Showing posts with label extremism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label extremism. Show all posts

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Communities of Hate: Why People Join Extremist Movements

The recent attack on the US Capitol and our democracy remind us of the ever-present dangers of hatred and propaganda. Join us for a discussion about how, 75 years after the Holocaust, white supremacist and other hate groups continue to exploit racism, conspiracy theories, and antisemitic lies. Speakers: Arie Kruglanski, Holocaust Survivor, Terrorism Expert, and Psychology Professor, University of Maryland Patricia Heberer Rice, Senior Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Moderator: Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Friday, March 15, 2019

The Guardian View on the Christchurch Attacks: Extremism’s Rising Danger


THE GUARDIAN: The far right seeks to divide. Responsible politicians ought, especially in times of grief and anger, to bring people together

New Zealand is best known for its breathtaking wilderness, found in distant but secure islands at the edge of the world. On Friday that changed. Forty-nine people were killed in shootings at two mosques in central Christchurch in a suspected terrorist attack during the congregational prayer. The horrific events have left the country in mourning and shock. Muslims make up less than 1% of New Zealand’s population and the faith’s most prominent adherent is a rugby player. This was a stupefying amount of lethal force in a country that saw only 35 homicides in all of 2017. New Zealand as a nation will collectively have to deal with a trauma that no parent, no relative, no friend should ever endure. » | Editorial | Friday, March 15, 2019

Thursday, July 06, 2017

Embraced by Far-Right Gov't in Poland, Trump Claims Future of Western Civilization Is at Stake


In a major speech in Poland, President Donald Trump said Western civilization is at stake, as he warned about the threats of "terrorism and extremism." He was cheered on by supporters of Poland’s right-wing government, who were bused in to the speech. Meanwhile, Trump is facing criticism after becoming the first U.S. president in decades to skip visiting the Warsaw ghetto uprising monument. We speak with Polish-Nigerian journalist Remi Adekoya, a regular contributor to The Guardian and the former political editor of the Warsaw Business Journal.

Tuesday, June 06, 2017

How Should We Tackle Extremism? - BBC Newsnight


How should society balance the need for security with the protection of civil liberty? Evan Davis speaks to Henna Rai, Director of the Women Against Radicalisation Network, and Anas Altikriti, CEO of the Cordoba Foundation.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Hollande: Trump Administration Is 'Encouraging Extremism'


THE GUARDIAN: French president calls on European countries to stand ‘stand together’ at meeting of leaders in Lisbon

French president François Hollande has said that the Trump administration was encouraging “populism and even extremism“, as he and fellow southern European leaders urged unity to face an increasingly uncertain world.

“We have to stand together in Europe,” Hollande said during a meeting in Lisbon on Saturday.

“What is at stake is populism. The kind of discourse now coming from the United States encourages populism and even extremism.” » | Reuters in Lisbon | Saturday, January 28, 2017

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Extremism? Being Critical of Government Is Sign of Radicalization - Guide


A child protection group has issued a leaflet to help people spot if a child is being radicalized. It claims that if they don't agree with mainstream media, or appear angry at government policies, they are potentially at risk. RT's Anastasia Churkina's gets reactions from citizens in London.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Theresa May Calls for New Powers to Tackle Extremists


BBC: Home Secretary Theresa May has called for new powers to ban extremist groups and curb the activities of 'harmful' individuals.

Banning orders and "extreme disruption" orders will feature in the party's 2015 election manifesto, the home secretary told the Tory Party conference.

She explained to BBC's Norman Smith what these powers will mean. Watch BBC video » | Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Friday, May 31, 2013


Drummer Lee Rigby's Family Reject "Extremist" Groups Using Woolwich Murder for Political Gain

THE INDEPENDENT: Family statement: 'Lee would not want people to use his name as an excuse to carry out attacks against others'

Family and colleagues of Drummer Lee Rigby have distanced themselves from “extremist” groups using his brutal murder as an excuse to commit violence and make political gains. The condemnation comes as a blow to groups planning to hold a series of marches across the country tomorrow.

The English Defence League and the British National Party have both planned nearly 60 different demonstrations across Britain and anti-fascists have vowed to oppose them. Unite Against Fascism and Hope Not Hate both told The Independent they would be in London to counter demonstrations by the two groups, while large EDL marches are also expected in Leeds and Manchester.

But the young soldier's relatives urged mourners to show their respect in a “peaceful manner” amid increased tensions between political and religious groups.

In a statement released through the Ministry of Defence, family members including his mother Lyn, stepfather Ian, wife Rebecca and son Jack, said: “We would like to emphasise that Lee would not want people to use his name as an excuse to carry out attacks against others.

