July 10, 2011

Radicalizing Home-Grown Muslims

By Khaled Nasir
The Islamic terror threat is trending toward radicalization of the young and new converts in the Diaspora, getting them to join in armed struggle.  What motivates young men and women, born or living in the West, to carry out acts of terrorism against their host countries?  The answer is ideology.  It defines the conflict, guides movements, identifies the issues, drives recruitment, and is the basis for action.  In many cases, ideology also determines target selection and informs what will be done and how it will be carried out. The religious, political ideology responsible for driving this radicalization process is called jihadist or jihadi-Salafi ideology and it has served as the inspiration for all or nearly all of the homegrown groups including the Madrid 2004 bombers, London's bombers, the Australians arrested as part of Operation Pendennis in 2005, and the Toronto 18, arrested in June 2006. Jihadi-Salafi ideology is but one stream of the broader Salafi...(Read Full Article)