Home Grown

The reasons why people radicalise and turn to terrorism is one of the most heavily studied subjects in the world but much academic work generates more heat than light. Joan Smith has achieved the rare feat of saying something new about this subject, by uncovering an unsettling connection to domestic violence and misogyny. Her book contains important implications for policy-makers tackling one of the defining issues of our age. - John Bew, Orwell Prize-winning author of Citizen Clem A timely book that offers a radical yet clear-eyed view at how misogyny and toxic masculinity intersect with acts of extremism. I found it both illuminating and chilling - it has completely changed the way I view terrorism. - Louise O'Neill, author of Asking for It This writer has gone where angels fear to tread. Remarkable. Politicians, policy makers, police and security officers, social workers, educators and concerned citizens should read this disturbing and perceptive book. To defeat evil, one must know it first. - Yasmin Alibhai-Brown A hitherto missing link vital for anti-terrorist chiefs, police and policy makers to digest and act upon - Lord Peter Hain Joan Smith has once again got to the heart of an issue that impacts on us all. The facts are clear, women are the first victims of extremists, but it's rarely set out so coherently and with such devastating impact - Nazir Afzal A compelling argument that gives me anger and hope. Anger that domestic and sexual violence are not widely recognised as terrorism, and hope that Smith's call to action will be heard so we can be safer from terrorism in all its forms - Karen Ingala Smith, CEO of Nia and the Femicide Census The revelation of Joan Smith's book is the danger it poses. If we are scared of terrorism, she argues, the smart way to keep safe would be to pay much more attention to domestic violence . . . The similarities are so relentlessly consistent, the only puzzle is why it has taken this long for anyone to notice - Sunday Times Smith, a feminist and human rights campaigner, contends that if victims were believed, domestic abuse were better recognised ... then numerous acts of terrorism ... could and can be avoided - Observer