Paul Lynch
Consul General of the United Kingdom

EVENT REPORT - May 28, 2008
Paul Lynch, the British Consulate General in Houston, spoke at the Gülen Institute Luncheon Forum about combatting violent extremism. He offered a detailed account of how the British government has been working with local communities to prevent radicalization in the UK since 2005. Lynch’s talk centered on the threat of Al-Qaeda, but he reminded those gathered of the recent history of violent extremism in northern Ireland between republican catholic terror groups and nationalist protestant terror groups.  “Sadly,” said Lynch, “this is an area in which we in the UK have a lot of experience.”

Before discussing the challenges facing the Muslim community in the UK, Lynch made a point to provide some historical context, stating: “I do not want to give the wrong impression of how Muslims participate in UK society.”  The history of Muslims in the UK stretches back well over 1000 years, as Islamic artifacts around the country will attest.  Lynch noted that Britain’s first purpose-built mosque was built in 1889.  Muslim communities in the UK clearly have deep roots, and the 2001 census counted about 1.6 million Muslims living in Britain, half of whom were born in Britain.  And Lynch was proud to note that in all of Europe, Britain has the highest number of Muslim parliamentarians.

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Nevertheless, the coordinated suicide bombings of July 7, 2005 were, according to Lynch, “a major wake up call.”  Islamic extremists exploded four bombs on the public transportation system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 commuters and injuring 700 people.  It was the largest and deadliest terrorist attack on London in its history, but according to Lynch, the most shocking aspect of the attacks was that they did not come from the outside.  All of the suicide bombers were born and educated in the UK, and had every prospect for a good life there.  Lynch described the general feeling of surprise shared by the government and the people of Britain at this kind of “homegrown” radicalism.

Lynch then recounted how the British government was responding to this newly acknowledged threat of local radicalization, emphasizing that the battle against violent extremism cannot be understood as a struggle between Islam and the West.  The terrorists in this case were all Western youth, and the indiscriminate nature of the attacks harmed citizens of all faiths.  In his explanation of what the British government has since done to prevent radicalization among youth, Lynch emphasized that such prevention is just a small part of a much larger strategy, which he summarized as follows: Prevent terrorism by fighting the radicalization of individuals, Pursue terrorists and those who sponsor them, Protect the public, and Prepare emergency service to respond to an attack.

Lynch acknowledged that there is no consensus as to what combination of circumstances and personality provide a ripe ground for radicalization, but he proposed that they are probably many of the same factors that influence more general criminal behavior: unemployment, housing shortages, an increase in the price of basic foodstuffs, a lack of leisure facilities, or anything that might add to the feeling that the ordinary person has a limited stake in society.  Lynch cautioned that the person who has “nothing to lose” is the most dangerous person.  And although specific causes are unknown, the government has to act on what information it has.

The British government has engaged in efforts to prevent radicalization by challenging the ideologies that extremists believe can justify the use of violence, changing the environment in which extremists can operate, and tackling the structural problems such as poverty and unemployment that contribute to the dangerous feeling of disenfranchisement.  In his address, Lynch provided a number of examples of newly developed programs that seek to meet these objectives.

After the attacks of July 7, the Home Office organized seven community led work groups to develop proposals for preventing the spread of extremism.  These community groups widely recommended dialogue between young British Muslims and international scholars, and the British government responded to this suggestion with the organization of a “scholars roadshow,” which Lynch emphasized was planned in cooperation various local Muslim organizations.  This program brought international Muslim intellectuals to the UK to speak out against extremist interpretations of Islam at public meetings.

With the aim of changing the environment in which extremists can recruit and operate, the British government announced in April 2007 that 6 million pounds would be given to support community led projects.  Lynch described the program as a way of giving British Muslim communities the opportunity to develop their own way of reaching out to vulnerable young people.  Some imaginative ideas that are currently being funded include TagTV, a video program in an underprivileged part of East London that addresses issues of faith and identity, and a Birmingham accreditation program for imams to help them publicize their message in English and reach local young people more effectively.  Lynch noted that the 6 million figure is just a start, and that over the next year the British government will provide 45 million pounds to these kinds of local partnerships.

Lynch also mentioned the need to get Muslim women engaged with this issue.  Their role as leaders in their families and their communities gives them a unique perspective on the challenge of preventing the social exclusion that could lead to radicalization.  He recounted how the government is currently seeking advice from Muslim women as to how it could best support them as ambassadors and role models in their communities, and he mentioned The Muslim Art Project as an example of a possible way of exploring how Muslim women could play a wider role in British society in accordance with Islamic principles.

The government programs that Lynch described are all run by members of the Muslim community.  Lynch expressed his awareness of the delicacy of such cooperations and emphasized that the government can show leadership in this area, but it cannot manage it.  Government ministers and officials cannot debate the tenets of Islamic faith, but they can create the space for that debate.  In Lynch’s experience, an effective anti-radicalism program cannot be imposed in any way; it must come from the community itself.

Lynch concluded his survey of the British government’s recent efforts to prevent the spread of extremism in its communities by describing a project that links the UK specifically to Houston.  In November of last year, a delegation from Houston travelled to the UK to share ideas and practices between Muslim community leaders involved in youth programs that address radicalization.  Since both nations are seeking to reach young Muslim leaders and establish a moderate credible voice that they will respect, Lynch considered this an important opportunity to learn from different approaches.  In summary, he found the US method to depend more on national conferences, whereas the UK approach tends to be more locally organized.  One effective method utilized in the US that Lynch suggested Britain could benefit from is the involvement of interfaith organizations in this issue.  Dialogue is clearly a key part of the preventative measures that the British government is supporting, and Lynch expressed his gratitude to the Gülen Institute for providing such a forum and for continuing to encourage this essential work.