Internet 'fuels' radical Islam

The internet plays a greater role in the violent radicalisation of Muslims than time spent in prisons and mosques, a group of MPs reported today.

An inquiry, which included an interview with the jailed preacher Abu Hamza, concluded the internet was a breeding ground for the promotion of terrorism and called on the Government to do more to remove extremist content.

But the Home Affairs Select Committee's report, The Roots of Violent Radicalisation, said it believed such radicalisation was declining in the Muslim community because of the diminishing appeal of extremist preachers and global jihad following the seismic effects of the mass uprisings of the Arab Spring.