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Date: April 18, 2024 Thu
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16 results foundAuthor: Naif Arab University for Security Sciences Title: Combating Trafficking in Persons in Accordance with the Principles of Islamic Law Summary: Trafficking in persons or human trafficking, a recognized human rights violation prohibited by international law, affects all countries and regions of the world. As a national and international, often organized crime, it knows no boundaries" geographic, cultural, political, or religious. Its victims and perpetrators hail from all around the world, and its flows reach from and to some of the most far-flung corners of the planet. It manifests itself as exploitation in different forms and types across countries, but no region is immune. In this global phenomenon, Muslim countries are no exception" all are affected by this crime. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, as well as for labor exploitation in the domestic service industry and in agriculture and construction, affect Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Trafficking of children and women for sexual and labor exploitation likewise occurs in African countries both within and across national borders. In South and Southeast Asia, trafficking in men, women and children for similar purposes, which may also include trafficking for the purpose of begging and child sex tourism, are prevalent. While international law provides the central guiding framework for States in combating human trafficking, for this effort to be most effective, national legislatures should design legal provisions which, while consistent with international law, are also responsive to national specifics and are tailored to the legal structures and the phenomenon of trafficking as manifested in each State. Given that the legal traditions and legal systems in many Muslim countries rely primarily on Islamic law, a study of Islamic legal provisions and traditions which relate to trafficking in persons becomes important. An understanding of Islam's position on trafficking in persons and its related acts and elements, can provide important avenues for the development of a comprehensive approach to combating trafficking in Muslim countries, one which draws on and is grounded in the Islamic tradition, as well as in compliance with international law. The purpose of this paper is thus to analyze the Islamic legal tradition from the perspective of those sources, principles and provisions that may best be utilized in understanding, addressing, and combating trafficking in persons. More specifically, this entails the elaboration of a comprehensive theory of Islamic legal principles for the prohibition of the crime of trafficking in persons, and associated acts and means on the one hand, and the protection of victims of trafficking on the other. It involves understanding what the nature of the crime of trafficking under the Islamic law of crime and punishment is and what protections and safeguards are provided by Islamic law to the accused in the prosecution of trafficking. It merits analyzing how Islam relates to a victim-centered approach to the problem, and what the obligations of the ordinary citizen in providing victims with assistance may be. It is also necessary that any checklist of issues addressing trafficking in persons under Islamic law also include prevention, education, and public awareness—all core principles of a comprehensive strategy of combating trafficking as enshrined in international law. Some of the important questions tacked as part of this paper will thus include, for example, how does Islamic law provide for the principle of compensation for victims of a crime? In regard to prevention, how does Islam deal with vulnerable victims such as children, orphans, refugees and internally displaced persons, and non-Muslims living in a Muslim country? How does, if at all, a religious approach differ from a non-religious approach when one designs a public awareness campaign or educational curricula? In answering these and similar questions, the paper will address how applicable principles of Islamic legal theory relate to various forms of trafficking in persons, especially those most pertinent to the context of Muslim countries. An exploration of the forms of trafficking which are most significant in the Muslim world will thus be explored accordingly. The international framework governing trafficking in persons, especially the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, as the central guiding international instrument for combating trafficking in persons, will serve as a foundational and comparative frame of reference throughout the paper. Since the source of Islamic law is the religious text, as opposed to legislation or court decisions, issues of religion that are relevant to trafficking in persons may arise and it is among the aims of this paper to address these considerations. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2009. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2010 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/UNODC_Trafficking_and_Islamic_Law_-_Amended.pdf Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/UNODC_Trafficking_and_Islamic_Law_-_Amended.pdf Shelf Number: 120420 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingIslamSexual Exploitation |
Author: Sumner, Cate Title: Courting Reform: Indonesia's Islamic Courts and Justice for the Poor Summary: Western perceptions of Islam in Indonesia are often dominated by images of radical minorities seeking a shari’ah state. In reality, however, mainstream Islamic institutions have played an important part in the post-Soeharto process of democratisation and institutional reform. Among them are Indonesia’s Islamic courts, the Pengadilan Agama or Religious Courts. This report shows the Islamic courts have embraced reform within a judicial system notorious for corruption and incompetence, taking the lead in efforts to deliver decisions that are more accessible, transparent and fair, especially for women and the poor. Details: Double Bay, New South Wales: Lowy Institute for International Policy, 2010. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Lowy Institute Paper 31: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Publication.asp?pid=1470 Year: 2010 Country: Indonesia URL: http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Publication.asp?pid=1470 Shelf Number: 121223 Keywords: Administration of JusticeCourt Reform (Indonesia)IslamJudicial System |
