Efforts to defeat the Islamic State involve more than military might, President Barack Obama said at Tuesday’s summit on countering violent extremism: “…This means defeating their ideology. Ideologies are not defeated with guns, they’re defeated by better ideas.” The stunning success of IS online recruitment via social media has resulted in a growing US operation to dilute the messaging that has inspired tens of thousands to drop everything and join IS in Syria. Anti-terrorism messaging is not a new tool, but it is a difficult one to get right. US officials are betting on telling the stories of IS defectors and reaching young minds on the Internet and elsewhere.
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US Confronts Islamic State Militants Online
Posted September 29th, 2015 at 4:47 pm (UTC-5)
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Countering Violent Extremism: Falling Through the Cracks of Development and Security
Posted August 28th, 2015 at 3:08 pm (UTC-5)
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CVE prioritizes a role for civil society, as these organizations are often viewed by communities as more credible than local governments or law enforcement. They are also better positioned to identify local-level drivers of violent extremism, and more suited to work with neglected groups through education, interfaith dialogues, and arts and sports activities.
Empowering Global Voices Against Extremism
“Da’esh is not protecting Muslims, it is killing them and fooling all of us,” says Khadijah, a young woman who lived in London, became disillusioned with her studies and was lured by the Islamic State (also called Da’esh) to Syria. In the end, she defected. Her story, and those of many other defectors, is now being told by the United States and its global partners. By Richard Stengel.