The fight against extremism starts at home by building an inclusive society that embraces diversity within the overarching structure of society. The false certainty of the vicious ideology of terrorist cells attracts lost individuals who feel alienated from the mainstream and are unable to enjoy their own faith, while at the same time embracing the national heritage around them.
All countries are wrestling with this difficult task. The United States has its well-known challenges, France has experienced several attacks perpetrated by French citizens and more than 700 British citizens have travelled to join Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). Countering such activity needs strong government support for the social building that is so important, which is at the heart of a new five-year plan launched this week by British Prime Minister David Cameron to defeat “Islamist extremism”.
The plan will start by countering the ideology that has attracted so many young people and will also take several practical steps like introducing new powers to detain the extremists who seek to radicalise young people and will allow parents to cancel their children’s passports to prevent them from travelling abroad if they think they are about to join a radical group.
In the most powerful section of his speech, Cameron said that the miserable reality of living under Daesh control should be made clearer, so as to destroy Daesh’s perceived glamour. Addressing young British Muslims, Cameron said: “You won’t be some valued member of a movement. You are cannon fodder. They will use you. If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap bombs to your body and blow you up. If you are a girl, they will enslave and abuse you.” The speech attracted some criticism from some leaders of the British Muslim communities and it is true that any action should be careful to focus on the alienated minority within the Muslim community and seek to work with the community to jointly stop the terrorists.
