My Jihad

As violence continues to spread throughout the Middle East, a growing number of young Muslims from all over Europe are leaving their home towns to fight for ISIS. In the last year alone over 400 young Belgians have traveled to Syria. This report visits the region of Vilvoorde to investigate why so many young Belgians are becoming radicalized, and how leaders of the Muslim community are attempting to combat it. Local Imam Sulyaman explains "We need to work towards a positive future... there are still many young people who do believe in a future here". Community members like Imad and Sulyaman are trying to fight radicalization and extremism by educating young disenfranchised Muslims about the true meaning of Islam, and that Muslims have a valuable place in European society. Because, as he explains, "ISIS is an ideology. You cannot bombard an ideology... an ideology has to be fought intellectually". This report offers a fascinating and topical insight into a growing problem throughout Europe, and a valuable perspective on the Muslim communities fighting extremism.