique position to inﬂuence and efectively engage communities and build their resilience. Whilst growing recognition of these attributes by international actors has boosted the involvement of religious leaders in development and counter extremism strategies, more must be done to increase their capacity and capability to better recognise and respond to their communities’ needs in a more sustainable way, argues Banke Adetayo.

With a rapidly changing global threat resilience against internal and external landscape, and with diverse pathways to threats are real, and predate the current radicalisation, engaging with communities global crisis. Their ability to engage to prevent extremism has new and in discourse around security, health, equally diverse challenges, as Özerdem, education, politics and the economy, and Grim and Gunaratna relate. The to foster receptiveness to, and support success of community-based strategies for, interventions, has shown them to be increasingly depends on leveraging critical agents for transformative change the right partnerships and influential – often with remarkable results.1 actors. Often overlooked, the authority of, and trust put in, religious leaders Critics may point to the dichotomous amongst and by their communities and role religious leaders can play at the wider networks, allied with their reach, opposite end of the spectrum. The reality particularly to marginalised and hard to that some leaders support and propagate reach populations, can provide this crucial extremist ideologies raises questions element. Furthermore, in our experience, about the reliability of religious leaders to it leads to community engagement drive positive change, and not simply take strategies that yield lasting change, are advantage of provided resources to fuel cost efective and sustainable. their own agendas. However, the danger of excluding religious actors on this With such longstanding influence, up- account is that it misses the opportunity skilling religious leaders to respond to rebalance the scale with significant adequately to these challenges will play consequences. Religious leaders that a significant role in the wider society’s support extremism often have a wide holistic response. Fostering smarter following and are well resourced. When partnerships, investments and support pitted against less savvy moderate ensures religious leaders can properly religious leaders, the allure of security employ these skills to build better- and power ofered by radical preachers sustained resilience and cohesion within will result in further dividing communities their communities. with underlying social and economic grievances. The contributions that religious leaders have made in building their communities’ There is, therefore, a strong argument

83 BANKE ADETAYO

to provide practical support to religious separately to ensure members can leaders, and, as Tony Blair recently participate and engage in a safe space. remarked, to “maximise the reach of In conflict-afected environments, this those prepared and capable of ofering level of cultural fluency and sensitivity an alternative interpretation of the is necessary to ensure we “first, do no theology… [who] can rebut propaganda of harm”.3 the extremists on religious and scriptural grounds.”2 Second, it is imperative to develop skills in cultural and religious leaders required Policy makers can empower religious to challenge and supplant extremist leaders to drive and sustain change within ideologies with a clear and credible their communities in several ways. First, alternative narrative with theological religious leaders and their communities justification. Capacity building of this can provide insight to understand kind provides a strong foundation to break the underlying causes of division and down deep-seated misunderstandings. susceptibility to radicalisation. National Through our programme of training and and international actors seeking to support in Nigeria, we have witnessed follow Özerdem or Gunaratna’s advice empowered religious leaders efectively to achieve transformative change should using media platforms to counter faith- foster meaningful dialogue with religious based hate speech and narratives which communities as they will often provide lead to prejudice, extremism and conflict lived realities to complement the political in states afected by the Boko Haram interpretations given by political leaders. insurgency. In these states, tensions can be particularly high around elections, These lived realities can shed light on the and the confidence exhibited by these nuances that characterise the identities religious leaders in targeting thousands and relations between and inside groups of students with faith-based appeals for within communities transformed by peaceful elections in 2015 demonstrates tension and conflict. These need to be the value of this training. understood and treated respectfully in order to identify and develop community The training of religious leaders alone intervention pathways that speak to the however will not magically transform needs of that particular community. communities into cohesive units Özerdem’s warning of the dangers in relegating tensions and grievances to treating groups as homogenous entities dark corners of history. The ability to should not be treated lightly. successfully sustain community-based approaches and to build resilience This process of dialogue also serves to needs to be tested through practical facilitate a reciprocal learning process action. Prepared and up-skilled religious between external actors and religious leaders should be equipped with the leaders to identify the necessary skills tools and resources required to provide required to bridge the gap between opportunities for members of diferent communities, and to inform on how communities to interact, challenging to build the critical skills that enable stereotypes to remove misunderstanding communities to learn more about one that could lead to prejudice, hatred and, another. This may take form as initiating possibly, extremism. dialogue between diferent groups

