Radical Belonging

For over two decades, European counter-extremism policy has treated Muslim identity as a security risk. This book proves that presumption is fundamentally wrong. Drawing on the EC-funded DRIVE project, featuring 5,501 survey responses and 415 interviews across Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK, Tahir Abbas reveals that a strong Muslim identity actually severs the link between humiliation and political violence. Far from driving extremism, it acts as a crucial protective factor: a sociological resource providing meaning, solidarity, and resilience. Introducing the concept of 'Radical Belonging', the book unpacks the genealogy of Islamophobia, the hybrid identities of young European Muslims, and the structural forces shaping exclusion. Ultimately, Abbas outlines an evidence-based reform agenda designed to support, rather than erode, the communal infrastructures that foster true resilience.