RADICAL ONLINE EDUCATION - SALTO-YOUTH · 2019. 2. 26. · RADICAL ONLINE EDUCATION KA2 STRATEGIC...
Transcript of RADICAL ONLINE EDUCATION - SALTO-YOUTH · 2019. 2. 26. · RADICAL ONLINE EDUCATION KA2 STRATEGIC...
RADICAL ONLINE EDUCATION
KA2 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IN THE FIELD OF YOUTH
MODULE 1: Definition of radicalization, terrorism and extremism. Recent
and current trends.
Project Title “Radical Online Education”
Project Acronym ROE
Project Reference №: №: 2017-2-DK01-KA205-034323
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Table of contents: Module 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
Course Description ....................................................................................................... 2
I. Definitions of radicalization, terrorism and extremism………………………………………………3
Radicalization ................................................................................................................ 3
Terrorism ...................................................................................................................... 6
Extremism .................................................................................................................. 10
II. Recent and Current trends ..................................................................................... 12
Brussels bombings ..................................................................................................... 14
November Paris attacks ............................................................................................. 15
Barcelona attacks ....................................................................................................... 17
Nice attack .................................................................................................................. 18
Atatürk Airport attack ................................................................................................ 19
Copenhagen shootings ................................................................................................ 19
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INTRODUCTION Radicalization and violent extremism is not associated with any particular religion,
nationality or ethnic group. Due to its global dimension, the phenomenon of
radicalization leading to violence poses threats to the security and fundamental rights
of the citizens of all our societies. Unfortunately, with the growing concern about online
radicalization and the noticeable increase in openly extremist groups in Europe, more
and more Member States are facing threats from radicalization of youth. The challenge
for governments and youth organizations is to understand the range of factors in which
social media may play a role in this, so they can identify appropriate steps to counter
radicalization activity online and to ensure appropriate response to the threat. This
points to the need to prepare youth workers, to utilize on-line engagement and leverage
ICT and digital networks as a pillar for building peace and preventing youth
radicalization.
The following e-learning modules are elaborated in the framework of KA2 Radical Online
Education, Strategic Partnership in the field of youth, supported by Erasmus Plus
Programme. The materials presented in the modules are based on the “Needs and
Challenges Analysis Report”, which finding results were collected through online
questionnaires carried out in four countries, Denmark, Austria, Bulgaria and Spain. The
purpose of the survey was to identify appropriate steps to counter radicalization activity
online and to ensure appropriate response to the threat. The survey was developed for
all youth workers, volunteers, professionals who work in sectors where they come into
contact with young people who may be vulnerable to radicalisation.
As a result of engaging with the materials in these modules, youth workers and
volunteers are intended to achieve the following learning outcomes:
Understand key definitions and current trends related to youth radicalization
and violent extremism
Understand what makes youth vulnerable to radicalization
Get to know how to recognize the indicators that radicalization might be taking
place and have a clear understanding of their responsibilities
Learn how to build online counter-narrative and youth awareness programmes
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Module 1: Overview
Definitions of radicalization, terrorism and extremism. Recent
and current trends.
Course Description
In the past years, with all the tragedies happen around the world, we understand that
violent extremism and terrorism knows no boundaries and affects every society.
Unfortunately, young people are the main targets of recruitment strategies and fall
victim to radicalization and extremism violence.
In this first module, you will get to know more about the terms radicalization, terrorism,
extremism and suggestions/recommendations by different authorities regarding their
definitions. Once you understand the difference/equality between the terms, we will
present you the recent trends and threats issues that Europe faced in the last years.
Unfortunately, Europe has recently experienced several mass-casualty attacks and have
seen historically high levels of jihadi activity. Online propaganda and terrorist
recruitment activities on internet are one of the biggest challenges that Europe face
nowadays. In order to equip youth workers and volunteers with the necessary
knowledge and skills to prevent and counter youth radicalization, firstly we will give
them the possibility to understand the process and through critical thinking will
stimulate them to utilize on-line engagement and digital networks as a pillar for building
peace and preventing youth radicalization.
