Research Articles Supplement 1 · 2016 · pp. 17–28 · Issue page

THE ROOTS OF VIOLENT RADICALISATION OF YOUNG MUSLIMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. IMPLICATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF BRITISH MULTICULTURALISM

AD
1 PHD Student, Security Studies, National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Romania, Bucharest
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Accepted 28 March 2026
Available Online 15 August 2016
IN THIS PAPER I WILL TRY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ALTHOUGH SOCIO -ECONOMIC FACTORS MATTER TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IN THE PROCESS OF VIOLENT RADICALISATION OF SOME YOUNG BRITISH MUSLIMS, VIOLENT RADICALISATION IS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX PROCESS IN WHICH ALIENATION TOWARDS BRITISH SOCIETY AND ITS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, ALONG WITH ANGER TOWARDS BRITISH POLICIES TO COMBAT VIOLENT EXTREMISM, THE OPPOSITION IN THE FACE OF BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY STEMMING FROM PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION, M ARGINALISATION CAUSES A STRONG IDENTITY CRISIS THAT FOR SOME YOUNG BRITISH MUSLIMS FINDS IT SOLUTION IN THE ADOPTION OF VIOLENT ISLAMIST FUNDAMENTALIST VIEWS. I WILL TRY TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THE FEW YOUNG BRITISH MUSLIMS WHO DECIDE TO ENGAGE IN RADICAL VIOLE NT ACTIONS AGAINST THE BRITISH STATE, OR DECIDE TO BECOME FOREIGN FIGHTERS AND GO TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE JIHADI GROUPS LIKE DAESH, ARE OFTEN WELL EDUCATED, BUT BECAUSE OF A FEELING OF NOT BELONGING TO THE BRITISH SOCIETY, BECAUSE OF THE CONS TANT PERCEIVED MARGINALISATION, THE LACK OF A PROEMINENT VOICE IN THE SOCIO -POLITICAL DYNAMICS THEY CAN BECOME VULNERABLE IN THE FACE OF FUNDAMENTALIST IDEOLOGIES THAT MANIPULATE THE IDEA OF THE ALTERNATIVE- THE GLOBAL ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, THE UMMAH - IN WHIC H ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND UNCERTAINTIES SEEM TO FIND THEIR ANSWER.
BRITISH MULTICULTURALISM ALIENATION SEGREGATED COMMUNITIES
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