Scholars fail to challenge militant take on Islamism
Blair’s institute wants ‘credible religious voices’ to oppose extremism
Claims by groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda to have theological backing for their brands of violent extremism are going virtually unchallenged by mainstream Islamic scholars, according to a report by Tony Blair’s research institute.
The study found that the political Islamism practised by groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood was much closer to the ideology of violent extremism than it was to religious mainstream.
An analysis of thousands of documents revealed that religious counter-narratives are failing to confront as much as 85 per cent of the scriptural references used extensively by such terrorist groups to justify their methods.
The institute found Barack Obama was the second-most cited person in the texts by hard-liners – ahead of former Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri – highlighting their preoccupation with the West as an aggressor against Islam.
Religious leaders should offer alternative interpretations to “prevent extremists from defining the rules of the game in the battle of ideas”, the report said.
The study – Struggle Over Scripture: Charting the Rift Between Islamist Extremism and Mainstream Islam – focused on more than 3,000 documents from Islamist extremist and mainstream Muslim sources.
“The evidence now shows that there is considerable ideological overlap in how Islamic scripture is used by Islamists, like the Muslim Brotherhood, and violent jihadists such as ISIL and Al Qaeda,” said Dr Emman El Badawy, head of research at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
“Understanding the ideological proximity of non-violent Islamist and Salafi-jihadism has never been more urgent, as the Muslim Brotherhood is increasingly under the spotlight.
“Extremist voices have had an impact on Islam that is wildly disproportionate to their numbers, and their distortions, as traced in this report, must be uprooted.”
The report called on governments to fund and establish a centralised online resource where “credible religious voices” can challenge extremist ideologies.
“Moderates and extremists claim to represent true and authentic Islam; both believe that their interpretation is closest to the divine message of God; and both insist that their convictions are rooted in the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet Mohammed,” it said. “Research that is driven by, and rooted in, evidence will help carve an informed response and build constructive partnerships against the perversion of religion.
“Counter-extremism policymakers should empower credible Muslim voices to speak up and rebut distortions of their faith. Building strategic communications expertise on understanding audiences, effectively engaging the media, and presenting powerful religious arguments will amplify the many community voices that convey an interpretation of Islam that is rooted in mainstream religious principles.”
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change was launched by the former British prime minister in December last year as a platform for research into transformation and change promoted from a global viewpoint.
It hopes the Struggle over Scripture will grant religious scholars and those involved in countering extremist ideas the findings to tackle unaddressed issues.
“Recurring themes in our research include the inconsistent efficacy of counternarratives and the ideological proximity of violent and nonviolent extremist texts,” the report said.
“Our conclusions can provide a basis for an informed response by religious leaders, policymakers, and civil-society organisations, rooted in the significant differences between Islamist extremism and mainstream Islam identified by our analysis.”