Learning Objectives: As a result of engaging with the material in this module,
youth workers/volunteers are intended to achieve the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge: understand what is radicalization, extremism and terrorism; trends and
threats that Europe faced recently; the role of social media in the terrorist acts; the
importance of proper use of internet and social media platforms;
Skills: radical awareness; critical thinking; youth activism and empowerment
Competences: understand the use of internet for terrorist purposes; the role that
youth workers and volunteers can have in preventing youth radicalization;
Structure:
The module is divided into two main topics:
Definitions of radicalization, terrorism and extremism
Recent and current trends
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The Internet has played a significant role in the radicalization and recruitment of youth
foreign fighters and continues to do so. Social networking is the main activity young
people aged 16-24 use the internet for, something which extremist groups are well
aware of. On the other hand, Internet can support youth workers in preventing and
countering radicalization and violent extremism, giving them possibilities to develop
critical thinking skills and understand how the process of radicalization and online
propaganda work. Moreover, youth workers may work on the development of young
people’s life skills, critical thinking, inter-cultural competences, active citizenship,
promotion of diversity, and common values of freedom and tolerance through non-
formal and informal learning. Understand key definitions and current trends related to
youth radicalization and violent extremism is the first step in recognizing the indicators
that radicalization might be taking place.
I. Definitions of radicalization, terrorism and extremism.
RADICALIZATION
Radicalization is a process by which an individual, or group comes to adopt increasingly
extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that reject or undermine the
status quo or undermine contemporary ideas and expressions of the nation. The
outcomes of radicalization are shaped by the ideas of the society at large; for example,
radicalism can originate from a broad social consensus against progressive changes in
society or from a broad desire for change in society. Radicalization can be both violent
and nonviolent, although most academic literature focuses on radicalization into violent
extremism1. Why nonviolent? Because "a radical is a person who wishes to effect
fundamental political, economic or social change, or change from the ground up" that
can refer to a diverse range of people who are working hard for legitimate causes in
their communities. However, it´s important to not equate radicalism with terrorism.
There is no universally accepted definition of radicalization. One of the difficulties with
defining radicalization appears to be the importance of the context to determine what
is perceived as radicalization. Therefore, radicalization can mean different things to
different people.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicalization
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A global and accepted definition of radicalization2:
“A process of change, attitudinal transformation from one condition to another.”
For strategic and practical needs radicalization is defined by security sector organization
like Dutch Security Service as:
“Growing readiness to pursue and/or support –if necessary by undemocratic means –
far-reaching changes in society that conflict with, or pose a threat to the democratic
order”.
The Danish Intelligence Service focused on “violent radicalization” and define it as:
“A process by which a person to an increasing extent accepts the use of undemocratic
or violent means, including terrorism, in an attempt to reach a specific
political/ideological objective.”
Most of the definitions of radicalization emphasised that radicalization is a personal
process, where an individual, group, or mass of people adopt extreme political, social,
cultural and/or religious beliefs to attain particular goals by using of threatening to use
violence. Radicalization emanates from a very heterogeneous population that varies in
terms of education, family background, socio-economic status and income.
YOUTH RADICALIZATION
Unfortunately, youth are the most vulnerable segment in the society to be recruited by
radicals and terrorists. Youth encountering high unemployment rates, fewer
opportunities for development especially for minority youth, exclusion, discrimination,
inequality, psychological crises and social strains are especially vulnerable. All these
factors can push youth towards radicalism and terrorism.
According to interview conducted by Bouzar, Caupenne and Sulayman (2014) within 100
French families with radicalized (though not violent) children aged mainly between 15-
21 years old, the vast majority of the young people claimed to have been radicalized
through the Internet, and this was the case regardless of their family characteristics and
2 Ekici, S., Akdoğan, H., “Countering Terrorist Recruitment in the Context of Armed Counter-Terrorism Operations”, ed. (125 of NATO Science for Peace and Security Series - E: Human and Societal Dynamics, 2016)
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dynamics. The vast majority of the families (80%) did not follow any specific religious
beliefs or practices and only 16% belonged to the working class. Since 2012, partly due
to the 2011 Arab Spring and the convening power of social media, some research has
pointed to the similarity of social media and terror groups in their function as networks
in that they are both decentralized, ubiquitous, and mobile. With Internet and the social
media, the public shifts from passive to active agents who “gather information on their
own, rather than wait for news organizations to filter and then deliver it”3. The
socialization extends to the production and sharing of information within such online
networks. The features of the Internet have led to a transformation of extremist groups’
tactics. These groups have adapted to the dematerialized potential of the web.
Authorities around the world have identified 4 phases of radicalization: agitation –
playing on personal vulnerabilities like poverty, trauma, injustice leading to
hopelessness and fear; self-identification – peer pressure, group-think or the urge to
belong, gratification; indoctrination – capacity-building, personal assurance; and, violent
extremism – action, sacrifice and personal fulfilment. Through each step of the funnel,
the potential recruit becomes increasingly isolated from their families, loosening the
bonds that maintain them in society. When those bonds are torn, it's easy to join a
terrorist group4. However, in the next module you will learn in detail the radicalization
process of youth and will better understand what makes them vulnerable to
radicalization.
