Islamist radicalisation in Italy: just A myth?

ABSTRACT

Whilst Italy has yet to experience a large-scale Islamist terrorist incident, this essay challenges the claim that Islamist radicalisation in the country is a myth. On the contrary, factual, quantitative, and qualitative evidence indicates that radicalisation exists and, with no alarmism and social stigmatisation, should be addressed as such. In truth, Italy displays a multifaceted and decennial jihadist record. Jihadists have used Italy to acquire funds and weapons and the country has been a crossroad of renowned terrorists. Combatants have departed from Italy for theatres of jihad well before the advent of ISIS. In this regard, the Caliphate has been fairly active in Italy. There have been at least 30 cases of a terrorist-related nature since 2001, including several thwarted plots. Furthermore, field research by the author shows that extremist views justifying violence framed in religious terms have permeated certain segments of local Islamic communities where support for violence in defence of faith, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS ranges from 10% to 24%. Drawing on its empirical findings, this paper suggests a number of preventive measures with the intention of contributing to the discussion on counter-radicalisation policies and striking a proper balance between security and democratic values.

KEYWORDS:

• Italy
• Islamist radicalisation
• terrorism
• myth
• countering-radicalisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The attack perpetrated by Mohammed Game at the Santa Barbara Carabinieri base in Milan in 2009, in which the very terrorist and a guard reported injuries, but no casualties were registered

2 For further information on discussion surrounding the term ‘Islamism’ and ‘Islamist’, please see Salman (1997), Mandaville (2007), Mozaffari (2007), Richard and Barzegar (2009), Shadi and Rashid (2016), Satloff (2016) and Shepard et al. (2014).

3 The study utilizes the following definition of ‘Islamist radicalisation’: The process by which a Muslim individual or a group of Muslim individuals residing in Europe, whose religious affiliation is self-proclaimed, adopts purist visions of Islam or Islamic tenets, which, while centring (or not) such overarching interpretations within private and/or public spheres, advocating (or not) for the establishment of an Islamic legal and societal order, may or may not turn into justification for violence and/or active engagement in actual acts of violence framed in religious terms to subvert the democratic system or achieve particular political goals.

4 All excerpts from interviews and focus group, including direct quotes, are cited in Groppi (2018), Appendix 5.

5 For further information about counter radicalisation legal propositions, please see Senato Italiano (2017), available at https://www.camera.it/leg17/126?idDocumento=3558 (Italian).

6 Particularly within prisons in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and in the city of Brescia.