The debate has a glaring omission, however: namely, the other forms of radicalisation, like right-wing extremism. Respect.lu, the anti-radicalisation centre in Luxembourg has found that the two forms of extremism, whether right-wing or Islamism, have very similar principals and appear to have many parallels.
Respect.lu has dealt with 29 cases of radicalisation in 2019 so far. The cases have been reported by friends and family of the radicalised party, or the individuals themselves, who have come to the realisation that they have become radicalised. As Respect.lu explains, cases often concern religious radicalisation.
However, the issue requires nuance, says Karin Weyer, who works for the centre. Whilst their cases may concern religious radicalisation, observing court cases reveals a different story: "Over the past few years, the courts have dealt with hate speech cases that have globally come from the right-wing spectrum."
Maik Scheffler describes himself as the 'showcase Neo-Nazi' who was radicalised. He was active in extreme right-wing circles for 15 years, including a stint as the vice president as the Sachsen branch of the National Party of Germany (NPD, a far-right political party). Scheffler was at Respect.lu's workshop on Tuesday evening, and explained the similarities between far-right radicalisation and the wave of Islamist radicalisation.
He explained that the existence of prior radicalisation creates fertile ground for other extremist groups, even if they ostensibly differ in ideology. What remains the same is that there is propaganda accusing certain systems - whether that is Germany, the European Union, or others - of all the ills in the world. Scheffler now works in de-radicalisation after having come to terms with his own experience.
Islamism also serves as a source of inspiration for far-right extremists. Not only to give them a pretext to plan their own attacks, but also in how terror attacks are planned or take place. But how exactly should groups like Respect.lu battle radicalisation? Karin Heremans from the Radicalisation Awareness Network Europe highlighted the need for emphasis on human connections and a sense of belonging. The most important aspect in preventing radicalisation is preventing society's polarisation, which leaves individuals to feel alienated and seek other groups for a sense of belonging, often on the fringe of society.
Heremans concluded that we must all live together with communal humanist values, with the emphasis being on the word 'humanist'.
