Source
r/exmuslim•
agentvoid

Has anyone ever had a conversation about radicalisation with a Muslim?

(Question/Discussion)

Hello.

Being a recovery sub, we often deal with fellow exmuslims who are on the edge.

But is it a common phenomenon among Muslims to talk about their brothers and sisters joining terrorist groups like ISIS?

The few times I've brought up the topic of radicalisation, it quickly hits a dead end. This is because:

  1. They refuse to recognise ISIS and its members as having anything to do with Islam (which makes sense as it would force them to deal with the constant cognitive dissonance and ever-present sense of inferiority and shame they struggle with).

  2. If they do acknowledge the extremists as Muslims, their solution to radicalisation is for the extremists to switch from regular Islam to the decaf Islam they subscribe to.

  3. They condone and even support extremists. (In this scenario, I am the one who ends the conversation- as a born again pacifist, I avoid situations that might tempt me to relapse.)

So have you had any conversations with Muslims about radicalisation? Have you ever heard a Muslim discuss steps to tackle radicalisation? If so, were there any good ideas?

Posted Feb 23, 2018, 4:43 PM UTC

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agentvoidOPExmoose Consultant•

u/Improvaganza. Have you spoken to Muslims about radicalisation?

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ImprovaganzaImtiaz Shams•

Loads, and your 3 concepts are definitely something that you come across a lot...it's tough because if you thought radicalisation sprung from Islam would you really follow it yourself?

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agentvoidOPExmoose Consultant•

Should we start a recovery sub for radicalised Muslims as well now? Does the Ummah think ignoring this problem will solve it?

Must we really save a world that fears and hates us?

I already have a codename but I don't want to run around in spandex.

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kazi_newazExMoose since 2018•

I've talked to people who have supported extremism in the past, but always blew them off as misguided, not following true Islam/perverting it for their agenda/anger (cuz you know, I was a Muslim brought up with the Islam is peace narrative). As for tackling radicalization, I was talking 2016 when I was back home on summer break, they had the Dhaka attack which shook our country up, and as a non-practicing Muslim I said Islam needs a reformation. Boy oh boy was I shut down so quick and people took offense. These were all educated young people, my cousins and their friends. Idk, radicalization can not be tackled unless you tackle the root cause, and if that is taboo, or even discussing it is taboo, you dont have much of a possibility of making inroads even with the peaceful muslims.

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wasabi5555New User•

I have to say the word reform was so off putting as a muslim. I thought how can you possibly change something such as a divine scripture. Now I believe its better to say interpretation needs to be changed,then people will be willing to listen.

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A__AimsNew User•

I once spoke to a prominent Dawah figure in the UK and he regarded ISIS and radicalisation as a “white mans problem, it’s not an issue for the Ummah”.

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jackfruit098Since 2005•

I think my own radicalization was underway when it was cut short by my apostasy. I was still in college and was turning towards more and more orthodox interpretation of Islam. I had even planned on joining a madrasa after my degree to learn Arabic and Quran. My eventual aim was to become a Daeeh.

Some fantastical books on signs of Qiyamah had also primed me for the army of black flags, so I'd made up my mind that I'd join it as soon as it made an appearance. And during all this, never was I radicalized by any extremist preacher or terrorist recruiter. Just studying Islam was enough to make me crazy enough to join an organization like ISIS.

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agentvoidOPExmoose Consultant•

That's a disturbing thought. Just reading the Quran can turn someone.

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jackfruit098Since 2005•

It can. The apologists may claim that the verses need interpretation, but the Quran itself is doesn't claim that. To a person who has immersed himself/herself in Islam, the literal interpretation of Quran is all that matters. Where do you think extremists come from?... They are just ordinary people who got drunk on Quran. Some may argue that only people who are violent by nature would get radicalized, but I was far from being violent before Islam. I was such a nice and obedient kid in school that I'd be excluded from any kind punishments (yeah, schools in India punished kids quite severely).

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[deleted]•

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