The existence of Daesh is based on their success with a key demographic – young Muslims. Whereas most Al Qaeda recruits were aged between 25 and 35, most Daesh fighters are aged between 15 and 25. Investing in our youth is now a top priority for the Muslim world – and in Muslim minorities in Europe and elsewhere.
Approximately one third of the population of member states of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation are young people – and this figure is growing. Muslim countries simply cannot afford to ignore their ‘youth bulge’ any longer – young people’s limited opportunities for employment and education “lowers the opportunity cost” of joining a radical movement, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
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