BBC: The news that many of the suspects in the failed car bomb attacks in Britain are medical doctors from the Middle East has shocked many and raised questions about connections between class, education and militant Islam.
There is a popular misperception that only the destitute or ill-educated are drawn to the ranks of militant Islamic organisations.
But nothing could be further from the known facts.
It is true that the appeal of political Islam - from the militant to the more moderate versions - is quite strong among the poor, because it promises a just and equitable society free from corruption and oppression.
But the leaders and the middle echelons of such groups are often well-educated middle class men. Militant Islam’s broad appeal (more) By Magdi Abdelhadi
Mark Alexander
