Beyond faith: social marginalisation and the prevention of radicalisation among young Muslim Australians

ABSTRACT

Counterterrorism responses in Australia have mirrored trends in other nations with a focus on pre-emption, including the criminalisation of activities defined as preparatory offences. Security-based transnational approaches to combat terrorist activity and propaganda alone are ineffective. Sometimes security measures can actually damage efforts to counter the appeal and take-up of violent extremism. While such measures should be used in domestic contexts where threats are critical or imminent, robust soft power initiatives are needed. Even though governments recognise the importance of soft power approaches, public discourse and commentary frequently reproduces negative stereotypes of young Muslim people linking them, through their religion, in negative ways to radicalisation and terrorism. This article describes empirical research investigating the impact of such discourses on the lives of young Muslim Australians. It demonstrates how dominant public discourse and counter-narratives add to feelings of marginalisation, even in those who are well integrated into Australian society. It argues that such social marginalisation contributes to the conditions of possibility for radicalisation and concludes by discussing some of the ways that young Muslim Australians maintain resilience in an environment that could easily be perceived as increasingly hostile and divisive.

KEYWORDS:

• Marginalisation
• radicalisation
• Muslims
• terrorism
• multiculturalism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. On 18 September 2014, 800 police and ASIO officers conducted coordinated raids across Sydney and Brisbane. Two men were arrested. The Lindt café “siege” was a hostage crisis on 15–16 December 2014 was portrayed as a terrorist attack even when the motives of the perpetrator were unclear.

2. As a security measure rubbish bins have been removed from public transport hubs.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melissa Bull

Melissa Bull (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University; she also leads the Law Justice and Society research theme of the Griffith Criminology Institute. Her research is focused in two main areas, policing diversity and the control of drug crime. She has published on a wide range of topics including: community policing and cultural diversity, policing in differently organised states, positive youth development, long-term immigration detention and the regulation of drugs, harm minimisation and drug control in China.

Halim Rane

Halim Rane (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Islam-West Relations, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, Griffith University. His research focuses on Islam in the West, particularly Muslim communities in Australia. He is the author of numerous articles and books on Islamic and Muslim issues including: Media Framing of the Muslim World: Conflicts, Crises and Contexts (with J. Ewart and J. Martinkus, 2014); Making Australian Foreign Policy on Israel-Palestine: Media Coverage, Public Opinion and Interest Groups (with E. Han, 2013); Islam and Contemporary Civilisation: Evolving Ideas, Transforming Relations (2010); and Reconstructing Jihad amid Competing International Norms (2009)