Cause of radicalization must be clearly researched: MPs

Yesterday the Tweede Kamer (lower house of parliament) discussed the cause of radicalization and how it can be addressed with, among others, representatives from the Muslim community and scholars, De Telegraaf reports. According to the VVD and the CDA, ideology plays a more important role than social disadvantage in the radicalization of young Muslims. "It is naive to think that radicalization has nothing to do with Islam", CDA parliamentarian Pieter Heerma said. VVD Parliament Member Sjoerd Potters thinks that there should be more moral counterweight to radical ideas. PvdA member Ahmed Marcouch said that both ideology and social factors determine whether young people get caught up in radicalism and warns that people should not get stuck in "black and white thinking". Said Idbid of the Khattab Mosque in Almere thinks that the radicalization process is mainly caused by "ideology and theology", a view that was partially supported by other experts. Ibrahim Wijbenga of the National Platform for Tackling Youth Criminality stated that there is not enough counterweight from the Muslim community against radicalization. Idbid disagrees. "The counterbalance is there, bu you don't display it." Paul Scheffer, Tilburg professor and publicist, thinks that Western intervention in the Middle East also plays a role in the radicalization of young people here in the Netherlands. According to him young people can't understand that the West thinks democracy is a high priority, while at the same time supporting a regime in Egypt that came to power through a coup.