| In the wake of the July 2005 London bombings, the British government implemented a preventive counterterrorism strategy focusing on countering radicalization in Muslim communities. Through the ambitious and controversial Prevent strategy, 82 localities in the United Kingdom are now delivering community-based social programs to help stop people from becoming violent extremists. Many nations are looking to Prevent as a potential template and are eager to learn from the British experience. To develop a model for effective counter-radicalization approaches, I traveled to the UK to interview government officials, police officers, Muslim community activists, mosque leaders, and academics knowledgeable about Prevent. From my 38 interviews, two key factors emerged as critical to enhancing the efficacy of government counter-radicalization efforts: The existence of (1) tailored intervention programs targeting those at-risk of radicalization; and (2) programs that boost the capacity of Muslim faith leaders. My research then aimed to assess how Prevent has performed in these areas. This study finds that the targeted interventions and faith capacity building programs being delivered under Prevent represent a promising start and fit the model of effective counter-radicalization approaches identified by the interview set. However, significant challenges remain to having the necessary expertise, training, and participation of Muslim organizations to deliver successful intervention and faith leader programs. The UK's approach has had its fair share of challenges, setbacks, and criticism. This paper concludes that the Prevent strategy would be more effective if it was re-oriented to prioritize programs in these two areas. |
