Joining ISIS has left them bored, disillusioned and afraid, French jihadists write in letters to home

2014/12/04 1 Comment

Not surprising that the reality provokes reflection and regret for some (and the trivial but nevertheless importance of an iPod and the music it represents):

Le Figaro reported Islamist commanders had noticed some of the French were beginning to want to leave. One Frenchman was rumoured to have been beheaded when he explained to his commander he wanted to follow his friend who had already left.

“Everyone knows that, the longer these people stay there, the worse it will be because having watched or committed atrocities, they become ticking time bombs,” said one lawyer, quoted in the newspaper.

“But, when it comes to having a discussion about whether France is ready to accept repentants, no politician is willing to take the risk. Imagine if one of these ex-jihadists is involved subsequently in an attack?”

‘I’m fed up. My iPod doesn’t work any more here’

A group of lawyers in France is acting on behalf of the families of the jihadists to try to persuade the state to allow them to return. They told the newspaper they were trying to make contact with anti-terrorist police, the directors of internal security and the office of the interior minister,

Bernard Cazeneuve.The lawyers said nothing was agreed in advance on behalf of the jihadists — and the advice was always: “Present yourself at the French consulate in Istanbul or Erbil [in Iraq]. And then we will see.”

Joining ISIS has left them bored, disillusioned and afraid, French jihadists write in letters to home

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The myth of de-radicalization of Islamic radicals​ | Tarek Fatah

2014/11/27 Leave a comment

One view:

The challenge, I said, is to prevent radicalization and the way to do so was to:

1. Lay hate speech charges against any Muslim cleric who hides behind religious rights as he attacks and demonizes other religious faiths or people of no faith at all.

2. Every mosque must be monitored for such hate speech where the word ‘kuffar’ is invoked to hide the real target — Hindus, Christians and Jews.

3. Any mosque indulging in active politics must have its charitable status revoked.

4. Donations of more than $20 at all religious institutions must be made by cheque or credit card to cut off the possibility of money laundering.

5. Ally with anti-Islamist Muslims from among the victims of Islamist oppression — the Kurds, Baloch, Darfuris and Iranian exiles.

6. Treat the PKK Kurdish Workers Party and the MeK Iranian Resistance as allies, not adversaries.

And finally I recommended that immigration from Pakistan, Somalia, Iran, Iraq and Syria must be suspended until Canada can be assured that security documents, identity papers and university degrees cannot be bought on the black market or from state agencies.

Part of the challenge in countering radicalization is that if one only speaks to the Tarek Fatah and other secular Muslims, some ferociously so, one will not engage with those closer to those most susceptible to radicalization.

The myth of de-radicalization of Islamic radicals​ | Fatah | Columnists | Opin.

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Canadians with alleged terrorist links – Canada – CBC News

2014/11/26 Leave a comment

The list as compiled by CBC.

And the normal mix of those who have dual nationality (or who have citizenship rights from another country) and who can have their citizenship revoked, and those who have Canadian citizenship only, who cannot:

Likely Dual Nationals

Likely Canadian Only

Canadians charged by the RCMP but still at large

Ferid Ahmed Imam

Ahmad Waseem

Maiwand Yar

Hasibullah Yusufzai

Canadians reported to be fighting or supporting extremists abroad, but not charged

Mohammed Ali

Sami Elabi

Um m Haritha

Omar Hassan

Mohammad Ibrahim

Abu Dujana al-Muhajir

Farah Mohamed Shirdon

Collin Gordon

Gregory Gordon

John Maguire

Canadians accused of possible terrorist links by other countries

Faker Boussora

Abderraouf Jdey

Amer El-Maati

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Canadians with alleged terrorist links – Canada – CBC News.

And the accompanying article and debate whether the list should be broader (i.e., lower standard of proof to be on the list):

Who are the most wanted extremists in Canada?

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Majority of Canadians worry about domestic terrorism, according to new survey

2014/11/25 Leave a comment

Results are not that surprising, given recent events, and given that civil liberties rarely do well in public polling.

But encouraging that people recognize the importance of prevention and the contributing role of mental illness and marginalization:

Almost two-thirds of Canadians believe homegrown terrorism is a serious issue, but most do not perceive a threat from radicalized individuals in their communities, according to a new survey.

The national poll, conducted in the wake of deadly attacks on Canadian soldiers, found that just over half of respondents supported new anti-terror legislation that would boost the powers of Canada’s spies. Another 22 per cent said the government should go even further, suggesting they have not been swayed by civil liberties concerns.

At the same time, those surveyed recognized that there are many factors behind radicalization — religion, mental illness and marginalization — and seemed open to a range of preventative measures, not just punitive ones.

“People are sensitive to the fact this is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach,” said Christian Leuprecht, a security expert at the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen’s University.

Majority of Canadians worry about domestic terrorism, according to new survey.