84 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

This view is core to our work in Sierra prevent it, aligns with our experience in Leone and Nigeria, where religious Sierra Leone, where approaches similar leaders who have been equipped with to our Faiths Act model of faith leader knowledge and skills through workshops engagement have been used by the cascade the training they receive to government to tackle health issues such their congregants and community as cholera and ebola. members. This training is then reinforced by collaboration across communities As Gunaratna and Grim suggest, around causes that motivate them to strategic partnerships should also seek collective benefits. In Sierra Leone, develop the training and capacity of for example, our Faiths Act programme religious leaders and their communities. facilitates this around the prevention of For this, training institutions and malaria. Continuous positive interaction previously trained leaders need to be that takes place in an environment brought into partnerships. Policy makers where all actors are equal improves should seek partnerships with religious understanding and appreciation of the training colleges and seminaries so that, ‘Other’ and reinforces the benefits of through appropriate skills based training co-operation and peace over division and and support, future religious leaders conflict. can strengthen resilience to extremist narratives in the congregations and Finally, to enable religious communities communities they serve. This training as actors, robust partnerships will need needs to develop understanding of global to be developed with input from multiple politics, strategic planning, dialogue and actors in the national and international the use of technology. community. Gunaratna’s case study of Singapore’s ‘whole of society’ approach These steps are important, as interventions highlights how governments need to need to be driven by religious leaders work with civil society, community, and and their communities if they are to business partners to ofer a ‘full spectrum ensure their support and participation. response’ to tackle extremism. Together This requires understanding, capacity they can provide adequate security building and efective partnerships for services to communities, drive strategic implementation. As Özerdem argues, learning through empirical research, external, top down intervention gives channel funding to the right initiatives, the impression of foreign imposition, and operate on communications afecting buy-in from communities. platforms such as the media, to influence However, if leaders feel integral to the population. the decision making process through the promotion of local ownership, Grim highlights the benefits of such an interventions are likely to yield better approach in his discussion of the role of results in dealing with local priorities. business partnerships. Here, the policy implications of transforming the lives of Moreover, the involvement of faith people at risk of radicalisation through communities who often have a strong better business are significant. The sense of a duty of care to their importance of government support to neighbourhoods can ensure sustainable incubate innovative projects that not and on-going impact. Following the only serve to tackle radicalisation but policy pathways outlined above builds a

85 BANKE ADETAYO

supportive system of trained religious nationally and internationally. Sustained leaders. Benefits will continue to peace within communities resilient to manifest in the transference of the extremist narratives and violent activity skills, knowledge and networks they have serves as motivation to those within, who acquired to future social and professional enjoy the benefits that cohesion brings opportunities; an impact that will long and wish to keep it that way. It also serves outlive any intervention itself. This is as an inspiration to outsiders who may seek evident from our experience in Sierra to emulate the benefits which adhering Leone, where, following their public to moderation and tolerance would health intervention on malaria, religious bring them. Up-skilling religious leaders leaders, empowered through our ensures they are able to both reinforce programme, continued to engage their this transformation to reconciliation congregants to address other health and and trust through practical engagement, social inequalities in their neighbouring and foster resolute determination within communities, including during the recent their communities. Ultimately, while it is outbreak of ebola. important to focus on building resilient and cohesive societies, the critical part Engaging and enabling religious leaders is to invest in strategies and to support to drive change towards moderation and actors that ensure the prevention of cohesion has wider implications both extremism is sustained in the long-term.