3 Séraphin Alava, Divina Frau-Meigs, YOUTH AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA: MAPPING THE RESEARCH, (UNESCO, 2017) 4 https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/86205-social-movements-fight-isis-social-media
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TERRORISM
Neither for the definition of terrorism there is universal agreement. Government
agencies have been reluctant to formulate an agreed upon and legally binding definition.
The difficulties arise from the fact that the terms are politically and emotionally charged.
The term "terrorism" comes from French terrorisme, from Latin: terror, "great fear",
"dread", related to the Latin verb terrere, "to frighten". The terror cimbricus was a panic
and state of emergency in Rome in response to the approach of warriors of the Cimbri
tribe in 105 BCE. The French National Convention declared in September 1793 that
"terror is the order of the day". The period 1793–94 is referred to as La Terreur (Reign
of Terror). Maximillian Robespierre, a leader in the French revolution proclaimed in 1794
that "Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible5.”
Although the Reign of Terror was imposed by the French government, in modern times
"terrorism" usually refers to the killing of people by non-governmental political activists
for political reasons, often as a public statement. This meaning originated with Russian
radicals in the 1870s. Sergey Nechayev, who founded the People's Reprisal (Народная
расправа) in 1869, described himself as a "terrorist".
Terrorism can be viewed as a tactic in a war or in some sort of war-like struggle. Looking
at terrorism in this way, we leave open the possibility that anyone can employ terrorism
against anyone.
State forces can employ terrorism against6:
State forces from another state
Groups, people and/or officials of another state
Some of the people and officials of their own state
Non-state forces from their own state
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_terrorism 6 Nicholas Fotion, Boris Kashnikov, EPZ Terrorism: The New World Disorder, (A&C Black, 2007)
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Non-state forces can employ terrorism against:
Other non-state forces in their own land
Some or all of the people in their own land
Some or all of the people in another land
State forces in their own or another land
But going to a war is more a strategic move that groups make rather than a tactical one.
In the international criminal law is required precise definition of terrorist activities that
seek to prevent, condemn and punish them. Listed below we will present you some of
the historically important understanding of terror and terrorism, and enacted but non-
universal definitions of the term:
1795 - "Government intimidation during the Reign of Terror in France." The general
sense of "systematic use of terror as a policy" was first recorded in English in 1798.”
1987 - A definition proposed by Iran at an international Islamic conference on terrorism:
"Terrorism is an act carried out to achieve an inhuman and corrupt objective, and
involving threat to security of any kind, and violation of rights acknowledged by
religion and mankind."
1988 - A proposed academic consensus definition:
“Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by
(semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or
political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence
are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally
chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic
targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators”.
1992 - short legal definition proposed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime:
"Act of Terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime"
2002 - European Union:
“… given their nature or context, [acts which] may seriously damage a country or an
international organisation where committed with the aim of seriously intimidating a
population.”
2005 - United Nations General Assembly's statement with relation to terrorism:
“Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public,
a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance
unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological,
racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them.”
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Radicalization can be a path to terrorism when sentiments about perceived deprivation
are deepest and most pervasive in vulnerable individuals, groups and communities that
have a social and digital network such as a university. Different studies point out the
university environment as not only rich for radicals but also for investigators who play a
critical role in the origin of collective violence. Interesting research done in the Islamic
University in Gaza conducted a poll of 1000 local youth ranging in age from 9-16 years
old, show that 45 per cent of the respondents had taken an active role in the violence.
In addition, 73 per cent of the young people stated that they wanted to become martyrs.
A martyr is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing,
refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a belief or cause as demanded by an
external party. This refusal to comply with the presented demands results in the
punishment or execution of the martyr by the oppressor. Originally applied only to those
who suffered for their religious beliefs, the term has come to be used in connection with
people imprisoned or killed for espousing a political cause. Most martyrs are considered
holy or are respected by their followers, becoming symbols of exceptional leadership
and heroism in the face of difficult circumstances. Martyrs play significant roles in
religions. Similarly, martyrs have had notable effects in secular life, including such figures
as Socrates, among other political and cultural examples7.
Terrorism on the internet
The internet is playing an increasingly prominent role in radicalisation, extremism and
terrorism. Terrorist organizations' use of the internet has become one of the most
complex and effective facets of their recruitment efforts. It´s still a new phenomenon
but nowadays they can reach much more people especially young one, and spread their
ideology. Moreover, ISIS has completely new approach, revolutionized modern
terrorism with their use of social media. They are well known for using social media
platforms, predominantly Twitter, in order to spread its propaganda. Their activity on
Twitter is so large that early in 2016, the social media company shut down 125,000
accounts linked to ISIS and yet they still have a massive influence online. In addition,
7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr
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terrorist recruiters select their targets very carefully, as they are well versed in
determining what types of personalities can be easily manipulated into adopting an
extremist ideology. Terrorist are trying to reach out possible recruits in a variety of ways,
such as friend request on Facebook, follows on Twitter and even direct messaging.