Author: Poot, C.J. de Title: Jihadi Terrorism in the Netherlands: A Description Based on Closed Criminal Investigations Summary: What is the nature of jihadist terrorism in the Netherlands at the outset of the 21st century when we base our analysis on information the police gathered about this phenomenon? That is the core question of this research. In order to increase the understanding of jihadist terrorism, the knowledge collected by the police during criminal investigations into jihadist activities has been analysed systematically. When we refer to jihadist activities, we mean activities which are aimed at making a contribution to the armed fight against the West and against other perceived enemies of Islam. For the purpose of this research, we analysed a total of twelve (large-scale) criminal investigations that were conducted in the Netherlands in the period between July 2001 and July 2005. In doing so, we have sketched the portrait of an era. The most recent criminal investigation we analysed was conducted in the spring of 2005. We cannot make any projection about the manner in which the phenomenon of jihadism has changed since then under the influence of national or international developments. We have based this research on police files. This entails considerable restrictions. Firstly, not all jihadist activities come to the knowledge of the police and the police do not initiate criminal investigations into all jihadist activities which come to their knowledge. Secondly, we only selected a part of the cases which have been investigated during the research period. This selection may have influenced our perception. Thirdly, we have based this research on the information gathered by investigation teams which had the aim of reconstructing terrorist crimes and submitting these to the court substantiated by evidence. This focus of the investigation teams, their investigation hypotheses and the related selection and interpretation of information has also influenced our perception. The findings presented below must be seen in this light. For the purpose of obtaining an objective analysis of the available investigation material, but also because different criminal investigations into jihadist activities are often interrelated, we considered the selected investigation material in its entirety, and chose to rely less on the structures of the separate criminal investigations. The raw empirical material was subsequently restructured, so that groups of cooperating persons and joint activities could be examined together. In analysing this material, we focused on three dimensions of this phenomenon: (1) jihadist cooperations; (2) the activities performed in these cooperations and (3) the jihadist actors. Details: The Hague: Boom Juridische uitgevers, 2011. 176p. Source: Internet Resource: Onderzoek en beleid, 291: Accessed April 12, 2011 at: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/1381a-jihadist-terrorism-in-the-netherlands-a-description-based-on-closed-criminal-investigations.aspx?cp=45&cs=6796 Year: 2011 Country: Netherlands URL: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/1381a-jihadist-terrorism-in-the-netherlands-a-description-based-on-closed-criminal-investigations.aspx?cp=45&cs=6796 Shelf Number: 121318 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationExtremist GroupsIslamTerrorism (Netherlands)Terrorists |
Author: SpearIt Title: Facts and Fictions About Islam in Prison: Assessing Prisoner Radicalization in Post-9/11 America Summary: This report assesses the radicalization of Muslim prisoners in post-9/11 America. In the last decade, Muslim prisoners have been scrutinized for ties to terrorist and other extremist organizations, not to mention characterized as both a “threat” and a “danger” to national security, due to the influence of foreign jihadist movements. However, closer scrutiny shows that these fears have failed to materialize — indeed, despite the existence of an estimated 350,000 Muslim prisoners, there is little evidence of widespread radicalization or successful foreign recruitment, and only one documented case of prison-based terrorist activity. Nonetheless, some prison systems have implemented an aggressive posture toward these inmates and have made suppressive tactics their bedrock policy. This approach unfortunately overlooks Islam’s long history of positive influence on prisoners, including supporting inmate rehabilitation for decades. Moreover, Muslim inmates have a long history of using the court system to establish and expand their rights to worship and improve their conditions of confinement. Hence, a closer look at “life on the ground” turns the prevailing discourse on its head by demonstrating that Islam generally brings peace to inmates and that the greatest “threat” posed by Muslim inmates is not violence, but lawsuits. Details: Saint, Louis, MO: Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2013. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, January 2013 Saint Louis U. Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2013-5: Accessed February 11, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2206583 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2206583 Shelf Number: 127565 Keywords: IslamPrisonsRadical GroupsRadicalizationRe-entryRehabilitation |
