( CNN ) -- It is likely that radical cleric Abu Hamza -- who was found guilty on terror charges by a New York federal jury this week -- - will now spend the rest of his life in a U.S. top security prison while his victims will gain some succor from the fact that he is finally behind bars . However , merely stopping high-profile extremist preachers is not enough if the threat they represent is to be confronted . Much more needs to be done to challenge extremist narratives , ideas and propaganda if we are prevent the next generation of extremist preachers from emerging . There was a time , during the 1980s and early 1990s , when individuals would rarely become radicalized without direct contact with an extremist preacher of some description . In this context , preachers such as Abu Hamza became highly significant as recruiters and propagandists . Their ability to tailor the al-Qaeda worldview to young and impressionable audiences in Europe and North America allowed them to target a generation of Muslims born and raised in the West . However , even though many key extremist preachers have now been arrested or deported -- such as Omar Bakri and Abdullah Faisal -- extremist narratives are still being disseminated and reaching their target audiences . The likes of Abu Hamza have left a legacy which has now been taken on by some Western-born recruits , using educational institutions , prisons and the Internet to spread extremist messages . The fact that an estimated 400 British citizens are believed to have traveled to Syria to join jihadist groups suggests their efforts are having some success . In tackling extremism we need to ensure universities and colleges are not hosting extremist preachers without providing a robust challenge to their views . We need to ensure prisoners are offered mentoring and support to turn their lives around , making them less susceptible to recruitment within prisons . Online extremism also needs to be challenged with counter-arguments ; this could be done through websites and social media accounts that confront the extremist narrative . A recent Quilliam report further details how this can be done . Arresting key individuals or shutting down extremist websites -- as some European governments propose -- are not long-term solutions to this problem . Extremist narratives only lose their appeal when they are undermined and thoroughly discredited ; when the debate is opened up and won by their opponents , rather than being shut down and lost . We need to enter the realm of ideas and pitch more positive and enlightened values against extreme and regressive arguments . The extreme Islamist narrative offers listeners a simplistic framework through which all geo-political developments are misconstrued . Just as Marxists view all activities as part of a class struggle , so extreme Islamists rely on a West versus Islam framework or a Muslim versus non-Muslim rivalry . In the view of such extreme Islamists , Muslims are at war while non-Muslim states and political entities form part of a broad struggle to undermine Islam . Conflict zones -- such as Syria , Iraq or Afghanistan -- are viewed not as localised or isolated conflicts but part of a grand conspiracy to undermine Islam and prevent the emergence of a utopian Islamist super-power . Undermining extreme Islamism is about undermining the framework or narrative that is being used . This involves discrediting it and exposing its inaccuracies from a political , historical and theological point of view . It is also about revealing the true nature of the extremist narrative and presenting it in its unembellished form . Extremists often rely on highlighting a select number of grievances , while ignoring other less convenient ones , in order to create moral outrage and garner sympathy . Exposing this selective and agenda driven approach to conflict zones and political developments is key to discrediting their efforts . Ultimately , extremism will stop appealing to young people when it becomes unfashionable and is regarded as yesterday 's news . However , or that to happen we need not only counter-narratives but also alternative narratives through which the world can be understood and appreciated . For this to happen we need more political literacy , more spaces in which young people can discuss political and social developments and a stronger sense of national and regional identity so that people feel a greater sense of rootedness and belonging . We undermine extremists by illustrating how our values are better than theirs and offering constructive answers in opposition to their destructive proposals .
Ghaffar Hussain : We need to confront extreme Islamist narratives . Preacher Abu Hamza , found guilty this week on terror charges , renowned for radicalization . Undermine radicals by offering a stronger worldview , says Hussain .