Introduction: meeting the Emigrants; 1. Al-Muhajiroun's small-world solution; 2. Joining the Emigrants; 3. A community of true believers; 4. Resilient activism; 5. Leaving al-Muhajiroun; Conclusion: ending the Emigrants.
Presents the first ethnographic study of al-Muhajiroun, an outlawed activist network that survived British counter-terrorism efforts and sent fighters to the Islamic State.
Michael Kenney is Associate Professor of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of From Pablo to Osama: Trafficking and Terrorist Networks, Government Bureaucracies, and Competitive Adaptation (2007), among other publications. His new book, The Islamic State in Britain, is based on extensive fieldwork on al-Muhajiroun, an outlawed activist network in the UK. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the National Institute of Justice, and other institutions.
'This is an illuminating, beautifully written study of Britain's
most highly publicized, durable radical Islamic group, which
established numerous sidewalk stalls to engage passers-by. Kenney
spent five years interviewing many group members of different
ranks, as well as deeply knowledgeable outsiders, including
academics, journalists, and law enforcement officials. No academic
has had a deeper contact with a radical Islamic group, a connection
that will benefit readers greatly.' David Rapoport, Professor
Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles, and Founding and
Chief Editor of Terrorism and Political Violence
'Based on probing ethnographic research, and skillfully using
social network theory, this important and timely book explains how
radicalization occurs in Western societies, how small but highly
committed Islamist organizations persist and adapt under pressure,
and why democratic governments struggle to counter domestic
extremism.' Martha Crenshaw, Center for International Security and
Cooperation, Stanford University, California
'Kenney spent years talking with members of al-Muhajiroun; he tells
us where they came from and how and why they stayed or left. His
brilliant and readable results will be required reading for anyone
interested in radicalization and deradicalization: security
officials, analysts, academics, and citizens who want to get behind
the news.' Clark McCauley, Research Professor of Psychology, Bryn
Mawr College, Pennsylvania
'Michael Kenney takes us on a journey into Islamist activism
through meticulous field work, interviews, and participant
observation. This unique investigation brings these militants to
life and debunks many of our prejudices based on polemics with
little foundation. Anyone interested in Islamist networks must read
this book.' Marc Sageman, author of Turning to Political
Violence
'The Islamic State in Britain is a masterful exploration of one of
the most critical security challenges facing Western countries
today, militant activist networks. Michael Kenney's highly readable
study is at once thorough in research, rich in theory, and
judicious in argumentation. A seminal contribution.' Assaf
Moghadam, author of Nexus of Global Jihad: Understanding
Cooperation among Terrorist Actors
'This book contains an ethnographic study of al Muhajiroun, an
outlawed radical jihadist group in London. Kenney seeks to explain
how, despite intense police surveillance, the group survived,
attracted adherents, and recruited fighters to join the war in
Syria until the British government banned it in 2010. Ideological
sympathy, ties of friendship, charismatic leaders, and youthful
inexperience led people to join the group … some readers may be
surprised by Kenney's argument that such groups can allow young men
to let off steam, thus containing, rather than promoting, violence.
As the authorities stamp out these organizations, their disgruntled
members may pose an even greater danger.' Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign
Affairs
'… offers an insightful and refreshingly rigorous and
evidence-based perspective on issues of critical concern to
policymakers and law-enforcers, among others. It is a very valuable
addition to the literature on new religious movements and terrorist
networks and deserves a wide readership.' Anabel Inge, Religion,
State & Society
'An ethnographic study by the author in London's local Muslim
communities of how the al-Muhajiroun-linked network engaged in
Islamist activism, and the involvement by some of its adherents in
terrorist attacks in the UK, as well as joining the ranks for
foreign fighters on behalf of the Islamist State (IS) in Syria and
Iraq … Of particular interest is the author's finding that the UK
government's counter-terrorism's 'disruption of al Muhajiroun may
be considered a success' forcing them to be 'smaller, more
fragmented, and less capable than they have been since the earliest
days of their activism'.' Perspectives on Terrorism
'Through various impressive interviews with the organization's
members, Kenney details how the group mobilized, recruited,
sustained collective action, responded to counterterrorism, and
handled members who exited the organization. The key contributions
of this work are its network analysis of the group and the vast
array of interview material. One of Kenney's significant
conclusions is that the Emigrants provided an alternative to
violence for younger males prone to radicalization. This insight is
new and unique and, coupled with the very interesting interviews,
makes this book an impressive read.' Perspectives on Politics
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