Some thoughts on “Preventing and/or Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that lead to Terrorism via Smarter Counter-narratives”.
As you all know, there is a great number of studies have been done on this subject; empirical research, books, and journals that are authored by contemporary academics and journalists.
However, what I am going to talk about is that a sort of comparative analysis of some of our forefathers, such as, Albert Einstein, Friedrich Nietzsche, Mao Zedong, Sun Tzu, Mahatma Gandhi, and Abraham Maslow have foretold in finding solutions to these societal problems.
Before we go further, I would like to shed some light on defining such ambiguous terms as extremism, radicalization, and terrorism.
So, I would like to start by saying that nobody was born a terrorist, or an extremist and/or radicalized. Thus, we must question ourselves what makes some individuals, groups and organizations among our community to have different and opposing views, ideas, beliefs, attitudes and motives against the mainstream society?
I mean, what makes a man terrorist and what finally brings him back to his community? The average age of terrorists is 21 years, with many much younger, which explains why children are kidnapped and radicalized. They are full-grown in stature, but not in maturity; they desperately want to make a ‘difference’ in the world but have no outlets; they are highly suggestible.
So, what is terrorism? Like Communism, Nazism, and Fascism, Terrorism – the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, to pursue political aims – is a type of ideology. An ideology is best fought with a better counter-ideology, rather than by swords and guns alone.
As Einstein said, we must not stop questioning ourselves. So, what does that mean?
Before we identify what, are the best strategies international community needs for preventing or countering terrorism, we must figure out what are the causes of terrorism? It is of paramount importance to reconceptualize our approaches of the past in order to end terrorism and prevent the propagation of such atrocities. We must identify the root causes of terrorism. Terrorism that is rooted in inequality and feelings of injustices, ethnic and religious hatred, denied dignity and freedom, and political exclusion and repression, is best combated politically, diplomatically, economically, socially, culturally, educationally, and religiously rather than militarily alone. Terrorism, mainly driven by political motive, is a form of political violence. Therefore, it can be resolved by answering political grievances. To address political grievances adequately, we need to employ a combination of soft and hard power measures. Former American President Theodore Roosevelt relates to this: “speak softly and carry a big stick”. In referencing foreign policy, Roosevelt explained that this involves: “the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis”.
How do we deal with extremists?
The German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche reminded us that “he who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee”. Simply put, what this means is that if you go after a murderer with the intention to murder him then you are also a murderer. In other words, if you bomb a terrorist who bombed you, then that makes you a terrorist too. This means that you believe in the concept that “terrorism can only be neutralized by terrorism” – a classic ‘eye for an eye, tooth for tooth’ discourse that would eventually have the whole world blind and toothless.
The only way to stop terrorism and to prevent the propagation of further atrocities is to effectively address a grassroots approach, the use of collective action to affect change at the local, regional, national, or international level. Grassroots approaches are associated with bottom-up, rather than top-down decision making, and are sometimes considered more natural or spontaneous than more traditional power structures of countries in need. People who cannot feed or defend their children, much less provide them with an education and a future, people who watch powerlessly as their neighbors and kin are raped and slaughtered, are prey to anyone, be it a government hiding its acts of genocide under a blanket of legitimacy, or an underdog terrorist organization, fueled by righteous fervor. It’s not really rocket science. By and large, we must win the hearts and minds of the people. This is where soft power comes into play. Although hard power is vital to safeguard a nation’s interests, when we are confronted by an enemy with many different faces, we must explore other tools to combat the enemy through non-military means. As Sun Tzu reminds us, the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting; eliminating the will to fight and destroying the spirit of the enemy’s potential to fight is paramount.
So, what are the most notable observations from the past 5 years?
Youth radicalization has acquired renewed momentum in the current age of Daesh. Repeated victories reported by the Iraqi and Syrian security forces are pushing Daesh to rethink survival strategies to live and fight another day. The group is keen on expanding itself beyond the Iraqi and Syrian battlefield and is desperately attempting to infiltrate the rest of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Members of the organization continue to disguise themselves as civilians, blending into mainstream society, where they have achieved unprecedented success in planning, preparing, and executing major attacks worldwide. A significant proportion of alleged assailants happen to be youth, some as young as 12. Furthermore, Daesh is also transforming its operational headquarters from a physical space to a virtual platform that is far removed from Iraq and Syria. A key peril of international terrorism, it is against this backdrop that one must acknowledge the national, regional, and global security implications that emanate from Daesh-affiliated threats.