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Opinion: Multiculturalism should not be misused to justify divisions: Farid Rohani

2014/11/25 1 Comment

Farid Rohani of the Laurier Institution on multiculturalism and integration:

Canadians must understand that multiculturalism is not about segregation and division.

What we are seeing now, more and more, is a polarization and mistrust among significant segments of our population. What is needed, then, is a more unified vision of Canadian society, one that emphasizes interdependence and cooperation among diverse groups, beginning at arrival and continuing at schools and throughout our communities.

Failure to do so will see some within our communities who don’t understand or accept the fundamental concept of pluralism use violence, including acts of terror and fear to import distant conflicts onto our shores. There will be attempts at imposing their beliefs on the rest of society and they will use, support or facilitate violence, as a method to effect societal change to achieve their goals.

Any polling I have seen suggests that Canadians get it and view multiculturalism in this manner, and place emphasis more on integration than an “anything goes” accommodation.

And no matter what governments and others do, there will always be some who sit outside that political consensus, whether in the context of religious fundamentalism (or other fundamentalisms) or violent extremism.

Overly general, without concrete or practical suggestions.

Opinion: Multiculturalism should not be misused to justify divisions | Montreal Gazette.

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Government rethinking counter-terrorism plan, Senate learns | Ottawa Citizen

2014/11/18 Leave a comment

Sensible focus on prevention strategy, particularly community outreach and intervention:

[ADM at Public Safety, Gary] Robertson and other officials from Public Safety and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, in response to committee questioning, also revealed Monday that:

– Contrary to rumours, the government is not contemplating outlawing the promotion or glorification of terrorism on the Internet – beyond existing laws against hate speech and hate crime.

– Some of the estimated 80 to 90 radicalized Canadians who have returned home from foreign terror activities have become “disillusioned” with jihad.

– Disruptive measures, such as no-fly lists, seizing passports, immigration actions and officially banning activities related to terrorist organizations and individuals so-called federally listed entities, help explain why more traditional criminal arrests and prosecutions haven’t occurred in Canada.

– The 2012 counter-terror strategy, which put some badly needed meat on the bone of the government’s 2004 national security policy, has four pillars: prevent, detect, deny and respond.

Robertson said the government believes prevention, largely through community outreach and intervention, is the most effective way to address the problem of radicalization.

That includes training individuals, from imams, teachers and school counsellors to community nurses, to recognize changes in behaviours and attitudes that may signal an individual is becoming radicalized.

There also are “law enforcement personnel that are trained and sensitized to these unique issues, that they understand how to (deal) with the community practitioners,” he said. “It isn’t necessarily going to lead to incarceration” if a family or friends of a person approach police about them.

Government rethinking counter-terrorism plan, Senate learns | Ottawa Citizen.

Quebec Premier Couillard emphasizes the importance of addressing social inclusion and causes of radicalization in his meeting with members of the Muslim community:

«Il ne faut pas faire semblant d’ignorer la question, qu’il y a quelque part un lien entre la déformation de l’islam, de la religion et ces actions. Ça, ça contribue davantage à l’incompréhension entre les communautés», a fait valoir le premier ministre.

Il reconnaît que les crimes qui ont récemment ébranlé le Canada ne s’expliquent pas simplement par une cause unique comme l’islam radical, mais précise que souvent des jeunes aux prises avec d’autres problèmes sont plus vulnérables et deviennent des proies pour ceux qui prônent la violence.

Il faut examiner les causes de la radicalisation des jeunes, a avancé M. Couillard.«L’idée nest pas de dire ceci est compréhensible, parce que… Non. Ces gestes sont condamnables de toute façon, dans l’absolu», a-t-il dit.

«Mais on doit travailler ensemble sur notre société pour mettre en place un environnement qui éloigne les jeunes de ce projet, on peut dire, maléfique.»

Il croit de plus que cette discussion est nécessaire, car il faut aussi protéger les Québécois de confession musulmane qui sont eux-mêmes victimes de harcèlement ou de violence.

M. Couillard veut notamment améliorer l’intégration des membres de cette communauté, pour éviter qu’ils ne se radicalisent, en favorisant l’éducation et l’emploi. Il a notamment dit qu’une reconnaissance des diplômes étrangers plus souple est sur la table et que sa ministre de l’Immigration, Kathleen Weil, prépare actuellement une nouvelle politique d’immigration.

Couillard a rencontré des membres de la communauté musulmane | Stéphanie Marin | Politique québécoise.

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Harper policies undermine deradicalization

2014/11/14 Leave a comment

Reminder by Faisal Kutty of the complexities of combatting radicalization and how much of it depends on debate and discussion within the Muslim community, and how Government actions can undermine such efforts:

Radicalization must be confronted without undermining social cohesion, violating human rights and deviating from core democratic ideals.

The heavy lifting in this Herculean project must be borne by Muslims, who to their credit have repeatedly condemned violent extremism in the strongest of terms even before 9/11. In fact the National Council of Canadian Muslims NCCM recently even came out with a handbook titled “United Against Terrorism.”

