--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have learned - or at least we should…" description: "\"We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing Islamist extremism purely as a reaction to what we do is fundamentally mistaken. Indeed that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg" --- # We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing… ![“We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing Islamist extremism purely as a reaction to what we do is fundamentally mistaken. Indeed that view - Western centric as it is - belittles the threat we face. It implies we can somehow opt out of this fight, that if we hide maybe they will…” quote by Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg) > “We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing Islamist extremism purely as a reaction to what we do is fundamentally mistaken. Indeed that view - Western centric as it is - belittles the threat we face. It implies we can somehow opt out of this fight, that if we hide maybe they will leave us alone.” [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extremism cannot be reduced to a simple reaction to Western actions; it is driven by deeper ideological motives and must be addressed directly. **In simple terms:** Extremism is not just a reaction to us. Key Takeaway Confront root causes, not just symptoms. Themes security politics ideology terrorism policy Mood concerned urgent analytical Type political strategic critical When to use this quote - policy drafting - community outreach - education programs - media analysis Key Concepts radicalization geopolitics identity politics counterterrorism Questions to Reflect On - How can policies balance security with addressing underlying grievances? - What role do socioeconomic factors play in radicalization? A Different Perspective Assumes all extremism is ideologically homogeneous, ignoring local grievances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alone/) [Extremism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremism/) [Extremism Purely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremism-purely-5286746/) [Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Islamist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamist/) [Islamist Extremism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamist-extremism-788685/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Seeing Islamist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing-islamist-5286745/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [You've got problems in Central Asia. And you've got problems within our own communities back home. So if we end up saying, look, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/you-ve-got-problems-in-central-asia-and-you-ve-got-problems-within/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [When I returned to the United Kingdom, I found that I could no longer justify Islamist extremism as the antidote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/when-i-returned-to-the-united-kingdom-i-found-that-i-could-no-longer/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [We have to render Islamist extremism as unattractive as communism has become today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/we-have-to-render-islamist-extremism-as-unattractive-as-communism-has/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [What we have seen with Islamist extremism, whether it is in Mali or Somalia or Afghanistan, is that the disease is not necessarily the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/what-we-have-seen-with-islamist-extremism-whether-it-is-in-mali-or/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [The way to tackle Muslimphobia is to tackle prejudice against Muslims. What it is not is to pretend that Islamist extremism does not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/the-way-to-tackle-muslimphobia-is-to-tackle-prejudice-against-muslims/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Almost all of the liberal and Christian members of the constitutional commission have withdrawn, because we all fear that the Muslim Brotherhood will pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/almost-all-of-the-liberal-and-christian-members-of-the-constitutional/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Islamist-jihadist terrorism-a plague that has spread to almost every corner of the world-creates painful dilemmas for the peoples and decision makers who confront it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boaz-ganor/islamist-jihadist-terrorism-a-plague-that-has-spread-to-almost-every/) [Boaz Ganor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boaz-ganor/) > [Remember, the Islamist view of democracy is: one man, one vote, one election, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fund/remember-the-islamist-view-of-democracy-is-one-man-one-vote-one/) [John Fund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fund/) > [It does make a broader point which is the fight against Islamist terror is not just one that we can wage by the police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/it-does-make-a-broader-point-which-is-the-fight-against-islamist/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [I see no difference between a violent Islamist and a far-Right terrorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/i-see-no-difference-between-a-violent-islamist-and-a-far-right/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [After much soul searching I was able to renounce my past Islamist ideology, challenging everything I was once prepared to die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/after-much-soul-searching-i-was-able-to-renounce-my-past-islamist/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Progressives and Islamists are indeed on the same side. Their common disdain for Christianity explains why left-wing judges in America find any inkling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/progressives-and-islamists-are-indeed-on-the-same-side-their-common/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [Today I want to puke when I hear the word 'radical' applied so slothfully and stupidly to Islamist murderers; the most plainly reactionary people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/today-i-want-to-puke-when-i-hear-the-word-radical-applied-so/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Islamist groups have gained influence at local and national level by playing the politics of identity and demanding for Muslims the 'right to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/islamist-groups-have-gained-influence-at-local-and-national-level-by/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [The Islamist camp is infused with a righteous indignation, as the forces of old, corrupt and rotten Egypt unite to try and drive them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/the-islamist-camp-is-infused-with-a-righteous-indignation-as-the/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) ## More by Liz Kendall > [I am a strong champion of personal health and social care budgets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-am-a-strong-champion-of-personal-health-and-social-care-budgets/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [My parents are like many across Britain. Neither on the breadline, nor loaded, they were determined to give their daughter all that any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/my-parents-are-like-many-across-britain-neither-on-the-breadline-nor/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Labour grew out of popular movements of mutualism