Browsing by Author "Nuolioja, Nora"

The present study examines radicalization phenomenon from the perspectives of the Muslim communities residing in Helsinki metropolitan area. The focus is on shedding light on the complex nature of the phenomenon by providing the aspects and elements present in defining its essence within the Finnish Islamic context. The research problem of this study is concentrated on the fact that several Finnish Muslims have left Finland to the conflict zones of Syria and Iraq. The aim of this study is to contribute to the assessment of this problem by providing Muslim authority viewpoints concerning this matter, and to enhance understanding of the radicalization phenomenon within the context of Islam. The key research questions of this Thesis are 1. Which elements are present when defining the radicalization phenomenon within an Islamic context? 2. How is the radicalization phenomenon perceived in the Muslim communities of the Helsinki metropolitan area? 3. How should the radicalization phenomenon be dealt with from the perspectives of the Muslim communities residing in the Helsinki metropolitan area? The empirical part of this thesis is built on 6 semi-structured interviews, which were conducted in Helsinki and Espoo during March, April, May and August 2015. I use the method of thematic content analysis to interpret the research respondents impressions of the radicalization phenomenon. According to the analysis of the research interviews, it can be concluded that there are several factors present when defining the phenomenon of radicalization in a Muslim context in the Helsinki metropolitan area. These factors are, respectively: Political grievances, the Youth, the Media, Social exclusion, and Polarization of the society. These elements in their various forms are interconnected and intertwined in shaping and sustaining the phenomenon. This thesis contributes in the overall field of radicalization studies by providing the Finnish Muslim opinion-leaders’, the imams’ and other influential Muslims’, impressions about the current debate on radicalization. For the first time these issues have been addressed from the points of view of the Muslims themselves within the Finnish societal context by conducting a thematic research interview. Because similar studies have not been conducted within the Finnish scope of radicalization research, it is impossible to compare the results with any contextually relevant study.