Violence and Security

French President Announces Social Cohesion Program for Islam

February 13, 2018

French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for a massive overhaul in relations between the state and the country’s Muslim community, initiating in 2018 a reform package aimed at combating Islamist fundamentalist ideology and violence and at integration and social cohesion programs that preserve freedom of belief in the context of French secularism.
New Zealand Court Dismisses Case on "Insulting" Cartoons

February 12, 2018

The High Court of New Zealand in Auckland has dismissed a case brought by a Member of Parliament claiming that a set of cartoons published by news website Stuff in 2013 containing a negative portrayal of indigenous people violated provisions in the country's Human Rights Act prohibiting the publication of certain "insulting" material.
CoE Organizes Training on Migrant Integration in Schools

February 07, 2018

The Council of Europe (CoE) is planning a training session in Athens on the inclusion of migrants and refugees in the mainstream education system, teaching educators principles of "non-discrimination, tolerance, and good practices in the integration process."
EU Agency Expresses Concerns on Migration Restrictions

February 07, 2018

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has issued a report identifying concerns arising during its review of the fundamental rights implications of migration policies in the EU over the last two years, including "strict border management," "restrictive" procedures related to asylum applications, and the detention of migrants.
Taliban Social Media Highlights Afghan Jihadi Training Camps

February 06, 2018

The Afghan Taliban are ramping up their use of social media to showcase the existence of jihadi training camps throughout the country that combine radical Islamist indoctrination with training for jihadi suicide operations and other terrorist activities and highlight the regional reach of the Taliban across Southwest Asia.
Syrian Jihadists Continue War with Downing of Russian Jet

February 06, 2018

The Syrian jihadist group that is a hybrid of al-Qaeda militant organizations committed to the building a sharia state grounded in Syria's northwest province of Idlib, now known as Hayat Tahrir al Sham (the Assembly for the Liberation of the Levant), used a shoulder-fired missile to down a Russian fighter jet involved in expelling jihadist groups from Syrian territory.
Defendant in IS Paris Attack Trial Claims "Anti-Muslim Bias"

February 05, 2018

The Belgian trial of the lone surviving suspect from the mass-casualty Islamic State (IS) terror attacks in Paris in the summer of 2015 began with a statement from the suspect alleging widespread bias against Muslims, who he said are "judged and treated in the worst of ways, mercilessly."
IS, Italian Mafia Cooperate in Crime and Islamist Terrorism

February 05, 2018

According to European police and intelligence officials tracking the intersection of Islamist terrorism with global criminal networks, the Islamic State (IS) is using the Italian mob's Calabrian syndicate as a supply hub for opioids used by IS militants in Europe and North Africa and as a source of IS revenues from resale in secondary markets.
US Issues Terror Designation for Egyptian, Palestinian Groups

February 05, 2018

The US State Department designated three new Egyptian and Palestinian entities as terrorist groups, identifying Iran as a likely financier of the offshoot groups of the Muslim Brotherhood and suggesting that Tehran uses the network of proxy groups to sponsor regional and global Islamist radicalization and violence.
UK Official: "Muscular Liberalism" Must Counter Radicalization in Schools

February 05, 2018

The Chief of the UK's Office of Standards for Education (Oftsed) called this week for educators to practice “muscular liberalism,” through educational standards committed to pluralism, as the optimal approach to combating Islamist extremists from using schools to undermine British values.