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302. Counter-Narratives for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in South East Asia
- Author:
- Sara Zeiger
- Publication Date:
- 05-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Hedayah
- Abstract:
- This meeting report is a summary and analysis of the preliminary results of the Expert workshop on South East Asia Collection of Counter-Narratives. Terrorism and violent extremism have been threats to South East Asia for decades, with local and international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda historically establishing networks aligned with local conflicts. For example, Al-Qaeda has established connections with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the Philippines; Lashkar Jundullah in Indonesia; Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) in Malaysia; and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The terrorist attack in Jakarta in January 2016 has served as a reminder that terrorism in South East Asia is still a current and ongoing threat. Moreover, it revealed that ad-Dawla Islamiyah fi al-Iraq wa asSham (Daesh or Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham/ ISIS) is utilizing a similar model as Al-Qaeda has historically: establishing international networks and recruiting local actors in South East Asia to carry out their aims and objectives.
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Violent Extremism, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Networks, and Recruitment
- Political Geography:
- Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Southeast Asia
303. Jihadist Hotbeds. Understanding Local Radicalization Processes
- Author:
- Arturo Varvelli
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
- Abstract:
- Recent analyses reveal that the vast majority of jihadists come from or have some connections with specific areas or districts within different states. One can describe them as local/regional “hotbeds” of extremism. Molenbeek in Belgium, Gornje Maoče and Ošve in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Minneapolis in the US, Kasserine and Ben Guerdane in Tunisia, Sirte and Derna in Libya, Sinai in Egypt, Pankisi Valley and Dagestan in the Caucasus: each area has unique characteristics that lead to “exporting” fighters or creating new IS-controlled zones. Starting from the debate on the origin and nature of jihadist militancy that is dividing the most important scholars of Islam, this report outlines a broad spectrum of radicalization factors leading to the emergence of jihadists hotbeds, such as poverty, unemployment, lack of job prospects, juvenile delinquency, trafficking and smuggling, socio-political, economic and physical marginalization, the role of Salafist ideology as well as the influence of brotherhood networks. All these elements have been frequently highlighted as factors or triggers that could contribute to explaining dynamics of radicalization leading to active violent militancy under the ideals of jihadism. To get a better sense of both the differences and similarities amongst the various hotbeds, the report provides an overview of some of the largest contributors to Islamic extremists and foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq.
- Topic:
- Violent Extremism, Radicalization, Jihad, and Foreign Fighters
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
304. Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, Belfast Peacemaker and Adviser to ex-militants on reintegration
- Author:
- Gary Mason
- Publication Date:
- 11-2016
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Israel/Palestine Creative Regional Initiatives (IPCRI)
- Abstract:
- The 4th IPCRI forum for 2016 focused on: "From Extremism to Inclusion" How hardliners joined the peace process in Northern Ireland Speakers: Rev. Dr. Gary Mason Belfast Peacemaker and Adviser to ex-militants on reintegration A member of the Order of the British Empire for his work in the peace process in N.Ireland Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin Policy Fellow at Mitvim Institute Ariel Heifetz Knobel Conflict Management Practitioner, Northern Ireland Specialist Aziz Abu Sarah Nat Geo Explorer, Co-Founder of Mejdi Tours
- Topic:
- Violent Extremism, Conflict, Peace, and Reintegration
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, and Palestine
305. The Citizens' Views Against Violent Extremism and Radicalization in Kosovo
- Author:
- Vesë Kelmendi
- Publication Date:
- 06-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
- Abstract:
- This special edition of bKS is aimed at a wide range of stakeholders interested to follow citizens’ perceptions of violent extremism and radicalization in Kosovo. Specifically, it addresses an audience that is interested to follow the trends of public opinion in Kosovo with special emphasis on Kosova citizens’ trust in and contact with religious institutions in Kosovo; threats and risks arising from the terrorist formations such as ISIS and al-Nusra; perception of the rehabilitation of returnees from Syria and Iraq as well as perceptions of the Kosovar government’s strategy to deal with this phenomenon. In general, bKS is aimed at the state level policy makers, international actors in Kosova, as well as local organizations, religious communities, civil society, academia and media.
