Counter-Terrorism: The Enemy Is Off The Radar

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April 6, 2006: Although the imams (Moslem clergy) in some major European mosques have been well-disposed toward Islamic radical interpretations of the faith, apparently the major conduit for radical indoctrination has been the very large number of unofficial mosques and religious schools in areas where there are only a handful of Moslems. In the principal Moslem countries supporting the war on Islamic radicalism, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, governments have been cracking down on such establishments, which have always been under a certain degree of government control. But most European states have a more laissez faire attitude toward religious establishments. This has proved to be a major opportunity for Islamic terrorists. Most of them, that have passed through Europe, have been tracked down to one or more of these out of the way religious establishments. Same situation in the United States. After 911, efforts were made to identify and count all of the Islamic religious operations. This proved difficult, as Islam is a very decentralized religion. There is no pope or central organization. There are some associations, but they are not mandatory. Thus it is easy for small religious schools or mosques to stay off the radar in a nation that does not insist on registering every such place.

 

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