Author: Markedonov, Sergey Title: The Rise of Radical and Nonofficial Islamic Groups in Russia’s Volga Region Summary: In the two decades since the dissolution of the USSR, Russian and Western experts, human rights activists, and journalists have become accustomed to the political violence of the North Caucasus. Terrorist bombings and acts of sabotage in Dagestan, Ingushetia, and Chechnya are perceived as somehow intrinsic to the region. But a recent tragedy in the Volga region suggests that this sort of violence—and the Islamist terrorists who perpetrate it—may not be confined to the Caucasus. On the morning of July 19, 2012, simultaneous terrorist attacks wounded the Tatarstan chief mufti, Ildis Faizov, and killed Valiulla Yakupov, the former deputy chairman of the Tatarstan Spiritual Board of Muslims (TSBM), a well-known Islamic theologian and public figure and one of the most consistent opponents of what Russian politicians and media refer to as Wahhabism. For the first time, official Islamic religious leaders from outside the North Caucasus became victims of Islamist terrorism. Three months later, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had prevented a large-scale terrorist attack in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, planned for the eve of the celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Two people killed in the counterterrorist operation had been suspected of the attacks on Faizov and Yakupov as well as other illegal activity. With these attacks and counterattacks, the problem of inter-Islamic tensions in the Volga region suddenly became real. To examine this increasingly serious situation, this report sheds light on the ideological sources and resources of radicalism in the Volga region, nonofficial Islamic movements’ support among the regional population, and opportunities for the potential growth of different forms of Islamist activities. It describes the origins of different nonofficial Islamic movements, as well as their post-Soviet development, ideology, and relationship with the authorities and official Muslim clergy. The report also offers practical approaches both for Russian domestic policy and for the U.S.-Russia security cooperation agenda. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2013 at: http://csis.org/files/publication/130122_Markedonov_RiseRadicalIslamicVolga_Web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Russia URL: http://csis.org/files/publication/130122_Markedonov_RiseRadicalIslamicVolga_Web.pdf Shelf Number: 127603 Keywords: Extremist Groups (Russia)IslamRadical GroupsTerrorism |
Author: Teich, Sarah Title: Trends and Developments in Lone Wolf Terrorism in the Western World: An Analysis of Terrorist Attacks and Attempted Attacks by Islamic Extremists Summary: This paper reviews current literature on the recent and growing phenomenon of lone wolf terrorism. It aims to add data to this subject by analyzing trends and developments using a dataset created using RAND, START, and LexisNexis Academic databases. Analysis of the dataset clarifies five (5) finding trends: 1. increased number of countries targeted by lone wolf terrorists, 2. increased number of fatalities and injuries caused by lone wolves, 3. increased success rate of United States law enforcement to apprehend lone wolves before they can carry out their attacks, 4. high prevalence and success rate of loners over Pantucci's other three types of lone wolf terrorists, and 5. increased targeting of military personnel. To complement these findings, five case studies from the dataset are examined in-depth. These were chosen for their significance in terms of high rates of fatality or injury. The case studies are shown to be consistent with previous research themes, including psychopathology, social ineptitude, the facilitating role of the Internet, and a combined motivation of personal grievances and broader radical Islamic goals in the process of Islamic self-radicalization. Details: International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, 2013. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2014 at: http://www.ict.org.il/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=qAv1zIPJlGE%3D&tabid=66 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.ict.org.il/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=qAv1zIPJlGE%3D&tabid=66 Shelf Number: 131922 Keywords: IslamLone Wolf TerrorismTerrorism |
Author: Macdonald, Geoffrey Title: Preventing Violent Extremism through Inclusive Politics in Bangladesh Summary: Bangladesh has a long history of political and electoral violence that has shaped its political culture. Since the early 2000s, it has experienced a renewal of violent extremism and an increasingly polarized political climate. By addressing the relationship between radicalization and institutional dysfunctions, this Peace Brief examines how Bangladesh can help undermine the issues that bolster radicalization efforts by strengthening political and social institutions and making them more inclusive. Summary - The role of Islam in Bangladeshi politics is highly contested and presents a focal point of past and current violence. - The polarized political climate and institutionalized repression of Islamic parties appear to enhance radicalization dynamics. - The current environment in Bangladesh presents an opportunity to prevent violent extremism before it fully manifests itself. - Measures to improve democratic governance and inclusive politics could help mitigate the risk of violent extremism in Bangladesh, while also reducing political violence levels. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2016. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Peace Brief 200: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB200-Preventing-Violent-Extremism-through-Inclusive-Politics-in-Bangladesh.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Bangladesh URL: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB200-Preventing-Violent-Extremism-through-Inclusive-Politics-in-Bangladesh.pdf Shelf Number: 137697 Keywords: Extremist GroupsIslamPolitical ViolenceRadical GroupsTerrorismViolent Extremism |
Author: Simcox, Robin Title: The Presumption of Innocence: Difficulties in bringing Suspected Terrorists to Trial Summary: The Presumption of Innocence, by Henry Jackson Society Research Fellow Robin Simcox, looks at the variety of reasons why the state has not always been able to try terror suspects. The main finding of the report is that, in an era of mass casualty terrorism, the notion that all such individuals can be tried in court is outdated The report demonstrates how prosecutions are just one aspect of a much broader strategy of stopping terrorism and not always necessary in order to prove the existence of a specific threat. The report goes on to call on Western governments - particularly those in Europe - to be clearer in explaining exactly why the state is forced to apply a broad series of measures in combating international terrorism. Partially based on field research undertaken at Guantanamo Bay, the report also argues that: - The majority of those detained at Guantanamo Bay will not be tried. Detention during a time of war takes place to prevent a perceived immediate threat; not as a prelude to trial for a criminal offence. - The operational counter-terrorism tactics of intelligence agencies and law enforcement can diverge significantly. Intelligence agencies' priority is disruption and prevention, not assembling information that can be used in court. - Prosecution of suspected terrorists is not always in the public interest. They risk disclosing classified information in court that hinders ongoing investigations, revealing sensitive sources, or exposing intelligence-gathering methods. - As al Qaeda often operates in ungoverned mountainous regions, the U.S. and its allies have limited access to capturing fighters based there. This has led to the increased use of armed drones and targeted killing, a tactic that will continue in the future. Details: London: The Henry Jackson Society, 2013. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2016 at: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/ Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/ Shelf Number: 137846 Keywords: IslamProsecutionTerrorismTerrorist DetentionTerrorists |
Author: Cilluffo, Frank Title: Out of the Shadows: Getting Ahead of Prison Radicalization Summary: The potential for radicalization of prison inmates in the United States poses a threat of unknown magnitude to the national security of the U.S. Prisons have long been places where extremist ideology and calls to violence could find a willing ear, and conditions are often conducive to radicalization. With the world's largest prison population (over 2 million - ninety-three percent of whom are in state and local prisons and jails) and highest incarceration rate (701 out of every 100,000), America faces what could be an enormous challenge - every radicalized prisoner becomes a potential terrorist recruit. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently stated that "[t]he threat of homegrown terrorist cells - radicalized online, in prisons and in other groups of socially isolated souls - may be as dangerous as groups like al Qaeda, if not more so. They certainly present new challenges to detection." The London transit bombings of 2005 and the Toronto terrorist plot of 2006, to name just two incidents, illustrate the threat posed by a state's own radicalized citizens. By acting upon international lessons learned, the U.S. may operate from a proactive position. Under the leadership of The George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) and The University of Virginia's Critical Incident Analysis Group (CIAG), a task force of diverse subject matter experts was convened to analyze what is currently known about radicalization and recruitment in U.S. prison systems at the federal, state and local levels. The goal of this diverse, multidisciplinary group was to give unbiased and well-informed recommendations for further action. The task force performed an extensive literature review and received briefings from professionals with expertise in this area. Federal, state and local officials provided background information on radicalization and ongoing efforts to decrease the threat of terrorist activity in prisons. The task force sought and received perspectives from religious service providers in prisons and jails, behavioral and social scientists, and members of the national security and intelligence communities. Researchers of radicalization in foreign prisons provided first hand accounts of radicalization and terrorist activities overseas. Due to the sensitive nature of many of these briefings and the desire of some briefers to remain anonymous, this report makes reference to information for which no source is cited. All information provided, where no source is provided, originates from task force briefings with subject matter experts and officials with personal experience in dealing with prisoner radicalization. This report focuses on the process of radicalization in prison. Radicalization "refers to the process by which inmates...adopt extreme views, including beliefs that violent measures need to be taken for political or religious purposes." By "extreme views," this report includes beliefs that are anti-social, politically rebellious, and anti-authoritarian. This report focuses, in particular, on religious radicalization in conjunction with the practice of Islam. Radical beliefs have been used to subvert the ideals of every major religion in the world. Just as young people may become radicalized by "cut-and-paste" versions of the Qur'an via the Internet, new inmates may gain the same distorted understanding of the faith from gang leaders or other influential inmates. The task force recognizes the potentially positive impact of religion on inmates, and it should be noted that inmates have a constitutional right to practice their religion, a right reinforced by further legislation. Details: Washington, DC: George Washington University, Homeland Security Policy Institute; Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, Critical Incident Analysis Group, 2006. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 31, 2016 at: https://med.virginia.edu/ciag/wp-content/uploads/sites/313/2015/12/out_of_the_shadows.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: https://med.virginia.edu/ciag/wp-content/uploads/sites/313/2015/12/out_of_the_shadows.pdf Shelf Number: 102908 Keywords: GangsIslamMuslimsPrisoner RadicalizationPrisonersRadicalizationReligionTerrorists |
Author: Lindell, Magdalena Tham Title: Transnational Threats for Peace and Security in the Sahel: Consequences in Mali Summary: This report reviews the three main transnational security threats present in the Sahel: violent separatism, armed Islamism and transnational organised crime. The analysis shows that these three phenomena form a complex nexus that led to the collapse of state control in northern Mali in 2012 and that now complicates the re-establishment of state authority and contributes to insecurity in the wider region. The complex connections between the threats lead to the conclusion that a broad approach is necessary, as it is impossible to counteract the threats separately. As the threats are transnational in nature, the solution to the situation in Mali must be equally transnational, involving not just the neighbouring states but also states in the extended region, as well as the international community. The underlying problems that led to the rise of separatism, armed Islamism and organised crime in northern Mali can be traced back to social exposure and lack of human security. The solution is therefore dependent on the creation of a new social contract between the Malian state and its citizens that builds on inclusion. In the short-term perspective, immediate improvements in service delivery, the establishment of security and an end to the culture of impunity are important components in creating trust in state institutions. Details: Stockholm: FOI, Swedish Defence Research Agency, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 28, 2016 at: http://www.foi.se/en/Search/?query=security+in+the+sahel&fv=36 Year: 2014 Country: Mali URL: http://www.foi.se/en/Search/?query=security+in+the+sahel&fv=36 Shelf Number: 146120 Keywords: IslamOrganised CrimeTerrorism, Violence |
