If you think the answer to the rise in the radical right threat lies in counter-terrorism and/or counter-extremism policies, you are looking in the wrong place. In a recent interview, the former Director General of MI5, Jonathan Evans, discussed his perspectives on the U.K.’s radical right scene. He highlighted that he suspected the rise of… Continue reading “Countering the radical right, back to basics”
Within the context of our policies for Integration, Hate Crime and the Prevention of terrorism, do we need a “Hateful” Extremism policy at all? In October the results of the Extremism Commission’s review of the Extremism Strategy were published. The “Challenging Hateful Extremism” report is critical of the Government’s approach to countering extremism thus far… Continue reading “The UK’s “Hateful Extremism” report: more muddled thinking on an already over-crowded pitch”
Last month’s massacre of 22 people in a Texas Walmart by a man who wanted to resist “a Hispanic invasion” is only the latest horror story as the radical right continues to murder and terrorize. For the first time in memory, a consensus of U.S. law enforcement officials agree that white supremacist domestic terrorism has… Continue reading “U.S. Domestic Terrorism: What Is To Be Done?”
A counter-extremism coordinator in the UK highlights how those who are working to counter extremism are becoming targets themselves. In 2008 it all seemed so simple. My job as Prevent Community Engagement Officer was to work with local communities to highlight the risks of radicalization and to build confidence in the alternative, a safeguarding response… Continue reading “What It’s Like To Lead Counter-Extremism Efforts In The UK”
Introduction It was recently announced that Lord Carlile of Berriew would be leading the independent review of the U.K.’s Prevent Strategy, which is expected to start within the next month. I’ve been asked recently what I’d want to see in this review and have covered these points on my YouTube Channel. However, I wanted to… Continue reading “What I’d like to see in the upcoming independent review of the Prevent Strategy”
We need to empathise with those we fundamentally disagree with. Is society ready for that? In a year that marks the twentieth anniversary of the London Nail Bomber’s campaign of terror, two recent terrorist incidents, the Christchurch Mosque and San Diego Synagogue tragedies, have reinforced the deadly reality of neo-Nazi conspiracies and sharply focused the… Continue reading “Preventing radical right extremism requires honesty, empathy and a whole society approach. Are we doomed to fail?”
Without the delivery of integration work at the local level, any effort to counter extremism is effectively built on a shaky foundation with too much sand in the mix. “Communities Defeat Terrorism” was the tagline when I worked as the head of strategy and policy in the office of the UK’s National Coordinator for Prevent… Continue reading “To Defeat Terrorism, We Need to Invest in Communities”
Like in the UK’s “Yellow Vest Movement,” the radical right is very skilled at hijacking movements unrelated to their own. How do we combat this? Prevent – the UK’s counter-radicalisation strategy is currently undergoing an independent review, in part designed to examine accusations that the policy is having potentially negative impacts upon communities. This has… Continue reading “We Need Innovative Methods To Combat Radical Right Extremism”
Throughout its development, Prevent has faced severe criticism but has remained protected by the armor of national security. On January 22, Britain’s security minister, Ben Wallace, announced there was to be an independent review of the government’s Prevent strategy. The review was launched to further demonstrate the work done by the program in stopping people from… Continue reading “How Controversial Is Britain’s Counterterrorism Strategy?”
To date, the notion of gateway organizations has in the most part been used to help explain processes of radicalization in relation to Islamic extremist Islam. Since September 11, 2001, the radical right has been on the rise in terms of popularity and reach across Western states. The 9/11 attacks, the subsequent war on terror… Continue reading “Gateway Organizations: Understanding the Lure of the Radical Right”