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. Copyright © December 2015 by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Edited by Khalid Koser and Thomas Thorp. 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.