The tragic assassination of french teacher Samuel Paty by 18 year old Abdoullakh Abouyedovich Anzorov, invites us to reflect on the reasons why marginalised youth find a recourse in radical Islam and choose death through committing what they perceive to be an act of defending the Prophet.
Why do some young people find religiously inspired answers to their real-life problems? What should be our response as a society?
The process of radicalisation of these young people is complex. Socio economic inequality and discrimination provide a breeding ground for certain forms of religiously inspired extremism as Hisham Hellyer and Michele Grossman point out in a recent paper. Part of the problem is also found in French society’s refusal to openly acknowledge that Muslims often suffer from discrimination and racism and that the principle of equality is a mirage for many young people of immigrant origin.
