US security agencies internally disagree on whether Islam causes terrorism

Evidence

The Brennan report notes that there are differences within the security and law enforcement community on the question of radicalization. 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.” The FBI believes that surveilling Muslims is not sufficient since risks can develop quite quickly, in a matter of months. This is why they use agents provocatuers. On the other hand, the DHS and the National Counterterrorism Center have shied away from this stage 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 on practical implementation. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 600

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 600
• XREF: connects to: US counterterrorism agencies divide over whether Islam causes radicalization or merely justifies it — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 490; US security agencies split between Islam-centric and complexity-based radicalization models.; US officials blamed Islam rather than Western-backed autocracies for extremism. — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 726 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• US counterterrorism agencies divide over whether Islam causes radicalization or merely justifies it #expands (0.95) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 490
• US security agencies split between Islam-centric and complexity-based radicalization models. #expands (0.90)
• US officials blamed Islam rather than Western-backed autocracies for extremism. #qualifies (0.70) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 726
• US refusal to examine its own Mideast policies enabled future terrorism #responds-to (0.70) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 267