Author: Klausen, Jytte Title: The Role of Social Networks in the Evolution of Al Qaeda-Inspired Violent Extremism in the United States, 1990-2015 Summary: 1. Purpose of Study: This report analyses the networks and organizations that mobilize and direct Americans for jihadist action, or that raise money in the US for Hamas and Hezbollah. The study employs a quasi-experimental method using a control-case design, comparing the network structures of American terrorism offenders inspired by Hezbollah with those of Sunni extremist groups aligned with Al Qaeda, and in recent years ISIL. 2. The Problem: How and why do foreign terrorist organizations recruit Americans to their cause? Three answers have been proposed to this question: Homegrown terrorism is a tactic developed by the foreign terrorist organization to further its strategic interest in attacking Western targets. Command and control is essential to all terrorist organizations. Homegrown terrorism is essentially "leaderless". The root cause of militancy lies at home. US militants may declare allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations, but this is just a matter of aspiration. Terrorist groups are comprised of leaders and foot soldiers, and tailor their operations to meet strategic goals, including, perhaps most importantly, keeping their numbers up. An emphasis on recruitment requires an open structure; fundraising requires centralized control over the flow of money; plotting attacks needs a covert and decentralized and covert organization. 2. Data and Methodology: The data were collected as part of the Western Jihadism Project (WJP), a database of Western nationals associated with terrorist plots related to Al Qaeda and aligned groups, including ISIL, from the early 1990s to the end of 2015. Over the past twenty-five years, close to 800 residents or citizens of the U.S. have committed terrorism offenses inspired by one of the many Islamist terrorist groups that have been active in this country.Of these, about 560 may be described as "homegrown" terrorists: American citizens or residents who have been arrested or have died in incidents related to Al Qaeda and its many affiliates and successors. Foreigners who have attacked the United States, e.g. the September 11 hijackers, or have been brought to trial in the United States, are excluded from this estimate, and are not considered in this study. Data were also collected on Americans convicted on charges related to Hamas and Hezbollah in order to assess differences in network organization that are related to the particular objectives of international terrorist groups operating in the United States. All data were collected from court records and other public documentation. Data collection procedures were designed to facilitate social network analysis through the comprehensive coding of information about communications and relationship between known terrorist offenders. The study uses a method termed social network analysis (SNA). Developed by sociologists to study informal network dynamics, it has proved to be helpful in ascertaining structures, variations and patterns of change in terrorist organizations. 3. Key Findings: 2015 ended with a record number of arrests in the U.S. related to Salafi-jihadist inspired terrorism, the highest count since the 9/11 attacks. The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings and the ability of home-based if not necessarily homegrown militants to carry out successful mass shooting attacks in 2015 and 2016 are further indications that the country faces a significant and growing threat from Americans who are inspired by the Salafi-jihadist ideology and who are guided by recruiters acting on behalf of foreign terrorist organizations. Islamist terrorism in the United States has taken many different forms. These range from the pyramidal hierarchy of the Brooklyn-based cell in the 1990s to the family-based criminal fundraising schemes run by Hamas and Hezbollah and the recent decentralized pop-up cells of Americans who have become enamored of the Islamic State’s propaganda. The 1993 Brooklyn-based cell was markedly hierarchical and typical for an enclave-based terrorist organization that combines proselytizing and recruitment with planning and mobilization for terrorism. It was therefore vulnerable to prosecution and suppression, and its legacy for jihadist terrorism in the Untied States was minimal. Only actors who escaped abroad were able to carry on. Hamas and Hezbollah have used the United States as a base for raising funds, and occasionally as a safe harbor for important operatives. They retained the character of diaspora organizations focused on supporting organizations in the Middle East and eschewed domestic recruitment and mobilization for violent action in the United States. Highly centralized and vertical networks, they tend to organize around large-scale family-based fraud conspiracies involving siblings, parents and children, spouses, in-laws, uncles, cousins, and even more distant relatives. While the cells lacked broader connections within the United States, they were linked to the mother organizations in Lebanon or Gaza, often through nodes placed outside the United States. The number of Americans who die abroad in connection with terrorist actions on behalf of foreign terrorist organizations has risen sharply in recent years. Homegrown American militants nearly always first want to go abroad to fight. Later, they may be turned around to carry out attacks at home—or if they are