and self-help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/labour-grew-out-of-popular-movements-of-mutualism-and-self-help/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Life doesn't have to be the way it is. We can change it. That's why I'm in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/life-doesn-t-have-to-be-the-way-it-is-we-can-change-it-that-s-why-i-m/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [I would radically redesign early years education to learn from the best bits of the Finnish system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-would-radically-redesign-early-years-education-to-learn-from-the/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Unity is vital for any party to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/unity-is-vital-for-any-party-to-win/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Doing stand-up in front of arenas or clubs is something else; it's not a talent I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/doing-stand-up-in-front-of-arenas-or-clubs-is-something-else-it-s-not/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [We urgently need an open and honest debate with the public about what help and support they will be entitled to when they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/we-urgently-need-an-open-and-honest-debate-with-the-public-about-what/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [People are talking about immigration like it is a disease. In fact migrants pay more in than they get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/people-are-talking-about-immigration-like-it-is-a-disease-in-fact/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Europe has massive challenges in completing the single market, the free movement of labour or benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/europe-has-massive-challenges-in-completing-the-single-market-the/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Voters in my constituency do not feel people who are not working should get more than those in work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/voters-in-my-constituency-do-not-feel-people-who-are-not-working/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [Friendly societies, educational associations and trade unions gave working people the power to shape their own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/friendly-societies-educational-associations-and-trade-unions-gave/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [As a shadow minister I've been working with the Treasury team for years and they've been clear we couldn't make unfunded commitments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/as-a-shadow-minister-i-ve-been-working-with-the-treasury-team-for/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [I believe you need to have a serious and credible shadow cabinet with people who are prepared to take on the very difficult issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-believe-you-need-to-have-a-serious-and-credible-shadow-cabinet-with/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) > [I don't want to win power for myself. I want to win it to give it away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-don-t-want-to-win-power-for-myself-i-want-to-win-it-to-give-it-away/) [Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) [Explore all 103 Liz Kendall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/) ## More Alone quotes > [I can be taken away from myself quite easily, I kind of start betraying myself and compromising my integrity, to keep someone else happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-can-be-taken-away-from-myself-quite-easily-i-kind-of-start/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [Perhaps our own opposition to even the level of European integration we have now, let alone any more, is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/perhaps-our-own-opposition-to-even-the-level-of-european-integration/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [If your goal is to look different, you'll see results faster with strength training than with cardio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/if-your-goal-is-to-look-different-you-ll-see-results-faster-with/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [I am not alone in that I've had times of unemployment - unemployment is huge amongst disabled people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-jones/i-am-not-alone-in-that-i-ve-had-times-of-unemployment-unemployment-is/) [Rosie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-jones/) > [I never knew a heart could feel so cold so empty so broken until now , I don't know what to say I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-knew-a-heart-could-feel-so-cold-so-empty-so-broken-until-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Real love is a permanently self-enlarging experience…A Journey With My Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luckybannu/real-love-is-a-permanently-self-enlarging-experience-a-journey-with/) [Luckybannu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luckybannu/) > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [I'm used to being alone in a quiet, isolated environment - I'm kind of a low-energy, low-vibration, low-stamina person to begin with - so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-m-used-to-being-alone-in-a-quiet-isolated-environment-i-m-kind-of-a/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I have developed a nasty habit of losing to the guy who wins the tournament, and that alone makes you think what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-robertson/i-have-developed-a-nasty-habit-of-losing-to-the-guy-who-wins-the/) [Neil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-robertson/) > [As a child, I was this record collector/listener that would sit in a room and listen to the entire Beatles catalog alone, over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/as-a-child-i-was-this-record-collector-listener-that-would-sit-in-a/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [How one hates to think of oneself as alone. How one avoids it. It seems to imply rejection or unpopularity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/how-one-hates-to-think-of-oneself-as-alone-how-one-avoids-it-it-seems/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) [Browse all 3,082 Alone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing Islamist extremism purely as a reaction to what we do is fundamentally mistaken. Indeed that view - Western centric as it is - belittles the threat we face. It implies we can somehow opt out of this fight, that if we hide maybe they will leave us alone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liz Kendall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-have-that-seeing-islamist/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-have-that-seeing-islamist/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/liz-kendall-5155_alone_we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-ha_664107.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have learned - or at least we should have - that seeing Islamist extremism purely as a reaction to what…” — Liz Kendall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Liz Kendall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have learned - or at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-have-that-seeing-islamist/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/we-have-learned-or-at-least-we-should-have-that-seeing-islamist/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```