How do we tackle the problem of radical Islam?

[HelloPuppyPie]

Most Muslims are ‘normal’ people, I live in an area with a high Muslim population most are just normal people going about their everyday business.

BUT clearly there is a problem somewhere. When was the last violent attack by Christians, Jews Hindus or any other religion?

It does feel like this is a problem that cannot be widely discussed for fear of being called Islamophobic. But there’s clearly a problem in the religion.

How many more people have to die before something more significant is done - and what could that even be?

"Does the terminology used truly matter when the crimes are all horrendous and abhorrent?"

Yes it absolutely does matter. We need to be specific about what the issues are. If we just put them all in a box of "horrendous and abhorrent" we'll never get anything done.

I have not quoted an opinion. The poster I responded to quoted one, dating from 2013.

Birmingham in 2021 had a Muslim population accounting for 30%. Five years on there can be little doubt this has grown as has their influence.

You do realise MN is enforcing their own site guidelines and not the law?

In 2024 there were 24 Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe.

In 2023 there were 5 Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe.

In 2022 there were 18 Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe.

In 2021 there were 3 Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe.

In 2020 there were 25 Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe.

This doesn’t include all the attacks that were foiled, nor the horrendous attacks that occurred in France at the Bataclan, Charlie Hebdo etc.

About 75% of MI5’s counter terrorism workload is Islamist extremism.

The OP asks how we can tackle the problem of radical Islam.

The response:

What about Christians? What about Jews? What about Buddhists? What about Hitler? What about racists? What about the FAR RIGHT? What about, what about, WHAT ABOUT!

Haha! I didn't think of that 😆

Fair enough. But I was making the point that plenty of other religions have followers who are less than stable. And that Islam isn't the only one that encourages wars and extremism.

Really useful stats to contribute do the discussion. At risk of ‘what about’ - I would like to see the same breakdown of terrorist attacks that are by other groups, for comparison. Agree there is a lot of whataboutery but I really don’t know if more mass murders are perpetrated by Muslims.

To refuse entry or deport any immigrants who believes death is an acceptable punishment to any “crime”. To show depictions of the prophet Muhammad in schools and encourage critical thinking and even ridicule if they wish. To arrest, deport and shut down any organisations that threatens or encourages violence against such an act. Freedom of speech and expression is essential to proper integration in our society. To make it mandatory that all immigrants are subject to an English exam and that women are given lessons that religion is a choice and in the UK they have rights and to ensure those rights are outlined to them. To ban bloody Sharia law and all the extreme versions that come with it. To deport anyone without a citizenship that becomes “known” to MI5 or other agencies.

I think all types of religious extremism are incompatible with liberal, Western democracies but I think we're kidding ourselves if we don't acknowledge that islamist terror groups or radicalized individual muslims are one of the biggest current threats in the UK and the rest of the English speaking world.

This was the case pre October 7th but I think what the current widespread condemnation of the Israeli government and the regular noisy and intimidating Pro Pal protests on British streets has done (perhaps unwittingly for many liberal supporters) is legitimise anti semitic rhetoric generally and fuel these kinds of terror attacks on Jewish communities.

People need to be vocal in separating out the justifiable condemnation of Netanyahu's war crimes against innocent Gazans and the support of an islamist terror group like Hamas, whose core aim is the total destruction of the Jewish State and its people (and any other governments who recognize Israel's legitimacy and support a two state solution - like the UK, Australia, US, France, Germany etc) if we don't want to embolden these home-grown extremists further.

I doubt even the most outspoken critics would be willing to put their neck on the line and suggest most of this. The repercussions would be terrifying

It’s radicalism in general that we need to combat, not specifically in Islam. 21% of referrals to Prevent in the last year were for right wing concerns vs 10% for Islam concerns. That’s the 5th year in a row there’s been more referrals for right wing concerns vs Islam concerns.

We have a generation of people growing up on the internet, being easily indoctrinated into groups who believe certain things. I can see how easy it would be for a boy who is struggling to get a girlfriend to get sucked into the Incel community for example, simply by googling ‘why can’t I get a girlfriend’.

Nothing. Look up Irfan Christie, MBE, of course. Government poppet and cheerleader for Prevent. Made anti Semitic comments in a speech, was suspended from Prevent, but all’s forgiven because he ‘misspoke’. Of course.

Is it to do with Islam being more patriarchal than other religions, and then a small difference being very magnified by the extremists?

Yes most posts have been look at something else. At least MI5 get the threat I suppose.

Well I think this is the issue really and why lots of people disbelieve any defenders of Islam who claim it’s a peaceful religion. Only if you toe the line…

Your argument is essentially 'look squirrel'. Yes, all religions have extremist elements but let's not pretend that they are in anyway comparable to the sheer volume of Islamist's out there who are prepared to either wage violent jihad or at the very least turn a blind eye to it.

Where are the statistics that show more Muslims than any other religion are agreeable to terrorism/extremism?

OP clearly stated she believed no other religions ever caused war or discord, so I was pointing out the massive flaw in her argument.

Nope. Should be 'male violence'.

New Zealand stands as a warning against focusing on one threat and one group only. Our intelligence agencies were focused almost exclusively on finding brown Muslim terrorists only, with work in its infancy on far-right and white supremacist threats despite the attack in Norway, an explosion of attacks in the US, and growing violent rhetoric online. A white supremacist terrorist waltzed right through our doors, obtained weapons legally, and casually murdered 51 of our people - targeted for their race and faith.

I challenge you to go to a multicultural area of your nation and mark out 51 people as expendable. Don't forget to include children. The youngest of our victims was just 3 years old. And then maybe instead of encouraging a focus on the biggest threat only, consider radicalization as a whole, the potential effects of this, and campaign for more and better resourcing rather than deciding which targets are worth protecting. Just a thought.