86 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

Endnotes

1. In pre-war Sierra Leone for instance, Christian and Muslim leaders were successfully mobilised by the Government and international NGOs to signiﬁcantly decrease the prevalence of polio, whilst other health and social interventions have been enhanced through advocacy for behaviour and attitudinal change messaging from the pulpit.

2. T. Blair, Religion and Geopolitics: Why it Matters, Speech delivered at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, 6 October 2015, [http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/ commentaries/opinion/religion-and-geopolitics-why-it-matters].

3. J. Campbell, ‘Nigeria: An Opportunity for Faith-Based Conﬂict Resolution’, in D. Cere and T. Thorp, Religion and Conﬂict: Responding to the Challenges, London, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2014, pp. 52-57.

87 CONCLUSION Khalid Koser & Amy E. Cunningham

Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund

Dr Khalid Koser MBE is Executive Amy E. Cunningham is an Advisor at Director of the Global Community the Global Community Engagement Engagement and Resilience Fund. He and Resilience Fund. Previously, is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in she served as Associate Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Outreach Initiatives at the Council on Institution, Associate Fellow at Foreign Relations (CFR), where she Chatham House, and Non-Resident led the Religion and Foreign Policy Fellow at the Lowy Institute. He is Initiative. From 2011 to 2014, she Extraordinary Professor in Conﬂict, organised a series of policy discussions Peace and Security at the University with religious leaders and scholars from of Maastricht. Dr Koser is chair of the around the globe on a range of issues World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda including strategies to counter violent Council on Migration, and editor of extremism, the ethics of modern warfare the Journal of Refugee Studies. He was and religious tolerance. Her graduate awarded the MBE for services to asylum research analysed links between seekers and refugees in the Queen’s radicalisation and levels of community 2014 New Years Honours List. engagement with local and federal law enforcement.

88 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM: FROM DIALOGUE TO DELIVERY

There has been great progress in the ﬁght against extremism in 2015. Prevention has been regularly discussed with increasing urgency. This discussion now needs to turn into action, write Khalid Koser and Amy E. Cunningham.

There has been a more concerted efort for research is emerging. What is now towards a comprehensive response to required is to translate this ﬂurry the rising challenge of violent extremism of activity into action; to shift the in 2015 than previously. The Global needle from dialogue to delivery. For Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) has it is only through concrete results proliferated its activities worldwide, and that momentum will be maintained the three institutions it inspired – the and the cause that so many are now Global Community Engagement and championing, will be achieved. Resilience Fund (GCERF), Hedayah and the International Institute for In this respect it is appropriate and Justice and the Rule of Law – have important that this volume is action- taken root. President Obama hosted oriented, in at least three ways. First, the White House Summit to Counter it emphasises the importance of Violent Extremism, which launched prevention as part of a comprehensive a series of regional summits and response to violent extremism. Second, concluded with the Leaders’ Summit it focuses attention on three priority on Countering ISIL and Violent areas for action: the engagement of Extremism at the United Nations religion in the public and political sphere, General Assembly. At the regional level, education and community resilience. Of countering violent extremism (CVE) course there are other areas for action; has been incorporated into existing and but the existence of an evidence-base new initiatives on related issues such that demonstrates efectiveness and as peace-building and post-conﬂict examples from around the world to reconstruction, for example by the learn from and build on make these African Union. At the country level, obvious and immediate priorities. Third, a number of states have developed without underestimating the challenges, national strategies on countering violent the contributions to this volume chart a extremism, including the October 2015 roadmap for policy interventions. release of the United Kingdom’s (UK) revised counter-extremism strategy. The importance of prevention is intuitive. During 2015 even the This second volume in the Tony Blair lexicon of policy on violent extremism Faith Foundation’s Global Perspectives has adapted, from countering violent series is therefore published at a extremism to preventing and countering critical juncture. Awareness has been violent extremism. Still, the concept of raised, politicians and policy makers prevention has yet to be articulated in are mobilising, and a new sub-discipline this context. There is a general consensus

