Photo of a mosque in Rome by Webmastergrade.

It’s true that in order to combat radical Islam one must deal with the ideology. However, dumping government money via vouchers into the hands of a bunch of eighteen-year-olds so they can attend cultural events is a shady approach to fighting Islamic ideology. Nevertheless, some Italian leaders have decided to try it by unleashing a program that gives a “culture bonus” of €500 to eighteen-year-olds in Italy. The vouchers can allegedly be used “on culturally enriching pursuits” like attending “theatres, concerts and museums, visiting archaeological sites, and buying books.”

The U.K.’s The Telegraph gives some details about the program:

The scheme, which starts on Sept 15, will benefit 575,000 teenagers, at a cost to the government of €290 million (£250 million).

Young people who turn 18 this year will be able to register online and then spend the money through a special app, called 18app.it, which can be downloaded on a smart phone, tablet or computer.

They will have until the end of next year to spend all the credit…

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi seems to think that fighting terrorism entails not just better security and intelligence but also the exposure of European culture. The Telegraph gives insight into Renzi’s logic behind the program:

“This is a bonus for kids coming of age, to give them the symbolic awareness of what it means to be an adult in Italy – a main protagonist and heir of the greatest cultural heritage in the world,” the prime minister said when the scheme was first announced nine months ago, 10 days after the Paris attacks.

“We will not give in to terror … we have centuries of history that proclaim the fact that culture will beat ignorance, that beauty is more tenacious than barbarism.”

This is pretty idealistic to say the least.  There’s no doubt the program will appeal to at least some Muslim youth, but will it be effective at dissuading them from becoming jihadists?  How will attending an opera accomplish that goal?  It may be that the assumption that Islamist recruits are ignorant is misplaced in any case.  Many ISIS recruits boast college degrees, especially in engineering and science.  They are making an informed decision to reject the West in favor of Islamist thought.

The Washington Post also mentions that youth unemployment in Italy is higher than thirty-five percent. Giving kids the ability to attend cultural events might inspire them to fulfill their dreams, but when it comes to combatting frustration caused by the lack of economic opportunity one can think of better ways to use those funds.

If Italy wants to invest so much money in immersing their young adults in culture, it would be better spent on teaching them the foundations of Western Civilization and its core values. Ultimately, Italy needs to focus on countering the political aspects that entice people into radical Islamic ideology by explaining why the Western alternatives are so preferable.  Civic education, more than seeing an opera, is the key to that.