Ethno-Religious Identities and Islamic Political Radicalism in the UK: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper is a case study of the ethno-cultural identity politics that young Muslim men since the events of 9/11 and 7/7 are found to be engaging with, using a life-history methodology and the experiences of Moazzam Begg as a lens through which to view a wider phenomenon. It is argued that the issues, debates and policy concerns impacting on the question of Islamic political radicalism in Britain, namely inequality, integration, multiculturalism, foreign policy, the influence of Islamism and the ways in which the historical, cultural, economic and political societal context that young Muslims find themselves in today, all affect the experience of conflicting multicultural identity politics and Islamic revivalism, with one informing the other. First, the methodology is outlined. Second, the analysis explores the life history of Moazzam Begg, identifying the macro-meso-micro tensions between individual Muslim identity development in the context of global tensions and conflicts relating to the Islamic world. In conclusion, it is argued that the layers of radicalization are local, national and international in character, and this paper is an attempt to determine the nature and orientation of how these factors are at play. Furthermore, a clarion call is made to British academics, activists and policymakers to ask discerning questions and determine nuanced solutions to quite complex problems.