.... But Adeel Khan, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and specialist in Islamic education, warned against the over-simplification of the radicalization phenomenon.
"There are a couple of factors that need to be analyzed to understand the assertion of Islamic identities in the public sphere of Europe," Khan told DW. "One is the search for a universal identity based on their parents' religion and customs that can stand its ground in the predominantly secular public space of Europe."
Second, according to Khan, is the young generation's conflict with the older generation. The Muslim youth in the West believes their elders are stuck in local customs and have no clue about the golden age of Islamic dominance in science, religion and humanities in the medieval period.
"Then they have this reactionary desire to assert their identity in a society which considers them and their past backward and unsuitable for a modern Europe," he said. [Deutsche Welle] Read more
