Radicalism Unveiled

Radicalism Unveiled is an essential and unique contribution to our knowledge concerning the rise of Islamic radicalism in Britain. Through the study of Hizb ut-Tahrir (The Liberation Party), the spectre of radicalisation looms large and Muslim youth in Britain are increasingly linked to this group, making a critical examination of this complex phenomenon far overdue. Troubled by the great volume of disjointed theories put forward to provide an explanation for radicalisation, the author moves away from the preoccupation with working-class Muslims and considers the socio-political realities of this middle-class movement. An expanding movement inspiring Muslims in Britain to turn away from the bedrock principles of this country and infusing them with religious fanaticism. By penetrating the clandestine veil of Islamic radicalism, the book is able to interpret and analyse the closed social world of radical activism. Relatively unchallenged within British society, Radicalism Unveiled has one key purpose: to determine and explain why some young Muslims join Hizb ut-Tahrir.

This Handbook provides the first in-depth analysis of non-violent extremism across different ideologies and geographic centres, a topic overshadowed until now by the political and academic focus on violent and jihadi extremism in the Global North. Whilst acknowledging the potentiality of non-violent extremism as a precursor to terrorism, this Handbook argues that non-violent extremism ought to be considered a stand-alone area of study. Focusing on Islamist, Buddhist, Hindu, far-right, far-left, environmentalist and feminist manifestations, the Handbook discusses the ideological foundation of their ‘war on ideas’ against the prevailing socio-political and cultural systems in which they operate, and provides an empirical examination of their main claims and perspectives. This is supplemented by a truly global overview of non-violent extremist groups not only in Europe and the United States, but also in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. The Handbook thus answers a call to decolonise knowledge that is especially prescient given both the complicity of non-violent extremists with authoritarian states and the dynamic of oppression towards more progressive groups in the Global South. The Handbook will appeal to those studying extremism, radicalisation and terrorism. It intersects several relevant disciplines, including social movement studies, political science, criminology, Islamic studies and anthropology.

Haroro J. Ingram journeys through over a century of history, from the Islamist modernists of the late-1800s into the 21st century, in the first full length examination of the charismatic leadership phenomenon in Islamist radicalism and militancy. Exhaustively researched and founded upon a suite of innovative multidisciplinary paradigms, this book features case studies of Hassan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb, Abdullah Azzam, Osama Bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki. At a micro-level, Ingram argues that charismatic leaders act as vehicles for the evolution of modern Islamist radicalism and militancy. At a macro-level, he argues that the transformative charisma phenomenon in Islamist radicalism and militancy produces complex chains of charismatic leaders as individual figures rise by leveraging, to varying degrees, the charismatic capital of preceding charismatic leaders. Within these case studies, Ingram offers new approaches to understanding the nuances of these complex phenomena; from his ideal-types of charismatic leadership in Islamist militancy (spiritual guides, charismatic leaders and neo-charismatic leaders) to his framing of al-Qaeda as a ’charismatic adhocracy’. The result is an authoritative analysis of a phenomenon largely ignored by scholars of both charismatic leadership and Islamism. Ultimately, this ground-breaking investigation offers important insights into the complex nuances that drive the rise and evolution of not only Islamist militancy but radical and militant groups more broadly.

British Muslim activism has evolved constantly in recent decades. What have been its main groups and how do their leaders compete to attract followers? Which social and religious ideas from abroad are most influential? In this groundbreaking study, Sadek Hamid traces the evolution of Sufi, Salafi and Islamist activist groups in Britain, including The Young Muslims UK, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Salafi JIMAS organisation and Traditional Islam Network. With reference to second-generation British Muslims especially, he explains how these groups gain and lose support, embrace and reject foreign ideologies, and succeed and fail to provide youth with compelling models of British Muslim identity. Analyzing historical and firsthand community research, Hamid gives a compelling account of the complexity that underlies reductionist media narratives of Islamic activism in Britain.

Over the past three decades, migration has become the main driver of population growth (or of preventing its decrease) in many EU countries. The presence of so many families with a migrant background is, however, to some extent, an unexpected phenomenon arising from the permanent settlement of migrant guest workers expected to be temporary residents and from other unplanned processes such as decolonization and the influx of asylum seekers. Moreover, family reunification is today one of the main legal channels by which migrants come to Europe, so it is no coincidence that the main issues animating European public debate on inter-ethnic coexistence involve family, religion, and the relationships between genders and generations. Finally, the migrant family has to some extent, become a lens through which to analyze many key topics connected with the present and future of European societies. This work, Migrant Families and Religious Belonging, is a collection of nine essays exploring the relationship between family, religion, and immigration. These essays mainly focus on the integration process, with particular attention to the experience of migrants’ offspring. The book consists of an introductory chapter and four thematic sections, and topics covered include gender equality, forced marriages, child fostering care, and religious radicalization. The relationship between family, religion and immigration provides a fascinating perspective to explore and shed light on European society today. The book will be of interest to a wide range of academics, researchers, and practitioners.

Investigating the appeal of the group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT), the study expands on why non-violent radical forms of Islam still attract segments of Muslim communities in the West. Being one of the few comprehensive studies on HT, this book discusses how this Islamist group advocate for the caliphate and for the implementation of shari’a but also reject violence as a tool to achieve these goals. Through interviews with current HT members, observation at HT-sponsored events and social media analysis, this book leads the reader into the world of vocal radical Islamist groups, exploring their goals and activities in Western states, with a special focus on the UK and Australia. In fact, as many other non-violent Islamist groups, HT represent the choice of all those individuals who might share Islamist arguments but who reject the use of violence. Given their non-violent nature, vocal radicals are mostly free to operate in the Western world, attracting new members, conducting a relentless campaign against the "West as a system" and representing a serious source of concern not only for national authorities but for the broader Muslim community. This book stands as an original publication and paves the way to a new area of study crossing sociology, Islamic studies and political sciences. This book is one of the few contributions on vocal and radical Islamism to date.

In Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam, Canadian human rights activist Yasmine Mohammed speaks her truth as a woman born in the Western world yet raised in a fundamentalist Islamic home. Part Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel, part The Handmaid's Tale, Yasmine's memoir takes readers into a world few Westerners are privy to.

This edited collection seeks to address and analyse the ramifications of terrorism and terrorist activities at a world-level, with a specific focus on the economies and political systems in the Afro-Asian regions.