Summary:
This study attempts to ascertain the connection of Islam to proselytism and terrorism. Initially, the concept of Muslim religion, proselytism and terrorism is defined. Then, the Islamic abhorrence of Western ideals is reported, and the simple believer of the religion is separated from the Islamist. Then, the importance of distorting the concepts of Muhammadanism and the word "jihad" is analyzed, while the means of spreading the extreme ideology are presented. The role of islamistic organizations, such as ISIS, foreign fighters and "lone actors", is considered to be special, and then, the criminology theories that form the theoretical background of the study are examined. The second part describes ways of dealing with the phenomenon of jihadist terrorism, while underlining that islamophobia, which is fostered by the media, is not the solution to the issue. Crime policy proposals include the general guidelines for the dismantling of extreme religious groups, USA, EU, and UK strategies, technological advances, the contribution of "Enemy Criminal Law" and the specific legislation, which rules the religious terrorism. Finally, statistics from islamist terrorism inside the European Union are presented and effective policing measures, that do not unduly restrict individual freedoms, and the role of the family and the wider society, to the direction of the smooth integration of Muslim immigrants and refugees into West, are considered as solutions.
Other subject categories:
Criminology /Penology (Criminology -Corrections, Criminalistics)
Keywords:
criminology, jihadist terrorism, jihad, “lone actors”, foreign fighters, islamist, islam, proselytism