Islamism in Britain: what is the threat?

September 15, 2026

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5 min read

Islamism in Britain: what is the threat?

Earlier this month, hundreds of masked thugs blocked access to the port of Dover, chanting "stop the boats" and "Christ is king." The incident was a vivid example of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Britain. A poll last year found that more than half of people agreed that Islam is incompatible with British values. But according to Stanley Laughren, a British correspondent for The Economist, many of those respondents are failing to make an ever more important distinction—between the religion of Islam and the political ideology of Islamism, which are very different things.

What Islamism is—and isn't

Islamism is a political ideology that believes government and society should be guided by Islamic principles—essentially, that Sharia law should become the law of the land. It tends to be authoritarian, rejects integration into Western society, and opposes pluralism, free expression, and equal rights. That can lend itself to violent tactics, but jihadis are just one particularly extreme subcategory. Most Islamists are not violent and instead seek to influence politics through lobbying and protests.

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What you'll learn

1 Islamism in Britain: what is the threat?
2 (01:43) **The Dover Incident and the Islam/Islamism Confusion** - Hundreds of masked thugs blocked the port of Dover, chanting anti-Islam slogans, revealing a widespread failure to distinguish between Islam and Islamism
3 (02:49) **Defining Islamism** - Islamism is a political ideology that believes government and society should be guided by Islamic principles, with Sharia law as the law of the land
4 (03:37) **How Many British Muslims Are Islamists?** - Polling is difficult, but counter-extremism experts estimate between 10 and 20% of British Muslims have Islamist sympathies
5 (05:19) **Is Islamism a Real Problem or a Perception Problem?** - The head of MI5 says 75% of counter-terror workload is on Islamist extremism, but most Islamists aren't violent
6 (06:11) **Entryism in Action: Local Authorities and Faith** - Islamist networks are most visible in how local authorities respond to faith-related incidents
7 (06:45) **Why the Police Response Is So Timid** - The conflation between Islamism and Islam explains why authorities hesitate

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Show Notes

Though a growing share of the British population is anxious about Islam, they have no reason to be. Islamism, a fringe ideology that believes government and society should be guided by Islamic principles, is the real concern. America cracks down on multinationals’ efforts to shift profits overseas. And why corporate training videos are virtually useless.

Guests and host:

Sonny Loughran, Britain correspondent
Shera Avi-Yonah, US business correspondent
Andrew Palmer, “Boss Class” host and Bartleby columnist
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Islamism, Britain, Islamophobia
IRS, corporate tax, Coca-Cola
Corporate training videos

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