Examples of terrorism on the internet are8:
texts that incite violence;
instructions on how best to commit terrorist attacks;
extremist films or sound clips;
threats to people or institutions, for example on a forum.
The difference between Radicalization and Terrorism
We already commented in the previous part that radicalization does not always lead to
violence and being radical in itself isn’t a bad thing. Many theories have been put forth
to explain why certain individuals become radicalized to the point where they are willing
to commit violence. Cognitive theories focus on individual motivations. For instance, a
person may perceive terrorism as the most rational choice to achieve a particular goal.
A member of a minority who has low self- esteem and feels excluded may use terrorism
to affirm his or her ethnic or religious identity. Other individuals may resort to violence
simply because they are attracted to thrill and excitement. An important distinction is
that violent attacks often come from individuals who are inspired by, but not directly a
part of, like-minded ideological groups. Therefore, aligning extremist hate groups with
the definition of terrorism is more tenuous and difficult compared to the more obvious
cases of ISIS, al Qaeda, and others whose acts of violence are often directly coordinated,
commanded, and encouraged by their central leadership.
In addition, we can say that along the way,
the difference between radicalization and
extremism, as well as their connection to
terror, have disappeared. In the last years,
we have much more cases of radicalize
people behaviour that leads towards
extremism and terrorism. However, let´s
remember that terrorism is commonly
understood as violence from groups with
political, religious or ideological aims
while being radical can mean positive
changes, like women’s liberation movement or some movement that lead to social and
desired changes in the community9.
8 https://www.government.nl/topics/crime-and-crime-prevention/radicalism-and-terrorism 9 https://peacemakervoices.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/so-what-exactly-is-a-radical-extremist-or-terrorist/
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EXTREMISM
Extremism means, literally, "the quality or state of being extreme" or the "advocacy of
extreme measures or views". Nowadays, the term is mostly used in a political or religious
sense, to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied
shared social consensus) to be far outside the (acceptable) mainstream attitudes of
society. However, keep in mind that all terrorists are extremists but all extremists are
not terrorists. This is because Extremism is only a belief or view that is seen as far-
fetched by the public. Terrorism as you already know is the use of violence/intimidation
in the pursuit of mainly political aims10.
Keep in mind that extremism is not a stand-alone characteristic. The attitude or
behaviour of an "extremist" may be represented as part of a spectrum which ranges
from mild interest through "obsession" to "fanaticism" and "extremism". The alleged
similarity between the "extreme left" and "extreme right", or perhaps between different
religious "zealots", may mean only that all these are "unacceptable" from the standpoint
of a supposed mainstream or majority. From psychological point of view, "The lack of
identity associated with extremists is the result of self-destructive self-hatred that leads
to feelings of revenge toward life itself, and a compulsion to kill one's own humanness."
What is Violent Extremism?
Violent extremism refers to the beliefs and actions of people who support or use
ideologically motivated violence to achieve radical ideological, religious or political
views. Though “radicalization” is a contested term to some, it has come to be used to
define the process through which an individual or a group considers violence as a
legitimate and a desirable means of action. Radical thought that does not condone the
exercise of violence to further political goals may be seen as normal and acceptable, and
be promoted by groups working within the boundaries of the law.
Report show that individuals with a criminal history were 1.5 times more likely to engage
in violence after radicalizing than those without a history of criminal activity.
10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremism
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Furthermore, individuals that adhered to far right or Islamist ideologies were 2–3 times
more likely to be violent or attempt violence than those on the far left, or those that are
motivated by idiosyncratic single issues. Individuals who were embedded in radical
social networks were 2.5 times more likely to engage in politically violent acts based on
database analysis11.
Causes of Extremism
In the past years, with all the tragedies
happen around the world, we understood
that violent extremism knows no
boundaries and affects every society. Also
in this case, young people are the main
targets of recruitment strategies and fall
victim to extremism violence. The root
causes of violent extremism are multiple.
There is a wide array of factors on the macro and micro level of analysis.
Below we present you some of the factors that can cause violent extremism12:
Individual socio-psychological factors (alienation and exclusion; anger and
frustration; grievance and a strong sense of injustice;)
Social factors – social exclusion; marginalisation and discrimination, lack of social
cohesion and self-exclusion, etc.
Political factors - include grievances framed around victimhood against Western
foreign policy and military intervention.
