Stemming the tide: evaluating the British government’s efforts to counter the radicalization of British Muslim youth
Date
2010-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Domestic terrorism is increasingly becoming a top security priority for many Western countries. Over the last decade, Britain has seen more than a dozen terrorists come from within their own population due, in part, to the lax stance taken toward asylum seekers in the 1990s. Presently, British security forces estimate over 4,000 dangerous radical Muslims alone. Studies show that violent extremist organizations have begun actively recruiting Muslim youths and a majority of British Muslim terrorists are under 25. As a result of the 7/7 bombings in London, the British government has launched a new mission not just to stop terrorists, but also to prevent people from becoming terrorists. This new program is the first of its kind and, as such, has gone through many changes and reformulations, though it remains without meaningful metrics. This report finds that the British Prevent program was successful in encouraging the formation of several non-profit organizations with counter radicalization as a mission. Many of these organizations are only able to operate with funding provided through the government program, but are unable to retain credibility with at-risk youths. American officials should carefully examine the mixed success of this program when formulating a US counter radicalization program. This report concludes with policy recommendations for the US, as well as projections regarding future success or failure in Britain.