During a recent meeting in New York, Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki expressed his concerns about Tunisians who have gone to Syria to fight against the Assad regime. He compared them to the Arab mujahideen who went to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Mr Marzouki said that “nobody can be sure what would happen” when they return home.
Radical extremism within Muslim communities is a problem that needs to be tackled, and quickly. The question is: what is to be done about it, and how?
The Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, denounced the attacks on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya last month, and Somali communities abroad did the same. Muslim community leaders, particularly those that live among non-Muslim majorities in Europe and North America, publicly and unequivocally deplored the attacks.
On the face of it, the reaction from Somalis and Muslims seems appropriate. But that risks advancing a problematic narrative. Muslims should not be solely blamed for such atrocities as they do not hold fully responsibility for it as a community. They have a role to play but there are deeper problems to be recognised and addressed, but not only by Muslim communities.
The Kenyan atrocity is a tragedy that is partly a result of the lack of international leadership to resolve the conflict in Somalia. The lack of this leadership is still there and the tragedy may still be repeated.
When the Somali president denounced Al Shabab, he insisted the group does not belong to Somalia – that radical extremism is not endemic or intrinsic to Somalia and Somali culture. When Somalis elsewhere denounce the actions of Al Shabab, there is an implicit recognition of blame and responsibility for Al Shabab, but the Somali president was clear in his characterisation of Al Shabab being a non-Somali movement that has simply found a host in Somalia.
One might argue that Somalis should take responsibility for hosting Al Shabab, but that would only be true and accurate if Somalis had the capacity to control what happens on their territory in the same way that other nations do. Somalia has suffered from the realities of a failed state for two decades. In spite of the efforts of Somalis, the inaction of the international community has allowed extremism to fester. As a result, Al Shabab thrived on chaos and gradually transformed into a multinational group with members from many different nationalities.
David Cameron, the British prime minister, portrayed the ideology of the attackers as not being that of believers in true Islam, but a perversion of it. Muslim community representatives echoed his sentiments and they also found themselves locked into a particular narrative where they, more than anyone else, were obliged to speak out against the ghastly acts of Al Shabab. The corollary assumption is that if they do not speak out, they’re somehow ethically responsible for those actions.
After September 11, 2001, it’s unsurprising that Muslim communities, particularly those in the West, feel obliged to speak up. The level of suspicion, especially after the rise of anti-Muslim bigotry from the far-right in Europe and North America, means that they may feel they are under threat or might be targeted as a result of these attacks. A Fox News commentator, Bob Beckel, has even said that until “moderate Muslims” denounced the Kenya attacks, no mosques should be constructed in the US and no Muslim students from outside of the US should be permitted to enter the country.
The narrative is, of course, deeply flawed. No calls were made for Buddhists in the West, for example, to openly denounce the actions of Myanmar Buddhists that targeted a religious minority. Similar comparisons can be made about other religious groups.
Still, Muslims should work to strengthen a moderate religious discourse that leaves little room for radical extremist ideas to take root and to prevent extremists from recruiting Muslim youth. This argument should also allow for the factors that would help Muslim communities to build and promote such a discourse.
The mainstream religious establishment has already identified these radicals as being essentially heterodox – though such denunciation is often missed in media headlines. Those sort of statements against religious extremism will have to continue, but tackling radical extremism remains the responsibility of security services worldwide and simply cannot be the task of religious leaders.
It remains easier for extremism to spread when mainstream ideas are not widely promoted. Religious moderation requires an environment that allows it to grow and flourish. In failed states such as Somalia, where the security apparatus is not effective, extremism has been left to fester for many years.
The tragedy of Kenya cannot be blamed on Somalis and Muslims but all of us. When turmoil and destruction become the norm for the citizens of a country, while the international community stands idle, violent extremism finds fertile ground. Mr Marzouki spoke of Afghanistan, and the unpredictability of what was to happen as a result of fighters flowing from other countries to participate in the conflict.
As we have seen in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and Syria, the world cannot afford to continue to watch as destruction and chaos reigns in those countries – the consequences will visit us far beyond those lands.
Dr HA Hellyer is associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, and the Brookings Institution in Washington DC
On Twitter: @hahellyer
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
