Abstract
This paper examines the nature of the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation to Islamic extremism in the UK. Through the critical analysis of themes and commonalities within existing literature on both individual fields, it is shown that there exists a relationship between the two phenomena, though this relationship has many intricacies. This paper argues that right-wing populism, along with counter-terrorism policy and the media, construct an anti-Muslim narrative, which fosters discrimination and, ultimately, leads to the social exclusion of Muslim suspect communities, a known cause of radicalisation. This research further reveals that this relationship, while significant, is not causal, using cumulative extremism to explain its multidirectional nature. Drawing attention to the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation opens up a new approach to understanding the impact current UK politics and the media have on the issue of “homegrown” terrorism. This paper aims to promote engagement with the question of how, as a society, we can implement more effective and less discriminative counter-terrorism policy, as well as become more aware of the impact of the media.
Highlights
This paper examines the nature of the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation to Islamic extremism in the UK
This paper has opened a new field of enquiry into the nature of the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation to Islamic extremism in the UK
Due to a lack of existing literature, it was essential to initially examine the phenomena individually to allow for direct comparisons to be drawn between the impacts of right-wing populism and the causes of radicalisation to Islamic extremism
Summary
Islamophobia became a prominent political issue in 2009–10 with the “Birther” movement in America, supported by Donald Trump, attempting to discredit President Barack Obama by accusing him of being a Muslim born in Kenya (Mondon and Winter, 2017). Hundreds of dedicated supporters were willing, but enthused, to carry out an attack on a landmark of American democracy, showcasing the extent to which Trump’s right-wing and discriminative messages have become ingrained into so many American people (ibid). The former President has become the first to be impeached twice and the first to be impeached after the end of his term, which truly displays the gravity of these events and how damaging right-wing populism can be to multicultural and democratic societies (Gambino, 2021). While these events have taken place in the United States, globalisation and the internet allow the ideology to be dispersed globally, which is why it is so relevant to assess the extent of right-wing populism around the globe and not solely focus on the United Kingdom
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