89 KHALID KOSER & AMY E. CUNNINGHAM

that prevention lies at the opposite end way street. A top-down approach of the response spectrum from military, whereby preventive eforts are designed security and intelligence approaches; and delivered exclusively by the state that it must engage communities; and or international community is unlikely that development tools and principles to work; instead what is required is a are important. But there is still a lack genuine consultative process and local of clarity for example about who should ownership. Examples from Nigeria, be the focus of preventive eforts, who Sierra Leone, Singapore and the UK is responsible for preventive eforts, show how this can be achieved, but also and how they complement other policy how difcult it is. The model currently responses to violent extremism. being applied by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund This volume is the first substantive in Bangladesh, Mali and Nigeria efort to try to answer some of these encourages grassroots organisations to critical questions. By bringing together identify preventive initiatives, and funds contributors from a range of backgrounds them to help build resilience. – combining academics, policy-makers, practitioners and religious leaders and Most contributors, when touching applying a variety of disciplinary lenses on how prevention aligns with other – the volume begins to give meaning to responses to violent extremism, the prevention concept. acknowledge that prevention is one part of a comprehensive approach For most of the contributors the priority that cannot work in isolation any for CVE prevention eforts is clear – it more than military responses can. lies with young people. Prevention, On the other hand, several authors by definition, requires a long-term identify the tensions inherent in this investment, making it all the more acknowledgement, specifically that important to work with and support heavy-handed interventions can future generations now. Women are undermine the trust and confidence also highlighted, not just because they required for efective prevention. can be victims (as well as perpetrators) of violent extremism, but also because Against the background of this they are often the best conduits to substantive focus on prevention, this intercept and engage young people. volume focuses our attention on three Several contributors identify moderate priority areas for action: engaging religious leaders as important vectors for with religion, reforming education and prevention: Banke Adetayo emphasises strengthening community resilience. the “ability of religious leaders to engage in discourse” on sensitive topics, foster One resounding message is that religion receptiveness to interventions, and act is part of the solution, and not just part of as “critical agents for transformative the problem. As Peter Welby points out, change.” no matter how well-intentioned they might be, when civic leaders abstain from In determining who is responsible engaging theology in policy, education, for prevention, in diferent ways the and other public debate, there is a contributors collectively arrive at the genuine concern that policies will fail to same conclusion: prevention is a two- address the underlying religious ideology

90 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISM AND POLICY OPTIONS

that unite political, social, and economic conflict often create a space for violent grievances. For Usama Hasan, a deficit extremists to enter and provide basic in public understanding of religion runs services. For prevention eforts to be the risk of strengthening indoctrination successful, priority must be given to or promoting xenophobia. For Francis strengthening a community’s capacity Campbell it has left policy-makers to resist the advances of violent unsure whether and how to engage extremists, as well as to survive, recover religious actors and institutions “as and adapt in the wake of direct shocks. vital partners and contributors to a To build resilience at the grassroots healthy civic society.” We need only level and disrupt sympathy or support to look to history for examples of how for violent extremism, as Rohan religions have mobilised for peaceful, Gunaratna highlights, investment in the just societies. local community, especially through engagement and partnership with Education is another critical influential community leaders is critical. intervention, and here the authors echo Stakeholders across all sectors of society, the founding principles for the Tony and at all levels, must be connected and Blair Faith Foundation. In particular engaged to build resilience. Brian Grim Sara Savage identifies the need to reinforces the point, noting that the increase critical thinking among pupils business community can complement and build the capacity and confidence eforts by the religious community to of educators. However, as Jo Malone build resilience and strengthen resolve. warns, education is a powerful tool that can be used for wrong as well as right; The third main contribution of this it can just as easily be manipulated as a volume in moving from dialogue to tool to radicalise individuals to violent delivery is by posting direct policy extremism as to prevent radicalisation. challenges above and beyond specific There is a need to create safe spaces, policy recommendations in these three especially in the classroom, to encourage areas. dialogue, inquiry and exploration. For Hazel Blears, “the power of the ideology At the national level in particular, underpinning Islamist extremism must policies on violent extremism need to be be confronted” and the best place to do more coherent – that is, to combine the so is in the safety of a classroom, under various ministries and agencies that work the stewardship of a confident and in pertinent areas. Intra-governmental capable teacher. Feriha Peracha and her coherence is notoriously difcult to colleagues provide concrete examples of achieve, as Hazel Blears notes, but it is how systematic rote learning in Pakistan a challenge that needs to be overcome. has often discouraged critical thinking Consultation with all relevant and contributed towards indoctrination. stakeholders outside government is also identified as paramount – in particular The third action area is strengthening with communities, but also with civil community resilience. Alpaslan society and religious institutions, the Özerdem highlights the fragility of private sector, the media and academia. conflict-afected societies to fall victim Resources and expertise needs to be to extremists’ agendas. The weak public mobilised across the board. Aware that institutions that remain in the wake of unilateral responses are inefective

