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