[Mb-civic] Educating Against Extremism - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

<>Educating Against Extremism
Muslims Reach Out to Youths Who Could Be Susceptible to Radicalism

By Mary Beth Sheridan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 8, 2005; Page B01

Alarmed by the London subway bombings, U.S. Muslim activists are taking 
a series of steps aimed at preventing young people here from embracing 
extremist ideas -- including producing a pamphlet on how to spot 
susceptible youth.

The projects, which involve many Muslims in the Washington area, are in 
the planning stages. But they reflect the soul-searching in mosques and 
in Muslim groups since the July 7 attacks, which left 56 people dead, 
including the four British suicide bombers.

"This is really the battle of the future. The ideological war should be 
won with the young," said Maher Hathout, a leader of the Muslim Public 
Affairs Council, a Los Angeles-based group involved in the new efforts.

U.S. Muslim groups have roundly condemned the British subway attack and 
a subsequent failed bombing attempt. They said they have no evidence of 
a similar threat in this country. Muslims here are generally more 
educated and better off economically than those in Europe, and in many 
cases they are more assimilated.

But the fact that several of the terror suspects in the London incidents 
were British-born -- including the 18-year-old son of moderate Pakistani 
immigrants -- has raised concern about the Muslims growing up here.

"Obviously this kid in the U.K. didn't come from extremist parents. He 
didn't live in an extremist neighborhood. But somebody was able to get 
to him and persuade him it was correct to strap a bomb to himself," said 
Mahdi Bray, a senior figure in the Washington-based Muslim American Society.

"We don't want to give the opportunity to extremists to get ahold of our 
kids."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700844.html?nav=hcmodule

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