frustrated in their ambition to go abroad, choose to commit acts of terrorism at home. After the 9/11 attacks, jihadist recruitment in the United States recovered only slowly, facilitated by travel to Al Qaeda affiliates in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, and a web-based proselytizing and recruitment strategy. In the last two years, travel to territories controlled by ISIL produced an uptick in deaths. Recruitment networks funneling people abroad look very different from the networks of the past that were intent of organizing attacks at home. The Islamic State’s recruitment structure presents a classic pattern of what is known as a star network, i.e. a communication network in which all nodes are independently connected to one central unit, here the recruiters for the Islamic State. Flat, dispersed, and highly connected through the central hub, all traffic goes through the leadership based abroad. The peripheral nodes may be comprised of just one person linking up via a home computer or the node may be a pop-up cell of friends and family communicating with the central hub. But characteristically those on the periphery have little awareness of each other. The new network structure associated with social media recruitment prioritizes recruitment over exercising control and command of violent plots. It is inaccurate to say that it exemplified “leaderless” terrorism as all information and action scripts run through the central hub of the network, comprised of recruiters and middle-men acting on behalf of the ISIL. Jihadist recruitment has reached into small and mid-sized cities in every state of the country. The impact of online recruitment is evident in the diversity of American terrorism offenders, who today have come from forty different ethnicities and all races. In 2015 investigations related to the Islamic State were in progress in all fifty states. Given the extraordinary diversity of the American homegrown terrorism offenders, no common denominator and no common set of grievances, or even common motivations, can explain what makes a few individuals opt to join groups espousing violent jihad. 4. Inferences and Recommendations For Policy: Family members and spouses are often the first to know when a person is about to do something. American homegrown terrorists rebel against the nation and their parents, and against the American Muslim community. Establish a duty to report: State and federal laws should make it a duty to report suspicions about imminent criminal activity related to terrorism. The legal construction may mirror current rules regarding the obligation to report child abuse if the family member, teacher, or community member has “cause to believe” that a risk to the public exists. But what are bystanders supposed to see? There is a real risk that American Muslims will be unfairly stereotyped in the absence of a clearly formulated public education program that focus on signs of radicalization to violent extremism. Focus on community education: The growing involvement of converts and the diffusion of risk outside the metropolitan areas suggests a need to educate community leaders, teachers, prison wardens and social workers in the detection of the signs of dangerous radicalization. The number of Americans participating in lethal attacks abroad has increased. For this reason and because of the intimate connection between perpetrating an attack at home and going abroad—in whatever order— the expression of a desire to go abroad to fight for a jihadist organization should be treated as an immediate risk to homeland security. Disrupt and intercept travel to foreign terrorist organizations and insurgencies: Withdrawal of passports is one tool. Preventing the development of hidden communities of extremism should continue be a high priority. Radicalization takes place in online and offline networks and peer groups. Profile the networks: Social network analysis may provide a fuller picture of an individual’s risk profile if it is used to profile all contact points, ranging from social media networks to offline engagements with other militants. The focus should be on top-down suppression of the purveyors of extreme political violence rather than bottom-up elimination of militant social media activists. Many would-be terrorists are caught online. That does not mean that they radicalized online. Moreover, online data have proven of value to law enforcement. Suppress Internet Producers of Online Violent Extremism: Policy should focus on targeting and suppressing the recruiters rather than retail-level consumers of terrorist propaganda. Details: Final Report to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2016. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250416.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250416.pdf Shelf Number: 146964 Keywords: Al QaedaExtremistsHomegrown TerrorismHomeland SecurityISILIslamRadical GroupsSocial NetworksTerroristsViolent Extremism |
Author: Jetter, Michael Title: Terror Per Capita Summary: Usually, studies analyzing terrorism focus on the total number of casualties or attacks in a given county. However, per capita rates of terrorism are more likely to matter for individual welfare. Analyzing 214 countries from 1970 - 2014, we show that three stylized findings are overturned in terms of sign, magnitude, and statistical significance when investigating terror per capita. Democracy, previously associated with more casualties, emerges as a marginally negative predictor of terror per capita. A larger share of Muslims in society is, if anything, associated with less terrorism. Similar conclusions apply to language fractionalization. Details: Munich, Germany: CESifo, 2017. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: CESifo Working Paper No. 6335: Accessed March 4, 2017 at: https://ideas.repec.org/p/ces/ceswps/_6335.html Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://ideas.repec.org/p/ces/ceswps/_6335.html Shelf Number: 141338 Keywords: IslamMuslimsTerrorism |
