Heath-Kelly (2012). Counter-terrorism and the counterfactual: Producing the radicalisation discourse and the UK PREVENT strategy. - Article summary

Radicalisation refers to the process by which people come to support violent extremism and in some cases join terrorist groups. Risk refers to the processes by which the world is ordered in terms of danger, rather than objective threat.

The UK PREVENT strategy of terrorist attacks is focused on protection against major disruptive events. There is an emphasis on the value of anticipation and the value of investing in national resilience.

It is unclear why some people who radicalize resort to violence whilst others do not. Furthermore, it is not clear what is meant by radicalization. There is little empirical evidence for the existence of a radicalization process.

It is possible that radicalisation knowledge is salient because it produces a possible counterfactual to terrorism by inventing a narrative about transitions to militancy. This allows security mechanisms to perform interventions in the supposed production of terrorism.

Radicalisation emphasises the individual as driven by persuasive ideology which becomes salient through social networks. Religious terrorist organizations are seen as more dangerous than other terrorist organizations.

Competing demands of rival cultures sharpen the lines of division and lead to insecurity and rage. This can be part of radicalization. It is often thought that radicalization is ‘contagious’ and that some environments are more ‘ideal’ for radicalization (e.g. prison).

The British counter-terrorism programmes (e.g. PREVENT) state that the British Muslim population is both at risk and risky. This leads to securitising them concerning what they might produce. There is no distinction between risky and vulnerable.

Naming a population both risky and at risk blurs the actions of risk-management and securitising governance. This turns vulnerability into potential dangerousness.

It is unclear when a person is at risk, risky or fully radicalized. The distinction between the groups is unclear. Fear of the unknown tends to create a will to knowledge and when this knowledge is produced, constitutes a governable entity. The self-segregation of Muslim communities is largely seen as problematic.