- Topic:
- Public Opinion, Violent Extremism, Radicalization, and Rehabilitation
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Eastern Europe, Kosovo, and Syria
306. Radical Islamism in Algeria: Evolution and Current Situation
- Author:
- Yoslan Silverio González
- Publication Date:
- 12-2015
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- AUSTRAL: Brazilian Journal of Strategy International Relations
- Institution:
- Postgraduate Program in International Strategic Studies, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
- Abstract:
- The present article addresses radical Islamism in Algeria, encompassing the period between the rise and radicalization of the first Islamist groups, during the Civil War (1992-2002), and their activities in recent years. The study analyses aspects such as the tactics used by them, the rise of new groups and the fall of the old ones, as well as the impacts of these developments on the political scenario of Algeria.
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Violent Extremism, Radicalization, and Militant Islam
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Algeria, and West Africa
307. The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's Role in Defeating ISIL
- Author:
- Hemin Hawrami
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Institution:
- ARI Movement
- Abstract:
- The summer of 2014 was a fatal summer, not only for the Iraqi Kurdistan Region but also for the Middle East and the rest of the world. It witnessed the rise of one of the deadliest terrorist groups: the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Kurdistan Regional Government and its Kurdish military forces, the peshmerga, have been instrumental in deterring ISIL’s further encroachment However, the author argues that the peshmerga cannot fight ISIL alone and calls upon the international community to provide unified support in the form of arms, equipment, and training. The author makes the case that this virulent terrorist group can only be destroyed through a coordinated strategy and support given by an international coalition.
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Military Strategy, Violent Extremism, and ISIL
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Middle East, and Kurdistan
308. Protecting Eastern Christianity in the Middle East: Russia's New Diplomatic Tool
- Author:
- Bernard El Ghoul
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Institution:
- ARI Movement
- Abstract:
- The intensification of Russia’s diplomacy in the Middle East is combined with a clearly defined objective: positioning itself as the new protector of persecuted Christians in the region. The author highlights both the ambitions of the Kremlin in the Mediterranean and the ever-growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has become a major political actor. Moscow sees Shiite Islam as its ally in the Middle East and is increasingly aligning itself with a Shiite axis composed of Iran, Syria, and the Lebanese Hezbollah. The author examines this burgeoning Russian-Shiite alliance in light of Russia’s strategic interests in the region.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Religion, Violent Extremism, and Hezbollah
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria
309. Hezbollah's Ascent and Descent
- Author:
- Lina Khatib
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Institution:
- ARI Movement
- Abstract:
- Hezbollah today is Lebanon’s strongest political party. However, its military intervention in the Syrian conflict has put it at a crossroads. While the party’s domestic strength continues, largely due to the weakness of its Lebanese political opponents and to its reliance on the possession of weapons to intimidate them, Hezbollah is facing increasing challenges in Syria. The author argues that as a deal on Iran’s nuclear ambitions looms, and with it the possibility of imposed limitations on Iran’s behavior by the international community, Hezbollah – being Iran’s key client – will find its autonomy and ability to act in the domestic Lebanese sphere as well as externally reduced in the future.
- Topic:
- Nuclear Weapons, Military Strategy, Violent Extremism, and Hezbollah
- Political Geography:
- Iran, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Syria
310. Soccer vs. Jihad: A Draw
- Author:
- James M Dorsey
- Publication Date:
- 05-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- There is much that militant Islamists and jihadists agree on, but when it comes to sports in general and soccer in particular sharp divisions emerge. Men like the late Osama bin Laden, Hamas Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah stand on one side of the ideological and theological divide opposite groups like the Taliban, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, Boko Haram, and the jihadists who took control of northern Mali in 2012. The Islamic State, the jihadist group that controls swaths of Syria and Iraq, belongs ideologically and theologically to the camp that views soccer as an infidel invention designed to distract the faithful from their religious obligations but opportunistically employs football in its sophisticated public relations and public diplomacy endeavour. Bin Laden, Haniyeh and Nasrallah employ soccer as a recruitment and bonding tool based on the belief of Salafi and mainstream Islamic scholars who argue that Prophet Muhammad advocated physical exercise to maintain a healthy body. However, the more militant students of Islam seek to re- write the rules of the game to Islamicise it, if not outright ban the sport. The practicality and usefulness of soccer is evident in the fact that perpetrators of attacks, like those by Hamas on civilian targets in Israel in 2003 and the 2004 Madrid train bombings, bonded by playing soccer together.
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Violent Extremism, Sports, Islamic State, and Militant Islam
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Middle East, and Syria