The terrorist attack on passenger trains in Madrid on 11 March caused shock and anger. Alerted by the assault, political authorities all over Europe have intensified their efforts to suppress... Show moreThe terrorist attack on passenger trains in Madrid on 11 March caused shock and anger. Alerted by the assault, political authorities all over Europe have intensified their efforts to suppress jihadist activities. The causes of militant Islamist activism in Europe are often considered to be external, emanating from conflicts in Palestine, Iraq, etc. But any policy based upon this externalization, i.e. denying the existence of internal roots, in particular the existence of alienated European Muslim youth, is doomed to failure. Show less
The 1979 Iranian revolution ended up in a theocratic regime that mobilized an important part of urban youth for both the war against Iraq and the realization of a utopian Islam. Two decades later,... Show moreThe 1979 Iranian revolution ended up in a theocratic regime that mobilized an important part of urban youth for both the war against Iraq and the realization of a utopian Islam. Two decades later, a new type of cultural-political movement, with democratic tendencies, is emerging and is founded mainly on three groups: intellectuals, university students, and women. Show less