US counterterrorism agencies divide over whether Islam causes radicalization or merely justifies it

Evidence

The NYPD (as well other local law enforcement agencies) and the FBI advocate stage-based models for radicalization which put Islam at the “front and center of their analysis.” On the other hand, the DHS and NCTC have shied away from this stagist approach, emphasizing the complexity of the process. They have also suggested that while Islam can be used to justify acts of terrorism, radicalization is not caused by Islam. While all sides within the national security establishment agree with the theory of radicalization and the need to apprehend “Muslim terrorists,” they disagree about practical implementation. Here we see a similar dichotomy between the conservative wing of the law enforcement apparatus and what we might call a “realist” wing, similar to that which exists in the foreign policy establishment. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 490

Categorization

• XREF: Mirrors the conservative/realist split in foreign policy establishment, echoing the earlier chapters’ parallel between domestic law enforcement and imperial policy. — connects to: US counterterror policing imports Middle Eastern sectarian divides into domestic Muslim communities — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 395; DHS imported Middle East sectarian divide-and-conquer strategy into US Muslim communities — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 410; Clash of civilizations framing located terrorism’s cause within Islam itself — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 266 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Clash of civilizations framing located terrorism’s cause within Islam itself #corroborates (0.65) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 266
• US policy was always split between anti-Soviet and anti-Islamist interests #expands (0.60) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 220