There are a series of imperative dynamics which nonetheless distinguish Daesh from other groups with similar aspirations. Primarily, ‘lone wolf’ attacks, which are inherently inspired but not necessarily orchestrated by the terrorist organization itself; largely a consequence of widespread accessibility to cleverly articulated propaganda promoted via Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. However, while the role of social media is critical in Daesh’s captivation of today’s youth who are congenitally addicted to technology, the internet, as reported by the Homeland Security Institute, is merely a tool through which radicalization is accelerated. Youth radicalization in itself is also a process rapidly unfolding offline, in a real-world context.
How do we prevent refugees and foreign fighters from entering and targeting countries?
We must allow refugees to escape and settle in our countries thereby showcasing the soft power of nations. This highlights a long-term strategic advantage. The new challenge and threat to law enforcement agencies are about distinguishing between refugees’ motives. As influxes in government-controlled areas have occurred, nations are faced with an overwhelming security concern. This forces us to consider how to identify and weed out potential members of terrorists who may infiltrate nations as disguised civilians.
The best way to prevent and deter future terrorist attacks is to separate or isolate the terrorists from the general populace. By weeding the terrorists out of legitimate refugees, we can eventually apply Mao Zedong’s theory that “guerillas are like fish in an ocean of people”. By separating the “ocean” of the general populace from the guerilla “fish”, we will be able to determine the survival of the enemy guerillas or terrorists. So, how does one separate the ocean of people from the guerilla fish? We can achieve separation through the core strategy of the COIN doctrine: if we’re able to win the hearts and minds of the general populace, then the general populace will do the job for us.
Thus we must come up with a strategy on how law enforcement agencies can prevent terrorists from infiltrating and/or exfiltrating nations. Decisively, there is a method called “Spotter Force Multiplier Theory” (SFMT), which is successful tradecraft in human intelligence also known as “Link Analysis”. That is, in any organization, albeit police, intelligence, military or even non-state organizations such as gangs, mafia, drug cartels, or terrorist organizations, you can only identify the members by using the organization’s very own members. As we confront terrorist organizations, state security organizations come across and identify at least one genuine member. This member must be utilized as a “spotter” for governments to identify others. In other words, the member who is arrested and/or defected must undergo a brief rehabilitation process – instilling them with compassion and indoctrinating them with soft power contrary to aggressive interrogation techniques – and in turn, work for the state’s security agencies. As more individuals are found, the “spotter force multiplier” emerges and continues until the “big fish” is caught. The advantage of using SFMT is that we would have a complete picture and understanding of insider information regarding enemy organizations, that is, valuable tactical intelligence.
What push/pull factors between different presentations of radicalization have we identified?
Globally, terrorist activity among the youth has emerged from a rather heterogeneous population, who are seduced into any form extremism for a variety of reasons. A study published by Bizina and Gray in the Global Security Studies journal brought forth a crucial underlying cause for radicalization: economic, social, and political marginalization which, when taken together, cultivate a sense of purposelessness and lack of hope for the future. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that economic, social, and political marginalization on their own does not make every one susceptible to radicalization. Several people remain poor, voiceless, and frustrated in the West. It is safe to conclude, however, that violence aimed at threatening the core of society is still not commonplace.
Daesh has strategically coined perspectives founded on ‘Islamic ideals’ to inform a pseudo-spiritually inspired congregation, thereby legitimizing economic, social, and political grievances by acting as a catalyst for change, promising empowerment along the way and paradise in the end. However, as Christian Picciolini, a reformed white nationalist, said: “People become extremists not necessarily because of the ideology. The ideology is simply a vehicle to be violent. I believe that people become radicalized, or extremist because they’re searching for three very fundamental human needs, which are intertwined: identity, community and a sense of purpose.” Picciolini’s statement is applicable to much of the Muslim youth in the West, who face relative deprivation compounded by deliberate political and social exclusion in North America and Europe, rendering them invisible and hence susceptible to Daesh’s ideology.
What are the key requirements for success?
Solutions to terrorism that are excessively focused on “hard power” can create more of a problem than they solve, as people inclined towards radicalism can sometimes become even more alienated as a result of intensive methods of surveillance or repression. Although counter-terrorism operations most often involve “hard power” — intelligence, law, policing, and military might — counter-radicalization methods also require “soft power” tools, such as social and cultural involvement, broader policy initiatives on the environment, development, critical infrastructure, migration, humanitarian intervention, and the widespread participation of civil society. Hard power — represented by military strength — is indeed essential to our security; still, modeling soft power measures like good governance, public diplomacy, broadcasting, exchange programs, development assistance, disaster relief, educational and employment opportunities can be equally important in the long run.
