Lars Berger
My research embraces qualitative and quantitative methods in the study of Islamist terrorism, US domestic, foreign and counterterrorism policies, as well as the domestic and international politics of the Arab and Muslim world (extending to Africa and South Asia insofar as this relates to Islamist terrorist groups and US attempts to counter them). My current research focuses in particular on images of the West and Western policies in Arab and Muslim public debate and public opinion.
Websites
Books
Articles
Local, National and Global Islam: Religious Guidance and European Muslim Public
Published: Jul 13, 2015 by West European Politics
Authors: Dr Lars Berger
Subjects:
Religion
Binary logistic regression analyses challenge conventional wisdom which emphasises discrimination and rejection of Western foreign policies in the explanation of political radicalism. Instead, religious guidance and socio-economic status emerge as consintent correlates of political and social attitudes among West European Muslims.
The Challenge of Talking about Terrorism
Published: Sep 11, 2009 by Terrorism and Political Violence
Authors: Dr Lars Berger, Professor Hartmut Behr
By failing to challenge the official narratives of authoritarian Arab regimes the EU obstructs interests in the democratization of the region and the delegitimization of Islamist violence.
News
Just published in West European Politics: "Local, National and Global Islam"
By: Lars Berger
West European Politics just published my article "Local, National and Global Islam: Religious Guidance and European Muslim Public Opinion on Political Radicalism and Social Conservatism".
Abstract
The attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and Kosher supermarket in Paris in January 2015, as well as the announcement of a ‘Caliphate’ by radical Islamists of the so-called ‘Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’ (ISIS) in 2014, reignited political and academic interest in the possible appeal of radical Islamism among young Muslims living in Western Europe. This analysis expands existing knowledge by adding a large-n, cross-national comparison to the small-n or single-case-study approaches dominating research on European Muslims over the last two decades. Moving beyond examination of the interaction between European governments and groups claiming to represent European Muslims, this analysis takes into account the individualisation of Muslim religious discourses, practices and identities. Binary logistic regression analyses challenge conventional wisdom which emphasises discrimination and rejection of Western foreign policies in the explanation of political radicalism. Instead, religious guidance and socio-economic status emerge as consistent correlates of political and social attitudes among West European Muslims. These findings not only add to a growing body of literature providing empirical evidence for the political impact of religious elites, they also have crucial policy implications for West European governments working to maintain national security and social cohesion.