The seminar was organised by The Democracy Forum and the Centre for the Response to Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society.
Sir Peter Luff, chair of the Democracy Forum, opened proceedings before Secretary Sibal spoke on “Liberal Life, violent ideologies: the anomalies of Europe’s youth being attracted to extremist dogma.”
Mr Sibal said that the way in which some UK young people have been attracted to extremism “Baffles an outsider when the ideology is anti-modern, anti-progress and anti-women. The ideology is backward, and does not offer any vision for society.”
He mentioned that the basis for the ideology is Salafi or Wahabi and the Islamist view is that democracy is responsible for all ills in the 21st century. He said that young Muslims join because they feel part of an online community, and that most that join up were and are not living in their countries of birth so there is an element of displacement. Mr Sibal pointed out that Iraqis and Palestinians were not so common in ISIS and that there were only 18 cases of Indians joining the group.
Mr Sibal added that Saudi Arabia is being targeted by the Islamic State not for religious but for political reasons.
Haras Rafiq, managing director of the Quilliam Foundation followed with a talk titled “Prevent Strategy & the common pathways to Islamist radicalisation: the importance of challenging Islamist ideas of nonviolent extremism & promoting the values of our Liberal Secular Democracy.” He said that radicalisation can occur within one and a half weeks but more generally three and a half months or years.
Rupert Sutton of the Henry Jackson Society spoke on “Campus Extremism: speakers, material and the problems faced by students trying to challenge this.”
In the audience were Sir Mota Singh, Indian DHC Dr Virander Paul, and Lord Nasir Ahmed.
