‘How not to be a terrorist’: radicalisation and young Western Muslims’ digital discourses

The threat of terrorism has resulted in a growing sense of crisis in Western countries. Problematically, policies and practices intended to combat these perceived dangers result in the harassment, isolation, victimisation and invasive surveillance of ‘suspect communities.’ Consequently, young Muslims are invariably labelled as being at greatest risk of radicalisation and becoming violent extremist. This chapter explores the harmful practices of anti-radicalisation strategies and the online response of young Muslims in Western democracies. Key to understanding this situation is recognising the semantic drift of the concept of ‘radicalisation’ and its operationalisation through flawed indicators. In conclusion, it is argued that young Muslims online use humour as a powerful political tool, engendering resistance through satirically attacking racist truth claims, while nurturing a shared sense of identity