‘She should have seen it coming’: How radicalization policies put the burden on Muslim mothers |
For several years now, the radicalization of young people has been making headlines. This phenomenon can be linked to the far-right movement, as we saw on May 30 in Shawinigan during a demonstration calling for a “White Québec,” or revolve around other forms of radicalism, including Islamist movements.
Whenever a young person is involved in an act of radicalization, especially an extreme one, society wants answers: Where was the family? What did they see, or refuse to see? But in reality, it is not so much the family that is in the firing line. It is the mother.
For nearly ten years, I have been researching radicalization prevention policies in Europe, North Africa and North America. My research, conducted in Québec, Tunisia and Italy, has brought me in touch with families, community workers, social workers, law enforcement officers, teachers and other stakeholders.
It is based on more than 160 interviews, many years of field observation and analysis of public policies, institutional reports, professional training materials and other documents produced in the field of prevention.
The maternalization of politics
As early as 2024, researcher Fatima Ahdash of Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar denounced what she calls the “familialization” of radicalization and terrorism, referring to the growing emphasis placed on Muslim families in prevention policies, even though their experiences remain largely absent from research.
During my recent research, another observation has become apparent. While institutional discourse constantly invokes the “family,” the responsibilities associated with prevention rest primarily on Muslim mothers. They are systematically presented as the ones best placed to detect early warning signs of........