91 KHALID KOSER & AMY E. CUNNINGHAM

against a transnational threat, the “Prevention of extremism is not authors agree that co-ordination something we will achieve overnight, in between states is also critical. a year or within an election cycle.”

Policy also needs to match the pace at None of this is easy. As the contributors which violent extremists operate and make clear, however, we are confronting adapt, as Fatima Akilu points out in her a generational challenge. This volume reﬂection on Nigeria. This is not easy raises the bar: we need to think the given the importance of respecting unthinkable, overcome the usual human rights and the safeguards of obstacles, and stop making excuses. democracy, budgetary constraints, It poses signiﬁcant challenges: how bureaucracy and the need to balance to overcome suspicion and mistrust, priorities and manage trade-ofs. balance rights and responsibilities, Equally challenging for government is and ensure human rights. But it also the need to adopt a long-term strategy. provides a realistic roadmap for success As Angela Salt notes in her Introduction, that deserves to be taken seriously.

92 HOW TO PREVENT: EXTREMISMABOUT AND thePOLICY EDITORS OPTIONS

KHALID KOSER MBE is Executive Director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. He is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. He is Extraordinary Professor in Conﬂict, Peace and Security at the University of Maastricht. Dr Koser is chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Migration, and editor of the Journal of Refugee Studies. He was awarded the MBE for services to asylum seekers and refugees in the Queen’s 2014 New Years Honours List.

THOMAS THORP is Policy and Research Manager at the Faith Foundation, formerly manager of the university programme, Faith and Globalisation. He has published a number of articles and is the Global Perspectives series editor. He holds a Bachelors degree in Politics and a Masters degree in Religious Studies and International Afairs from Durham University. His graduate research investigated the role of religion in domestic politics and citizenship.

93 With a lead essay from HAZEL BLEARS

Strategic Prevention is Vital to Tackle Extremism / Angela Salt

Religion as a Partner on the International Stage / Francis Campbell

The Importance of Theological Clarity and Rebuttal in Preventing Extremism / Usama Hasan

Nigeria: Hope, Challenges and Opportunity / Fatima Akilu

To Prevent, Understand Religious Ideology / Peter Welby

Extremism and Complexity of Thinking / Sara Savage

Pakistan: Lessons from Deradicalising Young Taliban Fighters / Feriha Peracha, Raaﬁa Raees Khan, Asma Ayub and Kanza Aijaz

Educating To Protect Young People Against Extremism / Jo Malone

Building Community Resilience to Prevent Extremism in Conﬂict-Afected Environments / Alpaslan Özerdem

Social Engagement: An Efective Way to Tackle Radicalisation / Brian Grim

Singapore: Prevention Requires Participation / Rohan Gunaratna

Mobilising Religious Leaders to Efectively Prevent Extremism / Banke Adetayo

Preventing Violent Extremism: From Dialogue to Delivery / Khalid Koser & Amy E. Cunningham

Edited by

94 KHALID KOSER & THOMAS THORP