dr john bew - how academic research has helped the fight against radicalisation
TRANSCRIPT
Many academic centres in UK and US (partly
due to phenomenon of homegrown
radicalisation)
International Centre for the Study of Terrorism
(ICST) – John Horgan has contributed to
understanding of the psychology of terrorism
and radicalisation
START – University of Maryland – Vast
empirical research on radicalisation in the
Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political
Violence (CSTPV) - St. Andrews
Combining ‘pure’ academic
research with policy-relevance
Study of specific networks and organisations
(al-Qaeda, far-right and Northern Ireland IRA threat)
Study of ‘phenomena’ such as social media and social
movements
Offering policy conclusions and informing ‘best-practice’
Independent of government
Range: ICSR covers a wide variety of
radicalisation and political violence‘The English Defence League
and Europe’s Counter-Jihad Movement’
Cultural nationalism: ensuring the survival of own culture
Muslims portrayed as a threat to European culture, ‘enemy within’
Assumed conspiracy to ‘Islamise’ Europe can act as inspiration for violent attacks (Norway, Breivik)
EDL has established international alliances
Northern Ireland: ‘The Return of the Militants: Violent
Dissident Republicanism’
Increased threat from Irish republicans
The Police Service struggles to respond to attacks
Dissidents (Real IRA) reject dialogue and believe that the Provisional IRA engaged in a flawed negotiation process
Other splinter groups gained control in ‘republican areas’ across Northern Ireland
Themes I: Social Movements
Academic research has allowed analysis of radicalisaiton
through lens of Social Movement Theory (SMT)
Has helped move away from simplistic understanding
of grievances and ideology
Wictorowicz’s ‘cognitive openings’ and ‘religious
seekers’ gave new way of understanding radicalisation
and mobilisation – heavily influences US government
policy
Themes II: Pathways to
radicalisation
Pathway model charts trajectory of individuals who
become suicide bombers. Model identifies four key
stages on individuals’s path to a suicide bombing:
1. socialisation process and exposure to propaganda
2. the experience of a ‘catalyst event’
3. pre-existing familial or friendship ties
4. in-group radicalisation
EXAMPLE I: Report on Anwar al-Awlaki:
‘As American as Apple Pie: How Anwar al-
Awlaki Became the Face of Western Jihad’
Case study for the radicalisation of Western Muslims
Awlaki’s intellectual journey to jihadism demonstrates that jihad
is no longer confined to Muslim majority countries
Awlaki’s main focus is convincing Western Muslims that their
governments are actively engaged in a war against Islam
Based on case studies of different individuals influenced by
Awlaki, the report illustrates how he made Salafi-jihadi thought
accessible to Western Muslims
Awlaki’s popularity derived from his ability to apply key
historical moments of Islam to contemporary discourse about
human rights, injustice and foreign policy
EXAMPLE II‘Countering Online Radicalisation: A Strategy
for Action’
Thus far mostly technical solutions → ‘pulling the plug’
The report proposes:
Creating an environment in which the production and consumption of radical material becomes unacceptable and less desirable
Empowering online communities to self-regulate
an Internet Users Panel would strengthen reporting mechanisms
Reducing the appeal of extremist messages
strengthening young people’s ‘defences’ against extremist messages by paying more attention to media literacy
Promoting positive messages
grassroots initiatives, online projects aimed at countering extremist messages
Instead of relying on government alone, capitalise upon contributions of all stakeholders (internet companies and internet users)
Best conclusion from research:
Beware Easy Answers
ICSR does not claim to have all the answers for
combating radicalisation, nor does it believe that
there is a single, easy answer
Instead, ICSR research:
focuses on showing the complexity of this
issue
makes it accessible to a wide audience as well
as to policy-makers