Violence and Security

Debate over Burkini Bans Roils French Politics

September 09, 2016

Soeren Kern of the Gatestone Institute documents the high-profile controversy over the ban by several French towns on publicly wearing a full-body swimsuit for Muslim women called the "burkini," marked by the recent ruling of the French Conseil d'État that cities do not have the authority to implement these bans.
US University Hires Convicted Jihadi as Research Fellow

September 07, 2016

The George Washington University has hired an American convert to Islam who was convicted for al-Qaeda recruiting and conspiring to commit terrorist violence in the US as a research fellow on de-radicalization.
UK, US Seek to Minimize Jihadi Radicalization in Prisons

September 07, 2016

The recent conviction and imprisonment of British Imam Anjem Choudary, one of the country's high-profile Islamic State supporters, have galvanized plans in both Britain and the US to overhaul national prison systems that have become institutional recruitment facilities for radical Islamists and jihadists.
Egypt, India Announce Cooperation to Combat Islamist Terrorism

September 07, 2016

India's Prime Minister and Egypt's President have announced the launch of a joint defense and security cooperation agenda aimed at combating the globalizing threat of Islamist radicalization and violence, with joint programs to build counter-extremism capacity in the security, trade, and finance sectors.
Islamist Terror Threats Outpace Global Responses

September 07, 2016

Foreign Policy Association blogger Paul Mutter writes that keeping pace with global Islamist radicalization and violence requires serious changes in domestic legal frameworks for intelligence gathering and innovations in multi-sectoral anti-poverty and rule-of-law strategies.
Attack in Indonesia Flags Challenges Posed by Islamist Extremism

September 07, 2016

The recent assault by an Islamic State supporter inside an urban Indonesian church underscores the escalating threats posed by Islamist extremists using intimidation and violence against non-Muslims and non-Sunni Muslims, as well as the challenges of developing an integrated, robust threat response.
Death of IS Propagandist Raises Strategic Questions

September 07, 2016

The Islamic State's announcement of the "martyrdom" of its chief propagandist, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, by a coalition airstrike in Syria raises questions about the possible impacts of al-Adnani's death on IS's focus of its jihadi activities on civilian targets in Western countries.
Microsoft Launches Portal to Counter "Hate Speech"

August 31, 2016

Tech company Microsoft has created a website dedicated to allowing users of Microsoft platforms to report the appearance of "hate speech" on such factors as religion, age, gender, and sexual orientation and prompting Microsoft employees to delete this content.
Study Indicates Drives for Jihadi Radicalization

August 31, 2016

A new study by a Canadian research network suggests that the factors for jihadi radicalization among foreign fighters from North America and Europe are religious interpretation and existential satisfaction, raising serious concerns about the time horizons and financial resources required for policy strategies that can successfully mitigate Islamist radicalization and recruitment.
East Africa Is a Frontline for Islamist Radical Expansion

August 30, 2016

Islamist extremist groups are methodically establishing an East Africa frontline in the global jihadist movement, aiming to destabilize fragile states in Kenya and Somalia by combining violent attacks on human rights activists and security agencies with recruitment drives targeting economically marginalized youth.