Home Grown?

I recently saw the film ‘Conviction’ made by Avon & Somerset Police on Isa Ibrahim, the Bristol man convicted of plotting to bomb Broadmead Shopping Centre. I must say it was well made and for once fairly balanced in terms of how it presented Islam and Muslims.  It recognised and acknowledged that it was the Muslim community in Bristol that had reported him and indeed prevented another atrocity on British soil.

The police training and community awareness film highlighted how Isa was an extremely vulnerable individual presenting with a number of issues including mental health, social isolation and a tendency towards obsession which manifested itself in aggressive and disruptive behaviour when he did come into contact with people.  He appeared to be ‘ripe’ for indoctrination of any sort.  That is not to take away the responsibility from Issa himself, rather a wake-up call telling us in society that vulnerable individuals are a breeding ground for all kinds of extreme or criminal behaviour. 

An isolated, needy person like Isa, is easily prone to be drawn into host of downward spirals from manipulative people, criminal gangs and even new media.  Exposure to internet sites that are not credible, are inflammatory and even extremists aiming to recruit  young people just like Isa Ibrahim is all the more easy.  In fact a report into OECD countries found British children to be the most unhappiest amongst the 17 of the most richest countries in the world, painting a rather worrying picture

Having heard the rhetoric for so long that Muslim communities need to do more to spot and deal with extremism and the way in which Prevent has been so targeted at Muslims, this video further reinforced my view that this is not just the problem of the Muslim community.  Rather it reflected the failure of society and various agencies in being able to identify and deal with the many times that Issa did present himself to people in authority. 

Lets’ be clear these agencies of authority, doctors, schools, colleges, even social workers or housing authorities should hold greater responsibility in identifying irregularities in the people they come into contact with.  Rather they pass the buck, perhaps not intentionally, but with the genuine belief that somebody else will be dealing with it.

We saw this serious lack of responsibility or lack of a ‘joined up’ approach with the case of Baby P.  True this was a little baby and Issa a grown man.  But to me it highlights the same problem: that the authorities need be more aware, be more trained and for front-line professionals to be more pro-active and confident in being able to take action when things may not quite look right. 

A firm believer in that very unscientific‘ I have a gut feeling’, which we so often ignore but how often is that gut feeling right?  Edward de Bono in his 6 thinking hats approach to thinking actually recognises this as a significant indicator in thinking skills…so perhaps not that unacademic an idea after all.

Isa Ibrahim has to take full responsibility for his actions, he was given a life sentence to serve a minimum of ten years in a high security prison on an intense rehabilitation programme.  However, if we really want to avoid further bout s of ‘home grown’ terrorism, then we absolutely vitally must look at the wider soil within which it is grown. 

Our society.  What is causing vulnerable young people to be so isolated, so vulnerable, so able to draw into their own world with only themselves to talk to.  This is not just the problem of the Muslim community which is so often focussed on, but the problem of all agencies and indeed society, all of which have the potential of coming into contact with vulnerable people.  

In fact, it would prevent more than extremism and tackle a whole range of other criminal and social problems at the root of a fragmented society.  A joined up approach from all agencies including communities and individuals would be the first place to start.

*‘Conviction’ is an Avon and Somerset Constabulary film to be used for police training and community awareness.

Adeela Shafi
Former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate (Bristol East). Lecturer in Psychology, University of the West of England (UWE)