Ideological/religious factors – a sacred historical mission and belief in apocalyptic
prophesy; a salafi-jihadi interpretation of Islam; a violent jihadi mission;
Culture and identity crisis - cultural marginalisation, which produces alienation
and a lack of belonging to either home or the parents’ society;
Trauma and other trigger mechanisms.
Group dynamics involve charismatic leadership; pre-existing friendship and
kinship ties; socialisation; groupthink; self-isolation; polarising behaviour and
counter-cultural elements;
Radicalisers/groomers involve hate preachers and those that prey on
vulnerabilities and grievances and channel recruits into violent extremism
through persuasion, pressure and manipulation;
Social media - provides connectivity, virtual participation and an echo-chamber
for likeminded extremist views;
More details about the causes and factors you will learn in the next modules.
11 Countering Violent Extremism Through Public Health Practice: Proceedings of a Workshop, (The National Academies press, 2017), Chapter 2, Understanding Violent Extremism, p.10 12 RAN Centre of Excellence, The Root Causes of Violent Extremism, January 2016
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II. Recent and Current trends
Europe has recently experienced several mass-casualty attacks and have seen
historically high levels of jihadi activity. Unfortunately, reports show that jihadism in
Europe may increase further over the long term due to different macro trends such as
growing number of economically underperforming Muslim youth, persistent conflict in
Muslim world and continued operational freedom of terrorist groups on the internet.
In 2016, a total of 142 failed, foiled and completed
attacks were reported by eight EU Member States.
More than half (76) of them were reported by the
United Kingdom. France reported 23 attacks, Italy 17,
Spain 10, Greece 6, Germany 5, Belgium 4 and the
Netherlands 1 attack. 142 victims died in terrorist
attacks, and 379 were injured in the EU. Although
there was a large number of terrorist attacks not
connected with jihadism, the latter accounts for the
most serious forms of terrorist activity as nearly all
reported fatalities and most of the casualties were
the result of jihadist terrorist attacks13.
According 2017 EU Terrorism Report, which Europol
produced, the trends in the last year are that The EU
is facing a range of terrorist threats and attacks of a
violent jihadist nature, from both networked groups
and lone actors. The attacks in Brussels, Nice and
Berlin in particular, with explosives (Brussels) and
vehicles (Nice and Berlin) used to randomly kill and
wound as many people as possible, again
demonstrated the harm jihadist militants are able
and willing to inflict upon EU citizens, legitimised by
the interpretation they adopted of selectively
sampled religious texts. Experts claimed that Jihadist
actors can be both directed by Islamic State (IS) or merely inspired by IS ideology and
rhetoric. Jihadist terrorists have been found to use a range of weapons to include bladed
weapons, automatic rifles, explosives and vehicles, and are expected to continue to do
so.
The report show that the largest number of attacks in which the terrorist affiliation could
be identified were carried out by ethno-nationalist and separatist extremists (99).
Attacks carried out by left-wing violent extremists have been on the rise since 2014; they
reached a total of 27 in 2016, of which most (16) were reported by Italy. The number of
jihadist terrorist attacks decreased from 17 in 2015 to 13 in 2016, of which 6 were linked
13 https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/2017-eu-terrorism-report-142-failed-foiled-and-completed-attacks-1002-arrests-and-142-victims-died
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to the so-called Islamic State (IS). However, a precise ranking amongst and within
terrorist affiliations across the EU cannot be established because the UK does not
provide disaggregated data on attacks. Explosives were used in 40% of the attacks, with
similar numbers to 2015. The use of firearms dropped considerably from 57 in 2015 to
6 in 2016. Moreover, the number of arrests for terrorist offences in 2016 (1002) is lower
than that of 2015 (1077). Most arrests were related to jihadist terrorism, for which the
numbers rose for the third consecutive year: 395 in 2014, 687 in 2015 and 718 in 2016.
Among the other trends that Europol identified is that attacks can be both carefully
prepared and carried out spontaneously. Terrorists acting in the name of IS have proven
to be able to plan relatively complex attacks – including those on multiple targets -
quickly and effectively. Another finding reported is that Jihadist terrorists are expected
to continue using mostly low-tech smaller improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and
improvised incendiary devices (IIDs) consisting of readily available products. In addition,
was also reported that attacks were carried out in locations with international character.
For example, the metro station in Brussels which is closed to EU institutions and
Zaventem airport. These kind of attacks can easy attract worldwide media attention and
have a multiplier effect. These two attacks happened on the morning of 22 March 2016.
