- Heidi Maiberg, Royal Holloway, University of London & Oksana Belova-Dalton, University of Tartu: Spread of the narrative 'Every Muslim is a Terrorist' in Estonia
- Christine Namdar, University of Helsinki & Heidi Maiberg, Royal Holloway, University of London: Message from God, Father, or Telegram? A comparative study on sources of beliefs and narratives within Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian Islamist extremists
- Marco Nilsson, Jönköping University: Jihad and gangs in Sweden – Explaining connections, recruitment strategies, and risks
Abstracts
Spread of the narrative 'Every Muslim is a terrorist’ in Estonia
Heidi Maiberg, University of London, Oksana Belova-Dalton & Hanna Britt Soots, University of Tartu
Although terrorist attacks are carried out for various reasons, the most numerous and most victimised incidents since the late 1990s have been carried out by Islamist extremists from Muslim-majority countries and in those countries. The Global War on Terrorism deepened the link between terrorism and Islamist extremism and, in turn, between terrorism and Islam. As a result, the prejudice 'Every Muslim is a terrorist!' has spread around the world.
This study analyses the spread of the narrative in Estonia. Estonia has had a small, well-integrated Islamic community for over three centuries. However, especially during the migration crisis in 2015, anti-immigration and Islamophobic narratives started to raise ground and get published in national media.
The paper is based on the first online survey that represents the Estonian adult population researching Islamophobia, beliefs towards Islam and Muslims, and sources of information on Islam. The paper offers answers to the following questions: How common is the prejudice 'Every Muslim is a terrorist' in Estonia? Among which groups of the population (education, age, nationality and mother tongue, place of residence, income), the support for Islamophobic claims is highest? What are the possible causes for supporting Islamophobic beliefs?
Message from God, Father, or Telegram? A comparative study on sources of beliefs and narratives within Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian Islamist Extremists
Heidi Maiberg, University of London & Christine Namdar, University of Helsinki
Preventing and countering of Islamist extremism is escalating a global challenge. There are active threats from specific terror organisations and conflicts among states impacting global and local landscapes. The development of technology and communication channels has altered the sources of beliefs. Traditional sources such as texts, local congregations, and family influences are now often overshadowed by ideas and perspectives swiftly spreading globally through communication platforms such as social media. Whilst the threat is shared, the state of play and developments can be uniquely distinct within each country and community.
This study analyses beliefs of Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian Islamist extremists. The countries are conjoined by shared history, values, geo-political threats, also facilitate the free movement and individuals for travel, study and work, potentially influencing the spread of extremist ideologies. The research aims to achieve three objectives: firstly, to provide an in-depth overview of the extremists’ beliefs and narratives by mapping, analysing and comparing them; secondly, to outline the sources from which these narratives and beliefs originate; and lastly, to present original data on the mechanisms of migration of Islamist extreme ideas within these countries.
Jihad and gangs in Sweden – Explaining connections, recruitment strategies, and risks
Marco Nilsson, Jönköping University
About half of the European foreign fighters who joined jihadist groups in Syria had a criminal record. In Sweden as many as about two thirds had been convicted of a crime and several of them had a gang background. Previous research has suggested that such a background has often played a role in the radicalization process. This study identifies six factors that explain why jihadism especially has appealed to gang members: Absolving sins; providing a higher cause for using violence; overlapping ideas of masculinity in street culture and jihadism; gang members’ lower threshold for using violence; jihadism better satisfying a desire for excitement; and the prevalence of cognitive openings among gang members. The study also analyzes different jihadist recruitment strategies aimed at youth involved in criminality, as well as the risk of jihadists joining gangs upon returning home from the conflict zone. The study illustrates these factors, strategies, and risks with the help of interviews with former jihadists and a former jihadist recruiter in Gothenburg, Sweden.