Text by Sarah Chetcuti, Malta
“Allah hu Akbar!”
How many times has this seemingly pious declaration been considered a war cry, meant to instil fear in all those unfortunate enough to witness its echoes?
According to Katherine Brown, lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham, the power of groups like IS in attracting and recruiting members lies in their fulfilment of certain romantic cultural notions – that of men being physically strong heroes and of women being ruled by their biology.
Prevention better than cure
Current news coverage is saturated with calls for tightened security and states of high alert – all decent enough measures on how to prevent future terrorist attacks and further fatalities. But what about taking a step back and trying to prevent terrorist ideologies from taking root in the impressionable minds of vulnerable youths? In theory this would provide a perfect solution to the radicalisation of young people, but as with all perfect solutions, its execution remains tricky.
From an institutional standpoint, as Sakharov prize winner Denis Mukwege put it, Europe has become “an economic giant but remains a political”. In order to wield further power on the world stage, as well as a European army, a common foreign policy is required, according to MEP Ulrike Lunacek.
What can we do from our end as European millennials? Recent events are proof that the war on terrorism has become a global problem we must all face up to. Moreover, it is easy to overlook the fact that refugees are not the cause of terrorism but rather the victims. Instead of offloading blame on these already disadvantaged groups, we, as citizens of a union that prides itself on core values of the likes of equality and fraternity, have a humanitarian duty to help them build the better life they are entitled to.
At a local level, better awareness would do well to achieve higher integration levels. Events such as the European Youth Event specifically target youth and focus on key issues that help to foster the awareness and better intercultural understanding needed.
“Education is key,” Patryk Pawlak, Policy Analyst for the European Parliamentary Research Service said. Reform in the education system would certainly help: Promoting critical thinking in early school years would contribute to strength of character, ensuring that children develop a personal skill set with which they would turn out as less vulnerable prey and more well-rounded individuals who value themselves before valuing any ideology which would threaten their wellbeing.
“Talking about issues acts as a vaccine,” says politologist Asiem EL Difraoui, safeguarding young people’s minds against any possible future ideological propaganda. Our first experience of anything, be it a first love to an ideology, will remain our reference point for similar future encounters.
“Islam is a European religion, whether we like it or not,” says Cihan Tekeli, Program Manager and Educator at the Anne Frank House. European countries may still be a long way off from total secularisation. Hence, inter-religious dialogue is another topic which craves to be more openly discussed, especially in school environments where it could provide deeper understanding of and respect for different faiths.