Three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in Belgium. Thirty-two civilians and three
perpetrators were killed, and more than 300 people were injured. Another bomb was
found during a search of the airport. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed
responsibility for the attacks. The perpetrators belonged to a terrorist cell which had
been involved in the November 2015 Paris attacks. The Brussels bombings happened
shortly after a series of police raids targeting the group. The bombings were the
deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium's history14. Interesting to know is that Belgium has
more nationals fighting for jihadist forces as a proportion of its population than any
other Western European country, with an estimated 440 Belgians having left for Syria
and Iraq as of January 2015.
14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Brussels_bombings
14
Do you remember what more happened in Brussels before this attack?
Before the bombings, several Islamist terrorist attacks had originated from Belgium, and
a number of counter-terrorist operations had been carried out there. In May 2014, a
gunman with ties to the Syrian Civil War attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium in
Brussels, killing four people. In January 2015, anti-terrorist operations against a group
thought to be planning a second Charlie Hebdo shooting had included raids in Brussels
and Zaventem. The operation resulted in the deaths of two suspects. In August 2015, a
suspected terrorist shot and stabbed passengers aboard a high-speed train on its way
from Amsterdam to Paris via Brussels, before he was subdued by passengers. The
perpetrators involved in the November 2015 attacks in Paris were based in Molenbeek,
and Brussels was locked down for five days to allow the police to search for suspects.
Coming back to the findings,
another fact, reported by Europol,
is that perpetrators of terrorist
attacks in the EU include both
foreigners, of whom a number may
have resided in the EU for a long
time, and nationals who have
grown up in the countries they
attacked. Documents show that
women and young adults, and also
children, are playing increasingly
operational roles in committing terrorist activities in the EU independently, not only
facilitating other operatives in various ways, but in the (attempted) execution of
terrorist attacks themselves. Female militant jihadists in the West perceive fewer
obstacles to playing an operative role in a terrorist attack than men, and successful or
prevented attacks carried out by women in western countries may act as an inspiration
to others. One in four (26%) of the arrestees in 2016 were women, a significant increase
compared to 2015 (18%). In addition, the United Kingdom reported an increase in the
number of women, families and minors engaging in the conflict in Syria/Iraq, and the
Netherlands reported that more 40 children (age 0-12 years) have travelled to Syria and
Iraq.
The photo above is made in Spain when Spanish police arrested a 19 years old Moroccan
women after an investigation found that she was recruiting combatants to fight for the
ISIS terrorist group and helping them plan their travel to Syria or Iraq15.
Moreover, in 2016 Spain reported the highest number of concluded court proceedings
and the highest number of individuals convicted or acquitted of terrorist offences.
Among those, three individuals appeared before the court twice in 2016 in different
criminal proceedings. In Belgium, the cases against two individuals were annulled on the
15 https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2015/09/07/spain-arrests-19-year-old-woman-accused-of-recruiting-isis-terrorists
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basis of the ne bis in idem principle, as the court ruled the two had been convicted of
the same facts earlier in 2015 and 2016. In France, two individuals appeared before the
juvenile court and the criminal court. As a result, the total number of verdicts
pronounced for terrorism-related offences in 2016 was 587, 53 of which were female.
The migration phenomenon affecting the European continent and the perceived threat
from Islamisation remain key topics on the RWE agenda and have been used by the
right-wing scene to induce public opinion to adopt its xenophobic and Islamophobic
position. Right-wing extremist activities are primarily carried out by individuals, or
loosely coordinated networks or groups. These topics are exploited to spread fear and
concern. Events such as the Paris attacks in 2015, Brussels and Berlin in 2016, as well as
the sexual assaults during New Year’s Eve 2015/2016 in Cologne, serve as justification
for xenophobic offences. In addition, the Netherlands and Germany reported cases of
vigilantes (showing affinity with the right-wing scene) who claimed that the authorities
were unable to protect society from these threats. These vigilantes appear at times in
‘civil patrols’ in their local districts. This phenomenon was previously observed in Finland
in 2015.
Do you remember November 2015 Paris attacks?
The November 2015 Paris attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that
occurred on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France and the city's northern suburb,
Saint-Denis. During a football match, around 21:16h, three suicide bombers struck
outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. This was followed by several mass shootings
and a suicide bombing, at cafés and restaurants. Gunmen carried out another mass
shooting and took hostages at an Eagles of Death Metal concert in the Bataclan theatre,
leading to a stand-off with police. The attackers were shot or blew themselves up when
16
police raided the theatre16. The attackers killed 130 people, including 89 at the Bataclan
theatre. Another 413 people were injured, almost 100 seriously. Seven of the attackers
also died, while the authorities continued to search for accomplices. The attacks were
the deadliest on France since the Second World War and the deadliest in the European
Union since the Madrid train bombings in 2004. France had been on high alert since the
January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo offices and a Jewish supermarket in Paris that
killed 17 people and wounded 22, including civilians and police officers. The occurred
attacks were described by the President of France as “act of war by ISIL”. The attacks
were planned in Syria and organised by a terrorist cell based in Belgium. Most of the
Paris attackers had French or Belgian citizenship, two were Iraqis, and some had fought
in Syria. Some of them had entered Europe among the flow of migrants and refugees.
