Radicalization And Homegrown Terrorism In Western Muslim Communities
Paper II: Multi-Source Analysis
Purpose and Description
Contributing to a scholarly conversation requires that you have something meaningful to communicate based on your own research. It also requires, however, that you consult existing scholarship on your subject in order to demonstrate, precisely, what is new or relevant about research findings. With these ends in mind, your aim in this assignment will be to 1) locate and analyze multiple scholarly sources related to the problem, question, and audience you identified in your research proposal; and 2) use your analysis to begin positioning yourself within a scholarly conversation that you would like to join based on your ongoing inquiry. The instructions described below are designed to guide you through this process.
Invention & Inquiry
Consider the following as you develop the first draft of your paper:
Identify 3-5 key words related to your research problem and question;
Research the key words using appropriate university library databases;
Locate scholarly sources that examine problems and questions similar to your own;
Create a digital repository for the articles you find and can access through the library;
Select 4-5 new sources that you would like to analyze for this particular assignment;
Analyze the sources using methods drawn from Chapters 2 & 3 in IAW;
Craft a thesis that positions your own voice within the scholarly conversation you have begun to define through your research.
The Composing Process
Your process for composing this paper will be similar to the work you completed for Paper I. In particular, you should introduce your subject, offer some context for your analysis and state your thesis, present your analysis, come to a general resolution that reinforces your thesis, and conclude the paper by pointing toward additional research that should or needs to be undertaken. Consider the following structure as you draft your paper:
Introduction (designed to frame your paper)
Research Context (designed to build on Exercise II)
Rhetorical Analysis (designed to focus on 4 scholarly sources)
Resolution of Perspectives (designed to reinforce your thesis)
Conclusion & Directions (designed to gesture toward future action)
Specific Requirements
Your paper should:
Analyze 4 scholarly sources related to your inquiry;
Develop a compelling thesis based on methodical analysis;
Have a well-defined and coherent organizational structure;
Be written in a clear, precise, and active prose style;
Cite sources correctly using appropriate citation style (MLA);
Include a title that reflects the spirit and scope of your paper;
Be 6-7 pages in length (double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman typeface);
Be uploaded to Canvas as a Word document by the deadline (consult your course syllabus and schedule for details).
The process of defining a scholarly conversation does not end with the analysis of 4 sources. Rather, it begins with this step and continues to evolve as you focus your inquiry and develop your argument over time and through ongoing research and writing. Please write or stop by my office (or both) if you have questions about this assignment or anything else related to the course.
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Source Analysis: Integration of Muslim Population
Since the September 11th attack, the growth of Muslim population in Western Europe and the United States has been a great issue of concern, especially on immigration policies, cultural identity, victimization, radicalization, and security. These issues have intensified tensions between Muslim communities and host countries characterized by riots, travel bans, high-profile murders, and terrorist-related attacks (Halim 237). In these states, Muslims own businesses while others have contributed a lot in academic and scientific research fields (Koopmans 199). However, various studies on Muslim immigrants show that most host countries have poor integration mechanisms which could directly or indirectly influence their relations. This paper is an analysis of some of these studies in an attempt to identify different strategies used to integrate the Muslim population and their significance.
Beutel, Alejandro J. "Radicalization and homegrown terrorism in Western Muslim communities: Lessons learned for America." Minaret of Freedom Institute (2007).
Radicalization and homegrown terrorism in Western Muslim communities: Lessons learned for America is a report purposed to offer background information on the motivation behind Muslim radicalization and other terrorist or terrorist-related activities. For clarity, the work of Beutel is divided into three parts. The first part addresses political, economic, and social challenges facing Muslims in the European Union. The second section presents the issues of integration and its influence in the radicalization process. The last section constitutes an analysis of “homegrown” terrorism in relation to violent local extremist groups.
According to the report, there are two different strategies that EU members use to deal with the presence of Muslim communities within the borders. The first strategy is a multicultural policy that aims at promoting tolerance and integration while preserving cultural identities and practices of immigrants and ethnic groups, common in the Netherlands and Great Britain (Beutel 12). On the other side, other countries such as France adopt assimilation. Assimilation as an integration strategy expects the immigrants or non-locals to adapt to the norms of its host country. The report further shows an overall ineffectiveness in Muslim integration in these countries, despite Muslims’ consistent desire to integrate into their host communities. The radicalization process consists of four vital steps, including cognitive opening, religious seeking, framing, and socialization. However, the cognitive opening is highly influenced by integration, dissatisfaction, and issues related to self-identity (Beutel 16). Religious seeking and framing are directly subject to the level of religious knowledge. In the last step, one graduates from being a learner to a committed member. The process of radicalization is encouraged by the presence of others with similar views, disconnection from the rest of society, and to some extent, internet usage. Lastly, the report recommends various strategies necessary for the prevention of radicalization and terrorist attacks. Most of these strategies are based on promoting health relations between Muslim communities and both local law enforcement and government.
Modood, Tariq. Multicultural politics: Racism, ethnicity, and Muslims in Britain. Vol. 22. U of Minnesota Press, 2005.
The book Multicultural politics: Racism, ethnicity, and Muslims in Britain presents a deep analysis of multiculturalism in Britain in both empirical and theoretical perspectives. However, the author highlights on ethnic diversity in employment and educational performance and the Muslim challenge. All these are presented in a Muslim perspective. According to the author, Tariq Modood, his work serves to challenge the British perception (black-white dualism) and the resultant ignorance on the voices of Asians and other minorities in Britain. Cultural racism, Islam phobia, and a challenge to secular modernity also contribute to the black-white division.
A better part of the book focuses on the “otherness” of South Asians in Britain, even before the 9/11 and the subsequent terrorist attacks. In the perception of the author, South Asians in a Britain are termed as the insignificant or undesirable other amongst compared to other communities (Modood 5). The Muslim community was increasingly considered as the greatest enemy and threat to Western society, far much than the Blacks. Modood further asserts that these perceptions of Muslims are based on race and racism. Assimilation and integra...