British Islam: The Road to Radicalism

Tahir Abbas argues that economic dislocation as well as backlash against Western intervention in the Islamic world help to explain the rising tide of Islamic radicalism in Great Britain specifically and in Europe in general. Abbas explains that disaffected Muslim youth find themselves in an unsupportive space which fuels a sense of rebellion. The traditional religious institutions available to Muslim immigrant youth are run by an unfamiliar older generation, while the mainstream youth culture does not acknowledge or understand their multicultural roots. These dislocated immigrant youth, then, turn to radicalism which serves as a relevant and compelling ethos which understands their frustration and provides an avenue for action.