Jihadi Terrorism and the Radicalisation Challenge in Europe

Often dubbed as a 'global threat', most observers analyze the terrorist threat as a patchwork of self-radicalizing local groups with international contacts but without a central engine or any central organizational design. Jihadi terrorism is composed of one major root cause in an enabling global environment and a multitude of local root causes depending on the countries involved.

Focusing on the situation of jihadi terrorism and radicalization in Europe, this volume looks at the growing tendency of self-radicalization and self-recruitment of individuals. It provides both a precise state of the threat as well as a thorough analysis of the radicalization process. Aimed at an audience of policy makers, academia and think tanks, the volume combines a theoretical approach with novel thinking and 'out of the box' policy recommendations.

Contents
Foreword, Gijs de Vries; Introduction, Rik Coolsaet; Part 1 The State of the Threat: A global assessment of the threat in the post al-Qaeda era, Paul R. Pillar; Jihadi terrorism: perception and reality in perspective, Rik Coolsaet and Teun Van de Voorde; 'New' vs. 'old' terrorism: a critical appraisal, Martha Crenshaw. Part 2 Jihadi Terrorism Around the World: Logics of jihadi violence in North Africa, Hugh Roberts; Kinship and radicalisation process in Jamaah Islamiyah's transnational terrorist organisation, Noor Huda Ismail; Jihadi terrorists in Europe and global salafi jihadis, Edwin Bakker; The Islamist networks in Belgium: between nationalism and globalisation, Alain Grignard. Part 3 Radicalisation in Western Europe: The Root Causes: Muslims in Europe and the risk of radicalism, Jocelyne Cesari; Al-Qaeda: a true global movement, Olivier Roy; Dutch extremist Islamism: Van Gogh's murderer and his ideas, Rudolph Peeters. Part 4 Radicalisation in Western Europe:The Answers: (De-)escalating radicalisation. The debate within Muslim and immigrant communities, Tarik Fraihi; De-radicalisation and the role of police forces, Glenn Audenaert; The EU response to radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism, Gilles de Kerchove and Ran van Reedt Dortland; Epilogue: zeitgeist and (de-)radicalisation, Rik Coolsaet and Tanguy Struye de Swielande; Bibliography; Index.

Reviews
'A timely, analytically precise and thoughtful book, Rik Coolsaet's work presents us with an indispensable, accessible guide to the complex and growing phenomenon of violent radicalization in Europe. A must read for scholars and responders alike.'
John Horgan, University of St Andrews, UK

'The non-specialist reader gets a birds eye view on the insights and analytical approaches of the most eminent researchers into muslim radicalism and jihadi terrorism in Western Europe. Although there is some convergence among them, the differences among the authors prevail. Very useful in the classroom.'
Meindert Fennema, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands