We can understand a great deal more about new Islamic groups if we approach at least some of them as new religious movements. Their beliefs and practices can find appeal among some, predominantly young, people not only because they are Islamic but also because they are new and provide a basis for creating alternative space for social experimentation and efforts at social change.
These groups generate social tensions and even conflicts. But they do not do so on their own. The reaction of a wider society is a large part of the story. And while these tensions and conflicts can lead to violence, they don't necessarily do so.
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