Recusant Nine Transmission | 2109hrs | Sunday | 19:09:2021

Though converts to Islam represent a small percentage of the Muslim community in Western countries, when it comes to Islamist extremism and terrorism, research has suggested that converts are considerably overrepresented.

In the United Kingdom, whilst those that have converted to Islam represented less than 4% of the country’s Muslim population (in 2010, estimated at just under 3 million), figures show that they made up 12% of homegrown jihadists. In simple terms, converts were 3 times more likely to become extremists than Muslims born to the faith.

Data has indicated that most converts, radicalised or not, are disillusioned with Western lifestyles and its values, and prior to their conversion, have displayed forms of anti-social or stigmatised behaviour, such as alcohol or drug abuse. Lost, these individuals are desperately looking for redemption. Somewhere to belong. Somewhere where they are understood. A place they can call home.

For many of us, it was clear that last week’s attempted motion by the Conservative Party was more than what it appeared on the surface. Contrary to how the local press reported the story, this was not an attempt to display a picture of the Queen in schools. It was far more than this. The anxiety felt by the local Conservatives towards a growing demographic that has no cultural grounding and little loyalty to the land of their birth, is not paranoia. Far from it.

In a town where many belief that the overriding ‘mainstream’ Islamic narrative lends itself to exploitation by extremists, one can only imagine where that leaves the vulnerable and those new to the faith with no cultural grounding.

It is nine minutes past nine and we have arrived late...

Link to transmission below