Every country has its own distinct way to fight terrorism. The Americans: shock and awe. The French: a dismissive laicite. The Dutch: an obsessive multiculturalism. And us? Wit. Satire is a uniquely British skill. Oswald Mosley never got within an inch of power because we couldn’t take fascists seriously – all that goose-stepping and black uniforms, it offered just too much material. Satire works when it mirrors reality, and there is no shortage of material among the Jihadis. Think of Abdulmuttalab, the Christmas pants bomber, or the “Toronto 18” cell who couldn’t remember the name of the Canadian Prime Minister they were plotting to kill.  A report published by our friends and research partner Demos has found a significant part of al-Qaeda’s appeal is not its ideology or message, but its mystique, glamour and modish coolness. Its members style themselves as modern day James Bonds and Che Guevarras, playing their role as a heroic warrior against Western tyranny. If the biggest draw to al-Qaeda is its “cool-factor”, then one of the key policies in fighting terrorism should be to make it boring, says Demos.


Thanks to Demos for this story and report author Jamie Bartlett.

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