As European countries grow more concerned about their Muslim communities, the discourse around radicalisation and extremism becomes more problematic. Only recently, Mak Chishty, a senior British police officer, declared that young Muslim Britons who stop shopping at Marks & Spencer stores could be victims of radicalisation. This is a very awkward line of argument.
Mr Chishty also noted that teenagers who stop drinking alcohol or wearing “western clothes” could be extremists. His comments appear to suggest that all observant Muslims are essentially radicals in waiting. As for “western clothes”, many British Muslims ethnically originate from other cultural contexts, and may feel more comfortable in those kinds of garb. In any case, it’s not particularly clear how this is connected to extremism.
This will not be the first or the last time that the loyalty and belonging of Muslim communities of the West is questioned. Some may assume that this is a natural situation for all minority communities – that, inevitably, Muslim communities being what they are and the direction of travel of world affairs being what it is, such tensions are liable to happen. But there are lessons to be learnt, perhaps, from lesser known Muslim communities, such as the one residing on the Western Cape of South Africa.
The history of that community dates back hundreds of years, so there is something of a long established precedent for Muslim South Africans, which serves to protect them against suggestions of being alien or disloyal.
But beyond that, there is a history of political activism from among South African Muslims during the apartheid struggle. While many among the South African Muslim religious establishment acquiesced to apartheid, there were many individuals who did not and they formed coalitions to struggle against that dominant force. When apartheid finally fell, Muslim South Africans had already, organically, derived social capital in South Africa and they converted that into political capital.
In democratic South Africa, this Muslim community is treated as an integral part of society. There are no doubts or suspicions in that regard. What is more, the Muslim community itself would have it no other way. But their sense of South African patriotism does not result in an unnatural type of assimilation either. They belong to South Africa and they see no contradiction between that belonging and their own specificities as Muslims.
Those particularities might strike the British police commander as somehow threatening, or evidence of radicalisation, but that would be far from the facts on the ground. Their sense of being South African is taken for granted – as it should be, even though how they might view themselves may differ from other communities in South Africa.
That is not to say that the threat of radicalism does not exist. Even in this extremely well-adjusted and socially incorporated community, the threat of ISIL exists. In April, a teenage Muslim girl was stopped at Cape Town airport, en route to joining ISIL. Her parents were unaware that she’d been radicalised online. As yet, it is unclear how a 15-year-old child could receive the relevant funds for a ticket overseas – and it is unknown precisely how many South Africans are already in Syria and Iraq fighting for the radical group.
But they certainly exist – showing that for at least some recruits to ISIL, there is a deeply ideological element to their membership. Certainly, there are no issues of social exclusion that could be said to make these Muslims vulnerable to radical recruitment – but extremist ideology can find its way almost anywhere if left unchecked. Less than two weeks after that teenager was stopped, another was intercepted, from the same community in Cape Town.
The threat of ISIL exists and should not be underestimated. However, any counter-radicalisation strategy cannot be successful if it attempts to create problems out of anything that is different from the norm.
Extremism can take root for a variety of reasons, and there won’t be a “one size fits all” model for radicalisation. At the same time, while making problems for Muslim communities unfairly ought not to lead any of them to extremism, it certainly makes the radical recruiter’s job that much easier. By the same token, ensuring the open inclusion of Muslim communities in a shared and open patriotism, as South Africans have accomplished, makes the radical’s job that much harder.
Dr HA Hellyer is an associate fellow in international security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London, and the Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC
On Twitter: @hahellyer
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
HAJJAN
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
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WITHIN%20SAND
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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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
Fixtures
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