A new approach to terrorists

A new article in the financial times has an interesting approach to dealing with young terrorists.

"First, demystify terrorist lives and deaths. The average day in the life of an Islamic extremist is similar to that of a petty criminal: tedious, lonely and punctuated by fear. Terrorists’ incompetence and narcissism must be highlighted. There is no shortage of material. One cell could not remember the name of the prime minister they were planning to kill; intelligence services report that many are avid consumers of pornography. Humour is a potent weapon here; remember how the British Fascist party in the 1930s was undermined by satire, not least by P.G. Wodehouse. Chris Morris’s forthcoming film satire of British jihadis, Four Lions, will be worth a dozen official anti-terrorism messages.

Second, expose al-Qaeda’s ideology as thin and unable to withstand sustained criticism. Far from being afraid of radical messages, we should let them circulate freely. Young people will be drawn to them regardless; better that it is in the open. Young Muslims who turn to violence tend to be less well-read than those who remain peaceful. Liberal values of free speech and dissent are central to the destruction of the al-Qaeda brand.

Finally, western governments should welcome non-violent forms of radicalism. Young people need to vent their frustrations, and participation in demonstrations is much higher among the non-violent. Young radicals can be drawn away from violent activity by the chance to work on charity programmes in Palestine or Afghanistan: a real Peace Corps."