Page 87 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 87
lamist Radicalisation Towards Extreme Violence
and Terrorism1
Iztok Prezelj, Klemen Kocjančič and Urša Marinšek
Introduction
Violent extremism, radicalisation and terrorism have become an in-
creasing problem and threat in contemporary Europe. European
countries and all relevant international organisations (UN, EU,
OSCE, and NATO) identified terrorism and related radicalisation as a
threat to national and international security. Presently, these countries are
shaping or reshaping their policies and programs for monitoring radical-
isation, de-radicalisation, and countering terrorism. This has also necessi-
tated an increased scientific attention expressed in an increasing number
of studies, books, and articles published in this field.
There is no universal definition of ‘radicalisation’ in the literature
and in practice. In this paper, we define it as a complex process of adopting
radical views by individuals and social groups about political or social prob-
lems, which can eventually lead to the use of extreme violence in the form
of terrorism. This process is more or less hidden from the general public,
but not in its end phase. Radicalisation is a problem predominantly be-
cause it may, at its evolutionary end point, lead to terrorism. In contrast,
not all radicalisation processes lead to the use of violence for the purpose
of achieving specific goals. As pointed out by Veldhuis and Staun (2009),
some radicalisations can be linked with non-violent changes of the ex-
isting system. This means that we are actually worried more about those
kinds of radicalisation where individuals, social groups, or entire societies
1 This article was prepared with the support of the RadCePro project financed by the Slove-
nian Research Agency and the Ministry of the Interior.
85
and Terrorism1
Iztok Prezelj, Klemen Kocjančič and Urša Marinšek
Introduction
Violent extremism, radicalisation and terrorism have become an in-
creasing problem and threat in contemporary Europe. European
countries and all relevant international organisations (UN, EU,
OSCE, and NATO) identified terrorism and related radicalisation as a
threat to national and international security. Presently, these countries are
shaping or reshaping their policies and programs for monitoring radical-
isation, de-radicalisation, and countering terrorism. This has also necessi-
tated an increased scientific attention expressed in an increasing number
of studies, books, and articles published in this field.
There is no universal definition of ‘radicalisation’ in the literature
and in practice. In this paper, we define it as a complex process of adopting
radical views by individuals and social groups about political or social prob-
lems, which can eventually lead to the use of extreme violence in the form
of terrorism. This process is more or less hidden from the general public,
but not in its end phase. Radicalisation is a problem predominantly be-
cause it may, at its evolutionary end point, lead to terrorism. In contrast,
not all radicalisation processes lead to the use of violence for the purpose
of achieving specific goals. As pointed out by Veldhuis and Staun (2009),
some radicalisations can be linked with non-violent changes of the ex-
isting system. This means that we are actually worried more about those
kinds of radicalisation where individuals, social groups, or entire societies
1 This article was prepared with the support of the RadCePro project financed by the Slove-
nian Research Agency and the Ministry of the Interior.
85