”We would not wish any other families to go through this harrowing experience and appeal to everyone to keep calm and show their respect in a peaceful manner.“ » | Kevin Rawlinson | Friday, May 31, 2013

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

France Vows 'No Tolerance' for Anti-Semitism after Arrests

BUSINESS RECORDER (PAKISTAN): PARIS: French authorities vowed Tuesday to show zero tolerance for anti-Semitism as new details emerged of the suspects detained in a crackdown on Islamic extremists who allegedly targeted the Jewish community.

Videos of the suspects show the alleged leader of a militant cell rapping about the September 11 attacks and another suspect saying he converted to Islam after a failed attempt to become a professional footballer in Britain.

Speaking after meeting top security officials, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the government was resolute in combatting extremism.

"I want to affirm the government's determination to fight against terrorism, as much inside our country as outside our borders," Ayrault said after meeting the interior and justice ministers to discuss the arrests.

"I know we can count on the support of the French people. We will not tolerate any form of racism or anti-Semitism," he said. » | Posted by Asad Naeem | Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

Nick Clegg: Public Fury at Euro Crisis Will Fuel Extremism

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A wave of “extremism and xenophobia” will sweep across Europe unless political leaders take urgent action to deal with the debt crisis, Nick Clegg has warned.

The Deputy Prime Minister predicted that arguments in Britain about whether to pull out of the European Union would be “like a small side show compared to the rise of political extremism” in the next few years.

In his bleakest assessment to date, Mr Clegg admitted that his beloved European project faces a “huge” crisis of confidence as the public loses faith in the EU “as a whole”.

Mr Clegg’s intervention followed warnings from Cabinet ministers that the eurozone debt crisis is approaching a “moment of clarity” when it is “quite likely” that Greece will be forced out of the single currency.

In an interview with the German magazine, Der Spiegel, the Liberal Democrat leader said EU nations are “condemned to work with each other” but warned that nine European governments have “fallen” since 2009.

“Everybody should be more active,” he said. “At the moment, what’s happening is you have one emergency summit after another; you have one election after the other; you have one bail out after the other.

“This cannot carry on because the combination of economic insecurity and political paralysis, we know this from the history of our continent, is the ideal recipe for an increase in extremism and xenophobia. » | Tim Ross, and James Kirkup | Monday, May 21, 2012

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ken Clarke attacks 'nationalist' eurosceptic Tories: MPs who want a referendum on membership of the European Union are “right-wing nationalists” who would bring "disaster" to Britain, Kenneth Clarke has said. ¶ The Justice Secretary, who is regarded as the most "europhile" Conservative Cabinet minister, said calls to consider withdrawing from the EU were "a dangerous irrelevance" to the economic crisis. » | Tim Ross, Political Correspondent | Sunday, May 20, 2012

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Extremists vs. Extremists: Salafists and Right-Wing Populists Battle in Bonn

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany's right-wing populists are fond of insulting Islam in order to attract attention. On Saturday, violence prone Salafists took the bait, resulting in a riot that left 29 police injured. Despite the clash, however, the anti-Islam party can continue to display their anti-Islam caricatures, a court has decided.

It was clear from the start that the tiny, right-wing populist group Pro-NRW would stop at nothing to attract attention in the run-up to state elections in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia this Sunday. With Salafists in the state now reacting violently to Pro-NRW's inflammatory parading of Muhammad caricatures in front of Muslim establishments, the splinter party appears to have gotten its wish.

On Saturday, violence flared anew when Salafists attacked police protecting a Pro-NRW demonstration in front of a Saudi Arabian school in Bonn. Twenty-nine officers were wounded, two of them having been stabbed, and more than 100 people were arrested. On Monday, a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder in the knife attacks.

Ralf Jäger, interior minister for the state, promised that there would be "severe consequences," adding that he would "join the federal government in exploring all legal possibilities for countering these extremists." The police president in Bonn, Ursula Brohl-Sowa, spoke of an "explosion of violence like we haven't seen for some time."

The Pro-NRW march in Bonn consisted of just over two dozen people, but some 500 to 600 counter-demonstrators also gathered, including, according to police estimates, some 200 Salafists who had travelled to Bonn from across the country. Several hundred police were also present to keep the two groups separated. » | Charles Hawley | Monday, May 07, 2012

Related »

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Economic Crisis Fueling Racism Says Council of Europe

EXPATICA.COM: The ongoing economic crisis has fueled racism and xenophobia, a Council of Europe report said on Thursday, while calling on European nations to bolster their fight against hate speech.

"Welfare cuts, diminished job opportunities and a consequent rise in intolerance towards both immigrant groups and older historical minorities are worrying trends," the report by the Strasbourg-based body's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance said.

