Citizenship and extremism among Muslim youth

Government responses so far in combating terrorism and extremism is premised on a consistent denial that British foreign policy has any role whatsoever in radicalising Muslims, and in particular Muslim youth.

The government is to introduce, from September, citizenship lessonsin Mosque and schools. This is to defeat the apparently ‘increasing’ number of Muslim youth turning to extremism and radicalisation under the sway of extremist ‘preachers’ and ‘Imams’. It comes after the announcement from Ministers that there will be a £12.5M ‘deradicalisation’ programme aimed at tackling Islamist extremism at local level.

A study carried out by Prof Martin Innes of the Universities’ Police Science Institute in Cardiff, concluded that “increasing numbers of young Muslim people are becoming sufficiently disaffected with their lives in liberal-democratic-capitalist societies that they might be willing to support violent terrorism to articulate their disillusionment and disengagement.”

It seems that most of these studies and reports keep on parroting the same thing. The reasons for extremist inclinations are either Islam, or what they term as ‘Islamism’ is inherently ‘violent’. Or even that youth are disaffected and unhappy with their lives in Britain and hence resort to aggression and extremism as a symptom of their frustrations against society.

However, nearly all the reports published after 7/7 avoid the question of foreign policies and our government saying ‘aye aye’ to America, particularly when foreign issues are concerned. This, in the judgment of the vast majority of people, the real cause of terrorism.

Muslims have an understandable motive in the reluctance to report suspicions to the police. They read and hear (almost everyday) that innocent Muslims are ill treated by the very same people they seek protection from. A Muslim is obligated by law and his moral conscience (shari’ah) to alert the authorities, if they know of anyone planning or has committed criminal acts.

However should we report a youth because he or she expresses anti-American or anti-war sentiments at a  demonstration, or perhaps is critical of the Government’s foreign policies. Terrorists will not come out and make clear their intent, will they? Herein lies the crux of the matter.

The Government only seems to talk about educating Muslims on ‘citizenship’ and ‘integrating’ them into civil society. This is coupled with equating radicalisation with non-participation into the wider community. Many believe the purpose is to avert attention away from the real issues of bad foreign policies, particularly the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is an incredible hypocrisy by the Government to urge people to engage on one hand, and then label those who wish to participate in the political system as ‘Islamist’. The discerning will realise the reality of the government’s desire. It is all about dictating what people should believe and how they should live their lives.

Isn’t this the perception we get when Hazel Blears suggests that Muslims that she wants to see in Britain are those who are politically handicapped and those who do not concern themselves with politics? In her speech to the Policy Exchange she said, “The fact remains that most British Muslims, like the wider community, are not politically active, do not sit on committees, and do not attend seminars and meetings. They are working hard, bringing up families, planning their holidays, and going about their business.”

The 7/7 bombers were ‘good citizens’. They were integrated into British society, educated and were working in respectable areas, but because of the Government’s involvement in Iraq with America, they felt it was justified to do what they did. Of course, the murder of innocent people is unjustifiable, but to totally reject that foreign policy and our involvement in Iraq did not play a massive part on that disastrous day of 7/7 is complete madness!

The only way to beat extremism is to stop supporting despotic rulers; discontinue meddling in the affairs of sovereign countries; cease turning a blind eye to Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land and it’s collective punishments; end the draconian laws that infringe British liberty and do nothing to make us safe; and finally strengthen ties with mainstream, Muslim grassroots community organisations.