Being Muslim Being Scottish (BMBS) joins a family of IC interventions, Being Muslim Being
British (BMBB) and Being Kenyan Being Muslim (BKBM). Like BMBB and BKBM, the
newest family member, BMBS, is designed to increase cognitive complexity management by
enabling participants to identify and access a wider range of their own values (value pluralism).
Increased cognitive management capacities enable movement from rapid, inflexible, closed,
black and white thinking that sees no validity in other viewpoints toward more deliberate,
flexible, open thinking that can tolerate shades of grey, and see validity in other viewpoints
without sacrificing one’s core values. Piloted in a large city in Scotland with a new model of
participant involvement, participants represented both safeguarding practitioner and Muslim
communities. Evaluated using the cross-culturally validated integrative complexity empirical
measurement frame, statistical analyses showed significant gains in complex thinking about
participants’ self-identified in and outgroups. These results predict more peaceful outcomes to
intra- and inter-group conflict as participants recognize and access a wider range of responses
choices in the face of difference and disagreement. Qualitative analyses found increased
awareness of risks to radicalization, confidence to discuss controversial and sensitive topics, and
communication among diverse communities for effective safeguarding. While these pilot results
indicate that BMBS is effective at reducing violent extremism through increased integrative
complexity management capacities and structured cross community-learning, further research is
suggested.