"Xenophobic rhetoric is now part of mainstream debate and extremists are increasingly using social media to channel their views, whilst discrimination against the Roma continues to worsen," the commission's report noted. » | AFP | Thursday, May 03, 2012

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Threat of Fascist Attacks Revealed

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: FASCIST and nationalist extremist groups are active in and pose a threat to Australia, with the country's security agency saying there are legitimate concerns they may spawn a terrorist in the style of Norway's Anders Breivik.

The assessment, in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's annual report to Parliament, also reveals Australia's right-wing extremists, much like the Islamic fundamentalists they loathe, draw inspiration from overseas via the internet.

''There has been a persistent but small subculture of racist and nationalist extremists in Australia, forming groups, fragmenting, re-forming and often fighting amongst themselves,'' the report states.

The appraisal also states there has been a recent rise in anarchist or ''anti-fascist'' groups, with the ideologically-opposed groups coming into conflict.

''Where such confrontations have occurred, the 'anti-fascists' have outnumbered the nationalist and racist extremists and police intervention has been required,'' the report states in its ''Australia's Security Environment'' section.

The report reveals ASIO - whose budget has grown by almost 500 per cent since 2001 and will next year move into a half-billion-dollar Canberra headquarters - has never been busier, with the number of terrorist investigations rising from about 100 in 2005 to almost 300 this year.

But it is the far-right threat that may surprise the public. » | Dylan Welch | Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Vince Cable: David Cameron's Immigration Claims 'Risk Inflaming Extremism'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, has accused David Cameron of “inflaming extremism” with his speech on immigration.

The Prime Minister will today claim that uncontrolled immigration has undermined some British communities.

Pledging to cut the numbers entering Britain to tens of thousands, rather than hundreds of thousands, Mr Cameron will say that "for too long, immigration has been too high".

Mr Cameron’s speech, his first major address on the issue since the general election, will please many Conservative MPs and voters.

But Mr Cable, a Liberal Democrat, described the speech as “very unwise” and suggested it could fuel extremism over immigration.

“The reference to the tens of thousands of immigrants rather than hundreds of thousands is not part of the coalition agreement, it is Tory party policy only,” Mr Cable told the BBC.

“I do understand there is an election coming but talk of mass immigration risks inflaming the extremism to which he and I are both strongly opposed.”

The Conservatives and Lib Dems agreed in their Coalition deal to take differing views on immigration, but Mr Cable’s forthright criticism of Mr Cameron may raise questions about his position in the Cabinet. Continue reading and comment » | James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Thursday, April 14, 2011



My comment:

Doesn't Vince Cable understand that he is in office to serve the people? Doesn't he understand that the people's concerns should be of paramount importance in a so-called democracy? The good British people are fed up of all this unrestrained immigration into our once rather homogenous land. Do the people's wishes mean nothing to this man? If he is concerned about extremism, the one thing he and his colleagues could do to nip extremism in the bud is bring immigration under control. It is precisely in countries where immigration has been allowed to get out of hand that we are seeing the growth of the so-called extremist parties. Now surely you can get that, Dr. Cable! – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Monday, April 19, 2010

Bill Clinton's Warning on Extremist Mood in US

THE GUARDIAN: Growing concern in White house [sic] about anti-government mood / Trust in US government at its lowest point for half a century

Bill Clinton today warned politicians and commentators to tone down their rhetoric for fear of inflaming hate groups and provoking violence, as a poll suggested that public trust in the US government is at its lowest point for half a century.

Amid growing concern in the White House about the anti-government mood and a marked rise in radical fringe groups, Clinton said the internet made it easier to spread ideas to reach "the unhinged". The worry is not so much over populist movements such as the Tea Party but the revival of extreme groups that have been encouraged by general anti-government sentiment.

On the 15th anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma bombing, the worst terrorist attack in the US before 9/11, Clinton wrote in the New York Times: "We are again dealing with difficulties in a contentious, partisan time … As we exercise the right to advocate our views, and as we animate our supporters, we must all assume responsibility for our words and actions before they enter a vast echo chamber and reach those both serious and delirious, connected and unhinged."

Clinton said it should not be forgotten what drove the Oklahoma bombers. "They took to the ultimate extreme an idea advocated in the months and years before the bombing by an increasingly vocal minority: the belief that the greatest threat to American freedom is our government and that public servants do not protect our freedoms but abuse them." >>> Ewen MacAskill, Washington | Monday, April 19, 2010

Friday, December 11, 2009

Settlers Attack West Bank Mosque and Burn Holy Muslim Books

The mosque set on fire in the West Bank village of Kfar Yasuf, south of Nablus. Photograph: Times Online

TIMES ONLINE: Suspected extremist Jewish settlers today attacked a mosque in the northern West Bank, burning holy books and spraying threatening graffiti in Hebrew on the building, Palestinian officials and Israeli police said.