Fortunately, a number of countries,
including the Netherlands, France,
Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Germany and
Switzerland reported that, since the
beginning of 2016, the flow of jihadists
travelling to conflict zones abroad -
especially Syria and Iraq - has apparently
continued to decline. However, Germany
and Italy for example, maintain that the
level of departures remains high or constant. Despite the decrease, attack planning
against the EU and the West in general continues in Syria and Iraq. Groups including IS
and al-Qaeda have both the intent and capability to mount complex, mass-casualty
attacks. It is believed that there is not a lack of volunteers for such operations. The 2016
attacks in Brussels in March, then in Istanbul in June, appeared to demonstrate the
ongoing effectiveness of IS’s external operations capability. The Paris and Brussels
attacks again showed that terrorist networks directed from Syria can rely on the help of
sympathisers in Europe who have never been to Syria themselves.
Terrorism situation and trend report show that the quantity of Islamic State
propaganda decreased in 2016 due to lower production rates and the containment of
dissemination. After a peak in mid-2015, the number of new videos produced by the
Islamic State slowly decreased. In the second half of 2016, the frequency of new releases
dropped even further. As the volume of Islamic State propaganda diminished, al-Qaeda
and its affiliates attempted to take advantage of the situation and increased their efforts
to reach new audiences. Terrorists have an interest in ensuring that their messages
reach the audiences that they want to address. As they perceive themselves to be
fighting for a legitimate cause, they need to justify their violent actions to supporters
and opponents. In 2016 terrorist groups continued to use online services for
communication in targeted and diverse ways. Terrorist propaganda was spread
primarily through social media platforms and file sharing sites. IS used the platform for
networking and dissemination of information among its community of supporters. The
16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks
17
most used platform is Telegram, closed communication space which contents are not
indexed in search engines. Believe or not, IS supporters use Telegram as a space for
preparation, discussion and collaboration as well as a virtual training camp and Massive
Open Online Course (MOOC) platform.
Jihadist online propaganda has developed over some two decades and it is an essential
part of jihadist terrorist groups for reaching out audiences in EU Member States and
making connection with potentially vulnerable people living in the EU with the armed
struggle that they conduct in their areas of operation. Jihadist groups have
demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of how social networks operate and have
launched well-organised, concerted social media campaigns to recruit followers and to
promote or glorify acts of terrorism and violent extremism. In one video published in
late 2016, two Turkish soldiers captured by IS in Syria were burnt alive. With regard to
the West, IS told its supporters that they were obliged to seek “retributive justice” for
attacks perpetrated by the international anti-IS alliance. Another case of online
propaganda has happened in early June 2016 when IS conducted a media campaign,
including a series of videos, urging people to destroy their satellite dishes and receivers.
However, according the report, the success in restricting terrorist activity online shows
the impact of collaborative efforts between law enforcement, such as Europol’s Internet
Referral Unit (IRU) and the private sector.
Do you remember 2017 Barcelona attacks?
Part of the Islamic Terrorism in Europe (2014-present) unfortunately are also the attacks
in Spain. On the afternoon of 17 August 2017, 22-year-old Younes Abouyaaqoub drove
a van into pedestrians on La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain, killing 13 people and injuring
at least 130 others, one of whom died 10 days later on 27 August. Abouyaaqoub fled
the attack on foot, then killed another person in order to steal the victim's car to make
his escape. Nine hours after the Barcelona attack, five men thought to be members of
18
the same terrorist cell drove into pedestrians in nearby Cambrils, killing one woman and
injuring six others. All five attackers were shot and killed by police. The night before the
Barcelona attack, an explosion occurred in a house in the Spanish town of Alcanar,
destroying the building and killing two members of the terrorist cell; including the 40-
year-old imam thought to be the mastermind. The home had over 120 gas canisters
inside, which police believe the cell was attempting to make into one large bomb or
three smaller bombs to be placed in three vans which they had rented; but which they
accidentally detonated. Summarizing, aside from eight attackers, 16 people of ten
nationalities were killed: 14 who were struck by the van in La Rambla, including one who
died from their injuries 10 days after the attack, one stabbed in Barcelona by the La
Rambla attacker when the attacker stole his car, and one in Cambrils. Over 130 people
from over 34 nations were injured, many critically. Spain didn´t expect such attacks
since the country is being a minor player in the campaign against ISIS and other groups.