Author: Overton, Iain, ed. Title: Understanding the Rising Cult of the Suicide Bomber Summary: The sharp rise in the number of suicide bombings over the last few years is incontestable. 1982 - the year of the Hezbollah attack on the Tyre headquarters of the Israeli army - is often cited as the beginning of the 'modern age' of suicide bombings, but the relatively limited activities of the 80s and 90s cannot compare with the current scope of the problem. Before 2000, no year saw more than 22 suicide attacks worldwide. In 2015, there were at least 600. Over the last five years of AOAV's Explosive Weapons Monitoring Project (EWMP), which records data on explosive weapon usage worldwide according t0 English-language news sources, suicide bombings have consistently caused high levels of civilian harm. In total, 1,191 incidents were recorded across the 2011-2015 period, resulting in 31,589 civilian deaths and injuries. This is an average of 27 civilians killed or injured per incident. Of the ten worst incidents recorded by AOAV over the five-year period, five were suicide bombings - a figure only matched by airstrikes. In the same period, AOAV also recorded a worrisome overall trend of rising civilian deaths and injuries from suicide bombings, as well as ever-greater numbers of countries affected. In 2015, for example, suicide bombings were recorded in 21 countries - the highest number ever recorded by AOAV or by other datasets. Indeed, both 2015 and 2016 saw a considerable uptick in the overall lethality of suicide bombings. This was in spite of similar incident numbers to previous years. Suicide strikes in 2015 resulted in an average of 36 civilian deaths and injuries per incident, markedly higher than the five-year average of 28. In 2016 that figure has risen to 38. This rise can largely be attributed to an intensification of high-profile suicide bombings launched by Boko Haram and IS, but also by other armed groups involved in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, such as Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP). In spite of the clear differences in scale and objectives between the 1980s and the post-9/11 world, this is largely not reflected in modern scholarship. Most studies on suicide bombings - even those emerging after the 11 September 2001 attacks and the Iraqi insurgency of the mid-2000s - focus on the relatively small-scale nationalist campaigns of the 80s and 90s. This is probably largely because of the comparatively large amounts of available data on these campaigns (such as the relatively comprehensive information on Palestinian suicide bombings, for example). Much of this scholarship into the drivers of suicide attacks has also focused at the individual level, ambitiously, searching for the magical last piece of the puzzle that will explain 'what makes a suicide bombe''. The overwhelming majority suicide bombers in recent years are, with a few exceptions, internationalist Islamists of a Salafi-Jihadist persuasion (or, more accurately, those who carry out bombings on behalf of such organisations). This should not be taken to mean that suicide bombing is a problem somehow 'stemming from Islam', unique to Islamists, or even particularly characteristic of Islamist political movements as a whole. What it does mean, is that these groups - rather than nationalist movements - should be the centre of current research, as well as policy and military discussions on reducing the current impact of suicide bombing. Another concern regarding recent scholarship is that most has focused on finding a single underlying cause for all uses of suicide bombing worldwide. Suicide bombing is a tactic that can be used in many different ways and for many different strategic objectives. It obviously emerges under specific conditions - but this does not mean its use will be limited to those conditions. The suicide bombing that killed Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 shares no more with a huge market truck bombing in 2015 Baghdad than the means of activation method. This report sets out to address the main factors that contribute significantly in creating the cult of suicide bombers in armed Salafi-Jihadi groups. Our research found that suicide bombers of Salafi-Jihadi groups blow themselves up for a combination of reasons. Firstly, the concept of martyrdom propagated by Salafi-Jihadi groups seems to appeal to many who have personal and individual desires pertaining to elevation of status. Such desires are often rooted in a sense of inferiority, whether it is socio-economic or social, and is often caused by (perceived or real) discrimination. The act is often justified as a defence of Islam, which gives the bomber both a sense of fulfilling a purpose and hero status among their peers. Religion often serves as the binding force, and usually becomes a factor towards the end of an individual's radicalisation process. These more 'ideological' motivations are, in general, most predominantly found in foreign fighter suicide bombers. Secondly, some bombers are merely motivated by the logic of the battlefield or by personal experience. For example, many Syrian suicide bombers have spent time as political prisoners or witnessed deaths caused by airstrikes, which may give them enough grievances to exert revenge. Suicide bombings might also be motivated by more pragmatic reasons, for example as a means to protect one's home community.Thirdly, the deterioration of conflict in Syria and Iraq, as well as the sectarian climate that has been developed as a result of these conflicts, has polarised the Muslim population and has undoubtedly eradicated some of the neutral positions in each conflict. This has paved the ground for more suicide attacks in the short run but also for jihadi sympathisation in the long run. Details: London: Action on Armed Violence, 2017. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2017 at: https://aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Understanding-the-rising-cult-of-the-suicide-bomber.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Understanding-the-rising-cult-of-the-suicide-bomber.pdf Shelf Number: 145312 Keywords: IslamRadicalizationSuicide BombingsTerrorismTerrorists |