Extremists broke into the mosque in the village of Yasuf, near the city of Nablus, and burned Korans and copies of the Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, and prayer carpets, while spraying slogans on the floor reading “Price tag – greetings from Effi.”

A pile of ash on a scorched carpet was all that remained of around 100 holy books, The Times found.

The so-called 'price tag' is the hardline Jewish settlers’ policy of attacking Palestinians and their property in retribution for any Israeli government curb on settlement expansion. Effi is a Jewish name.

Hardliners are furious that the right-wing government of Binyamin Netanyahu has given in to US pressure to try and enforce a temporary freeze on the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, where some 300,000 settlers live. It is feared that the attack may be the beginning of an intensified campaign against the government by the settlers.

While the attackers escaped, the Israeli government was quick to condemn the attack. "This is an extremist act geared toward harming the government's efforts to advance the political process for the sake of Israel's future," said Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, whose department is overseeing the freeze.

When they discovered the desecration of their mosque, Palestinian villagers started throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, whom they often accuse of complicity with settlers when they carry out such attacks on them and their olive orchards. Two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were hurt in the clashes.

There have been rising tensions since Mr Netanyahu announced the proposed freeze last month, in an effort to meet US and Palestinian demands for a total halt on settlement construction, deemed illegal by the international community but often backed by the Israeli state. >>> James Hider in Yasuf | Friday, December 11, 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Anti-extremism Scheme 'Spying on Muslims'

THE TELEGRAPH: A multi-million pound government scheme designed to prevent the radicalisation of young British Muslims is being used to gather intelligence about innocent people not suspected of terrorism involvement, it was claimed.

The scheme designed to stop Muslims entering extreemism like Ali Beheshti, pictured, who attempted to burn down the house of a book publisher. Photo: The Telegraph

The “Preventing Violent Extremism”, also known as Prevent, was launched three years ago as part of the Government's four "Ps" anti-terror agenda - Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare.

It was designed to stop people being lured to al-Qaida ideology, prevent the radicalisation and committing acts of terrorism.

But reports have suggested the programme was instead being used to used [sic] to gather intelligence about innocent people who are not suspected of involvement in terrorism.

Critics criticised the scheme as being Britain’s biggest spying programme and a breach of civil liberties.

The Institute of Race Relations said the Prevent scheme had been used "to establish one of the most elaborate systems of surveillance ever seen in Britain". >>> Andrew Hough | Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sunday, September 13, 2009

We Need to Confront Islamist Extremists, Not Conciliate Them

THE TELEGRAPH: The conviction of the terrorist bomb plotters shows that we need to confront the Islamists, and show that being Muslim and Western are indeed compatible, says Ed Husain.

On July 7, 2005, my sister missed one of the trains that was attacked by the bombers by four minutes. I was living in Saudi Arabia, but returned to Britain to help this country better understand why so many young activist Muslims were becoming extremists – as I briefly had. The convictions this week of three men who wanted to attack transatlantic flights show why that task remains as urgent as ever.

Organised hatred, separatism, and extremism were present in Britain's cities and campuses long before July 7, often cloaked in the guise of moderation. But very few people understood the complexities of extremist ideology, while many politicians had Muslim constituents they did not want to upset.

The toughest task has been convincing Muslim leaders of the need to end denial, and stop playing politics with Islamist extremism. At a recent meeting with a Muslim grandee, I was stunned to learn that he thought the British government had carried out the July 7 bombings, to give it an excuse to spy on us.

It beggars belief how many Muslim organisations have claimed that by founding Quilliam, a counter-extremist think tank which argues that there is no inherent contradiction between being Muslim and being Western, I have somehow sold out, become a patsy of the intelligence services.

I have very little idea about the espionage industry. But what have we got to hide? Why are we so worried? We should be proud citizens in a liberal democracy, committed to protecting our country from terrorist attacks just like any other crimes. Instead, I am attacked on websites, newspapers and Islamic television channels in the crudest terms.

Nor are our politicians standing up to the threat. When Quilliam's researchers revealed that Abu Qatada, "al-Qaeda's ambassador to Europe", was smuggling propaganda letters from inside a British prison, the then justice minister turned up on the BBC to dismiss our findings and say such work was "unhelpful". Boris Johnson recently called for greater understanding and tolerance of Islam at the East London Mosque – the same place where I and many others were introduced to radical Islamist ideology, and whose Saudi-trained imam is a signatory to a document that many say calls for attacks on the Royal Navy. >>> Ed Husain* | Saturday, September 12, 2009

*Ed Husain is co-founder of the Quilliam Foundation and author of 'The Islamist' (Penguin)

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