Despite all, Spain contributed 150 soldiers to Operation Serval fighting Islamic militants
in Mali, and in online propaganda linked to ISIS the Sagrada Família basilica was
suggested as possible target and ISIS is suggested to have boasted about recovering the
Islamic lands of Al-Andalus17.
Since 2014, Islamic terrorist
attacks in Europe have variously
been carried out by ISIL
operatives, operatives of Al-
Qaeda, and lone wolves. The
deadliest attacks were the
November 2015 Paris attacks
(130 killed), the 2016 Nice attack
(87 killed) and the 2016 Atatürk
Airport attack (41 killed).
The 2016 Nice attack
On the evening of 14 July 2016, a 19 tonne cargo truck was deliberately driven into
crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France,
resulting in the deaths of 87 people and the injury of 458 others. The driver was a
Tunisian resident of France that after of exchange of gunfire was shot and killed by
police. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that he answered its "calls to
target citizens of coalition nations that fight the Islamic State". His motives are
explained by investigators as caused by radicalization shortly before the attack. Paris
prosecutor Francois Molins said that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had a "clear, recent interest in
the radical jihadist movement"18. Investigations showed the Tunisian had searched on
the internet for information on a terror attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando and the
17 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Barcelona_attacks 18 https://www.thelocal.fr/20160717/nice-attacker-body-building-drug-taking-womanising
19
Paris suburb of Magnanville, where a police couple were killed last month. Since July 1st,
he had also made several internet searches for "horrible fatal accident" and had on his
computer violent images "linked to radical Islam".
The 2016 Atatürk Airport attack
The Atatürk Airport terrorist attack,
consisting of shootings and suicide
bombings, occurred on 28 June 2016 at
Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.
Gunmen armed with automatic weapons
and explosive belts staged a simultaneous
attack at the international terminal of
Terminal 2. Three attackers and forty-five
other people were killed, with more than
230 people were injured. Two of the
attackers detonated explosive devices, killing themselves; one was killed, presumably by
security forces. Monitoring group Turkey Blocks identified widespread internet
restrictions on incoming and outgoing media affecting the entire country in the
aftermath of the attack. Turkish officials said that the attackers were acting on behalf of
the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant and had come to Turkey from ISIL-controlled Syria.
Commentators suggested that the attacks may have been related to stepped-up
pressure against the group by Turkish authorities. However, no one claimed
responsibility for the attack19.
Since 2014, more than 20 fatal attacks have been carried out. According to a review by
Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå, about two thirds of attackers in
Western Europe (44 out of the 68 individuals involved in the total of 37 attacks between
2014 and August 2017) had been influenced by Islamic hate preachers and became
radicalised as a result of personal contact, rather than online.
2015 Copenhagen shootings
On 14–15 February 2015, three separate shootings occurred in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In total, two victims and the perpetrator were killed, while five police officers were
wounded. The first shooting took place on 14 February at a small public afternoon event
called "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression" at the Krudttønden cultural centre,
where an armed gunman killed one civilian and wounded three police officers. The
second shooting took place later that night (after midnight), outside the city's Great
Synagogue in Krystalgade. A gunman killed a young Jewish man on security duty during
a bat mitzvah celebration, and wounded two police officers. Later that morning near
Nørrebro station, police tracking the suspect shot and killed a man, after he opened fire
on them while he attempted to enter a residential building under police surveillance20.
19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Atat%C3%BCrk_Airport_attack 20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Copenhagen_shootings
20
In 2016, 142 terrorist attacks occurred in eight Member States. The United Kingdom
reported more than half of the total number of attacks (76). The total number of
terrorist attacks dropped by 33% in 2016 (142) compared to 2015 (211). 379 casualties
and 142 fatalities were reported as a result of terrorist attacks.
The process of radicalization leading to violence follows a nonlinear, non-predetermined
path, shaped by multiple factors. Unfortunately, youth are more vulnerable to
radicalism. Last year, almost one-third of the total number of arrestees (291 of 1002)
were 25 years old or younger. However, young people provide extremely valuable
information on the key drivers and root causes of violent extremism in their local
communities. For this reason, youngsters should be consulted on public policy through
focus groups and should be asked how their gender, age, religion, race, socioeconomic
status, and geographic background affect their experiences of security and insecurity.
Through political participation in the communities, young people can become familiar
with advocacy and build skills to think independently, to reflect critically on extreme
narratives, and to challenge them.