There is no empirical evidence that religion and ideology are primary motivators for violent extremism.
FOR at least a decade, the issue of young Muslims becoming radicalised towards violent extremism has been one of concern for academics and practitioners like me. While we work on a daily basis to find ways to prevent radicalisation or intervene in the radicalisation process, occasionally the issue grabs the attention of the international media: usually in the aftermath of attacks such as the Boston marathon bombings and the recent shootings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket in Paris.