Anti-Terror Lessons of American Muslim Communities

Duke University plans to identify specific factors that are preventing American Muslims from radicalizing by examining four American Muslim communities that have experienced varying levels of radicalization. The study will analyze religious texts (written, audio, and video) produced by these four communities, engage in ethnographic field research at religious and civic organizations in these communities, and conduct in-depth interviews with 30 community leaders and members in each community. Based on these research findings, the study will recommend policies for law enforcement and security officials to pursue to address the potential home-grown terrorist threat in the United States. This multidisciplinary approach is designed to address the complexity and richness of this topic, deepen our understanding of the American Muslim community, and develop recommendations that take into account subtleties that can only be recognized by examining issues from a variety of perspectives.

ca/ncf