Strategic Responses

Abstract

Abstract The study thus far has examined various aspects of the emerging problem of Muslim religious and political extremism in Western societies. The problem has been viewed from a range of perspectives and approaches. For example, in Chapter 3, we examined the nature of religious identity in a largely secular environment and the areas of tension that this threw up in relation to Western Muslim communities. In Chapter 4, our attention turned to theories and practices to build integration across ethnic and religious lines in Western immigration societies. And the concern of Chapter 5 was to pin down with as much detail as possible the nature and extent of radicalism and extremism within Western Muslim communities. In this chapter, we will draw on these findings and emerging conclusions to inform understanding not just of a bigger picture of the central issue. The central purpose of this chapter is to assess the task or tasks facing government or governments across the Western family of nations. This, as previously noted, is the main objective of this book, namely, to describe a story and assess responses as viewed from the perspective of government itself.