How ethnic and religious discrimination drive violent extremism

The report argues that discriminatory state practices, often driven by a focus on state security over human security, are counterproductive to countering violent extremism. It examines how 'othering' specific religious or ethnic groups—particularly Muslims and certain African ethnic communities—creates grievances that extremist groups exploit for recruitment. The authors advocate for a 'whole of society' approach that prioritises the rule of law, human rights, and socio-economic drivers over identity-based risk assessments.

• State responses to terrorism often fail because they employ strategies that alienate the communities they intend to help through religious or ethnic discrimination, prioritising state security over human security.
• The 'othering' of Muslims by law enforcement and security agencies—including surveillance of mosques and the use of 'risk community' labels—erodes communal trust, which is essential for effective counter-terrorism measures.
• Extrajudicial abuse, torture, and humiliation by state security forces serve as powerful recruitment tools for violent extremist groups, who use these actions in propaganda to justify their cause.
• Ethnic marginalisation, often a legacy of colonial and post-independence governance, creates socio-economic grievances—such as unemployment and lack of services—that drive individuals toward violent extremism.
• Identity factors like religion and ethnicity are often less significant drivers of radicalisation than socio-economic, political, or individual frustrations, yet states continue to rely on them for risk assessment.
• Effective preventing violent extremism (PVE) requires a 'whole of society' approach involving civil society and local communities to ensure transparency, ownership, and adherence to human rights.

APA

Ngari, A., & Reva, D. (2017). How ethnic and religious discrimination drive violent extremism. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/aitwr-4.pdf

Chicago

Ngari, Allan, and Denys Reva. How ethnic and religious discrimination drive violent extremism. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/aitwr-4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ngari |first1=Allan |last2=Reva |first2=Denys |title=How ethnic and religious discrimination drive violent extremism |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/aitwr-4.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ngari2017how, author = {Ngari, Allan and Reva, Denys}, title = {{How ethnic and religious discrimination drive violent extremism}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/aitwr-4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }