Excerpt:
The progression from being a radical to being a terrorist has been referred to as the extremism "conveyor belt." Although the government has acknowledged the fundamental role of so-called "non-violent" or "soft Islamist" extremists in this progression, taxpayers continue to fund extremist groups.
Michael Adebowale, one of the two British jihadists found guilty of murdering soldier Lee Rigby near London's Woolwich barracks in May 2013, has recently attributed his radicalization to Islamic preacher Sheikh Khalid Yasin.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Adebowale, who refused to give evidence during his trial, stated that he converted to Islam after listening to cleric Sheikh Khalid Yasin's lectures, which he said taught him "the purpose of life."