Author: Swedberg, Jeffrey Title: Mid-Term Evaluation of Three Countering Violent Extremism Projects Summary: Beneficiaries of USAID's Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) projects in East Africa have a demonstrated advantage over comparison groups on a host of variables known to be drivers of violent extremism. In a survey of almost 1,500 ethnic Somali youths in Somalia and Kenya administered in November and December 2012, full beneficiaries of three USAID CVE projects were compared to similar numbers of partial beneficiaries (mostly program drop outs or less involved participants) and a comparison group of non-beneficiaries. This quantitative data forms the core of the evaluation. In Kenya, the programs evaluated included the Kenya Transition Initiative - Eastleigh (KTI-E), administered in the Somali enclave of Nairobi of Eastleigh; and the Garissa Youth project (GYouth), administered in the predominantly Somali city of Garissa in Kenya's North Eastern Province. In Somalia, the evaluation focused on the Somali Youth Livelihoods Program (SYLP), with data collected in Hargeisa, Bosaso and Mogadishu. Survey questions were grouped into thematic areas representing factors that push or pull individuals into violent extremism as identified by USAID. The five survey thematic areas, referred to in short form as engagement, efficacy, youth associations, identity and violence, are the primary organizing principles behind the data analyzed in this evaluation. The development hypothesis of the CVE programs is that a decreased risk of extremism will result when the enabling environment for extremism is reduced, as measured by these thematic areas (or core indicators). While the three programs evaluated here have different emphases and are at different phases of implementation, it can be stated that USAID CVE programs are showing results in those areas, namely engagement, and to a lesser degree efficacy, support for youth associations and identity, where evidence shows there is the greatest need. The results were not noticeable with regard to violence in the name of Islam, a thematic area in which the need, at least as measured in this survey, is not as great. Details: Washington, DC: USAID, 2013. 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2017 at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pdacx479.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pdacx479.pdf Shelf Number: 145792 Keywords: Counter-Extremism Counter-Terrorism Extremist Groups IslamTerrorism Terrorist Recruitment Violent Extremism |
Author: Wilson, Tom Title: Extremism in the Community: The Case of Shakeel Begg Summary: Shakeel Begg, described in court by a judge as "an extremist Islamic speaker who espouses extremist Islamic positions", has established himself as an influential figure within numerous public bodies and groups - even after the ruling, where he lost a libel case against the BBC. A new Henry Jackson Society report, Extremism in the Community: The Case of Shakeel Begg, has found that Begg firmly entrenched himself within numerous community groups, and has been active even since he was declared to be an extremist in court. He has also continued to associate with senior politicians, including the leaders of major British political parties. The report's main findings include: He shared a platform with Tim Farron and Stella Creasy in December after the ruling declared him an extremist. This was not reported at the time. He shared a platform in 2013 with Jeremy Corbyn in the days following the Lee Rigby killing - in spite of the fact that the killers came from the mosque where he was Imam, and the fact that his mosque has a long history of hosting hate preachers. The John the Baptist Primary School put documents on their website stating that they work to promote British values, and gave the fact that they worked with Begg as evidence for this. This relationship continued after the ruling, with school children visiting Begg's mosque. This was a clear breach of the Prevent duty. Begg sat on a body at Lewisham Council charged with advising on religious education. He was advised them on their response to the Trojan horse revelations. Begg is known to have worked closely with the police in community partnerships, and the police provided character witnesses during the libel case. He has been a Muslim chaplain at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS trust in the past. He was also a chaplain at Goldsmith's university, and has continued to visit as a guest speaker since. Details: London: Henry Jackson Society, Centre for the Response to Radicalisation and Terrorism , 2017. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper No. 8: Accessed May 25, 2017 at: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2017/03/20/extremism-in-the-community-the-case-of-shakeel-begg/ Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2017/03/20/extremism-in-the-community-the-case-of-shakeel-begg/ Shelf Number: 145800 Keywords: ExtremistsIslam RadicalizationTerrorists |
Author: Wilson, Tom Title: Mend: "Islamists Masquerading as Civil Libertarians" Summary: Compiling years' worth of evidence, the report, Mend: "Islamists Masquerading As Civil Libertarians", demonstrates how Mend meets the government's own definition of extremism, even while local authorities, police, teachers and MPs have been working with this organisation. Our findings include: How Mend meets the government's own definition of extremism, even while local authorities, police, teachers and MPs have been working with this organisation. It reveals how Mend has regularly hosted illiberal, intolerant and extremist Islamist speakers, while also pushing a message that risks being inflammatory and making British Muslims feel further alienated from wider society. Mend and key figures in the organisation have also attacked moderate Muslim groups. Mend has openly sought to undermine counter-terrorism legislation and counter-extremism efforts, in addition to having its own links to extremists. Despite this, the group received public funding from Tower Hamlets council to review part of the borough's counter-radicalisation Prevent programme. Several of the organisation's employees and volunteers, including senior figures, have publicly expressed a range of disturbing views on terrorism and anti-Semitism. This has included expressing support for terrorists overseas, dismissing recent terror attacks in the UK, promoting anti-Semitic conspiracies and even calling on British Mosques to hold prayers for "the Mujahedeen". Details: London: Henry Jackson Society, 2017. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2018 at: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/HJS-Mend-Report-2.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/HJS-Mend-Report-2.pdf Shelf Number: 149596 Keywords: ExtremistsIslam IslamophobiaRadicalizationTerrorists |