The American Muslim…Confronting Online Radicalization of Muslim Youth (& support the CIA)
The recent arrests of five American Muslim youth in Pakistan on suspicion of attempting to join militant groups there has provoked deep concern about the existence of homegrown extremism among Muslim American youth. Until recently, it was believed that this was a problem confined to other Western countries such as the UK. The fact that several Muslim Americans have recently surfaced in Somalia and Pakistan among militant groups demands immediate action by the Muslim American community.
The good news is that those Muslims who espouse militant ideologies no longer find a physical home in mainstream Muslim America. For example, Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born imam who cheered on the Fort Hood shootings, became ever more radical in his ideology and teaching after leaving the United States and colluding with Yemeni extremists. Similarly, the New York-based al-Qaeda supporting extremist duo that calls itself “Revolution Muslim” has been reduced to heckling mosque-goers from the sidewalk.
The bad news is that after being chased out of the Muslim mainstream, those Muslims leaning towards extremism have found sanctuary on the Internet. There, militants have been able to exploit visitors’ religious illiteracy and social alienation better than their moderate brethren and recruit people to join their cause.