However, more must be done to challenge some of the existing narratives fueling cognitive radicalization. Imams must be more proactive in undermining some of the classical texts glorifying violence and martyrdom, by emphasizing the ethical/peaceful vision of the Quran. This can only be done by deconstructing and better contextualizing the violent rhetoric in some of the Prophetic teachings and juristic interpretations adopted uncritically by too many. Parroting that Islam means peace is not enough. Teachings that may serve as the springboard to violent radicalism must be confronted head on. Such efforts must be internally driven. Any government meddling will only backfire.

Some souls may be forever lost, but this will help redirect the younger ones.

…It [the Harper Government] has ignored the death and devastation unleashed on Muslims around the world, be it through direct attacks or the unconditional support of our allies. At the domestic level Harper has targeted the community by going after its charities and organizations (defaming NCCM for instance), and even religious symbols. These play into the hands of Islamophobes and extremists alike. Ottawa is now busy tightening the already draconian anti-terror laws (preventive detention), introducing new hate laws restricting speech, amending the CSIS Act, etc. These will initially affect Muslims (as noted by leading former jurists last week) disproportionately but will eventually impact all Canadians.

Harper policies undermine deradicalization | Toronto Star.

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ICYMI: Getting information on the ground on the Islamic State

2014/11/12 Leave a comment

Fascinating reporting in the Globe of some of the efforts to collect information on war crimes and other human rights violations:

There are risks, however, that come with sending investigators into a combat zone with armed opposition groups. Some outside observers worry about the reliability of the embedded investigators, in part because there is always a risk they could become involved in wartime atrocities themselves.

Documentation collected now could be dismissed by a future war crimes tribunal for multiple reasons. Questions about the investigators’ methods, issues with the way witnesses are interrogated, and errors in tracking custody of documents that are retrieved are all issues that could be picked apart by a defence team.

But many observers seem to believe the benefits of running an investigation now – rather than waiting until the conflict is over – far outweigh the risks.

Independent groups like the one investigating Islamic State also have a higher tolerance for risk than the more formal investigation by the United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria, which has produced reports on atrocities but is not focused on linking specific crimes to the individuals who may have ordered them.

“There is going to be an immense security challenge once the conflict ends,” one investigator said. “If the Syrians don’t want to endure a decade or more of terrorism, as experienced by Iraq, they’re going to need a security foundation, and that foundation will be built on information derived from investigations now.”

Getting information on the ground on the Islamic State – The Globe and Mail.

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Don’t Overreact, Canada – Patriquin

2014/11/10 Leave a comment

Martin Patriquin on the risks of over-reaction:

Canadians need only look to the south to see how attacks on individuals and establishments can’t usually be prevented by increased surveillance of a country’s civilians. The United States arguably is home to the world’s largest and most sophisticated intelligence-gathering network, the excesses of which have been documented by leaks from the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden.

Yet none of this prevented the breach of the White House in September, in which an Iraq war veteran scaled the White House fence and made it to within feet of where the president and his family live before being apprehended. Nor has surveillance hindered the ability of various gunmen to inflict mass murder on innocents throughout the years. As the former Vice President Al Gore noted last year, in a speech decrying the folly of such mass intelligence gathering, “When you are looking for a needle in a haystack, it’s not always wise to pile more hay on the haystack.”

Theoretically, it would be possible for the Canadian government to legislate itself the powers to prevent all such attacks. Yet the trade-off — constant surveillance, criminalization of dissent, restriction of free movement and the economy — would make the country unlivable. It would be a travesty if the actions of two troubled individuals moved the country closer to that possibility.

Don’t Overreact, Canada – NYTimes.com.

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Ottawa students use satire to battle ISIL and highlight plight of Arab women with video

2014/11/08 Leave a comment

One of the better examples of grass-roots efforts to create a radicalization counter-narrative, and a funny parody of Apple ads in the ISIS context (watch the video report – 2 minutes):

Inspired by Jon Stewart’s Daily Show and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, the trio and half a dozen occasional cast members are attempting to bring satire into places and minds that have never experienced it.

“We are trying to take the best of this world and introduce it to the Middle East and bring the best of the Middle East and introduce it to this world,’ says Barghouthi, a Carleton University biology student.

Prime among the trio’s target audience are Canadian Muslims in their own age group – the same young western Muslims that ISIL has in its sights.

“ISIS has been able to get wide attention across the world by using very slick videos made by highly qualified people,” says Marwah. “By making people laugh we hope our message will sink in.“

“Our message to young Muslims is that ISIS is using Islam in a sick way – using it as an excuse to kill people,” says Carleton political management student Marwah. “They are going after your emotions. Canada is a beautiful country, don’t let this stuff spoil it for you.”

Marwah says he has seen no evidence in his circle of friends that the ISIL message is resonating.

“For all of us, I think to know that someone would want to kill people in the name of our religion is frustrating,” he says.

Ottawa students use satire to battle ISIL and highlight plight of Arab women with video | Ottawa Citizen.

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