Chinese philosopher whose ideas and sayings were collected after his death and became the basis of a philosophical doctrine known a Confucianism (circa 551-478 BC). One of the great sayings of Confucius is, “Don't use cannon to kill a mosquito”. So what does it mean in countering violent extremism or counterterrorism context? It simply means that you cannot kill terrorists with guns alone. So, how do we completely obliterate terrorism?
What does a best-practice strategy for counterterrorism would look like?
According to a
report, “Countering Violent Extremism: Scientific Methods & Strategies”, released by the DTIC (2011), “Music is powerful. It can help build collective identity, enhancing social categorization, dehumanizing others/out-group(s), and influence attitudes, social norms, behavior, and even the inter-group dynamics by the use of various musical elements (lyrical and musical content, rhythm, themes) that leverage the ability of affect to motivate, mobilize, and receive information less critically […] There has been a concerted and sustained effort to use music in the context of recruiting (extremists) both domestically and abroad (Gruen, 2006). […] The value of music for influencing, recruiting, and radicalizing is not lost on those who write, record, and disseminate jihadi-themed music. […] Music has the potential to influence attitudes, social norms, and potentially behavior (Crozier, 1997), especially among adolescents who are more susceptible to peer pressure (Gavin & Furman, 1989; Roe, 1987).”
Taken together, this is a compelling image of music as a force for cultural mediation and social change, showing that music promoting tolerance and reconciliation can be used to reconnect with “at-risk” individuals and groups. Or, as Phyllis Creighton put it in a short film about Toronto’s “Raging Grannies” — a group that protests all forms of social injustice by singing — “We chose songs because songs have power in reaching people, in energizing them, in lifting their spirits. I believe that strongly and I’ve seen it” (
https://vimeo.com/311060061).
We will not be successful in countering radicalization to violent extremism unless we can harness the idealism, creativity, and energy of young people, who constitute the majority in an increasing number of countries today. At the beginning of 2012, a UNESCO survey reported that the world population surpassed 7 billion with people under the age of 30 accounting for more than half of this number (50.5%). According to the survey, 89.7% of people under 30 lived in emerging and developing economies, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. These young people globally represent a great untapped resource and therefore, must be empowered to make a constructive (rather than destructive) contribution to the political and economic development of global societies and nations. We must offer them a positive vision of their future together with a genuine chance to realize their aspirations and potential.
As outlined by the UN General Assembly (2015), children and youth constitute invaluable partners in our striving to prevent radicalization to violent extremism. Thus, we must identify better tools to support them to take up the causes of peace, pluralism, and mutual respect. The rapid advance of modern communications technology also means that today’s youth form an unprecedented global community. This interconnectivity is already being exploited by violent extremists; we need to reclaim this space by helping to amplify the voices of young people already promoting the values of mutual respect and peace to their peers.
Why would the strategy be successful?
As empirical evidence above entitled “Countering Violent Extremism: Scientific Methods & Strategies” points out, the majority of the Islamic jihadist organizations, as well as other ethnonationalist insurgent groups, far-right-wing radical organizations, violent white supremacists and skinheads, environmental radicals, and animal rights militants all place a high degree of importance on attendance at mass popular, cultural and social events, music concerts, festivals, debates, motivational speeches, and other large gatherings. They all use their popular cultural music and art to recruit, indoctrinate, train, and mobilize members.
When art, poetry, speech or music ‘hooks and attracts’ its audience or listener with a theme and melody, the underlying message can be repeated and rehearsed quite readily. When lyrics are set to a melody or rhythm, they have the potential to be ‘catchier’ which increases their ability to deliver messages. To the extent that such messages connect with their intended audience, they can be further propagated through social networks and media channels. Therefore, music and other artistic expressions have value to the extent that messages that can be rehearsed, repeated, and remembered in an engaging way. The youth, especially suggestible young men — those most vulnerable to radicalization — can internalize these positive messages that will thereby shape their behavior. We could measure the outcome by conducting monthly and yearly qualitative and quantitative research with our participants, such as their views before participating and their views (changed) afterward.
Let me quote an excerpt by Ambassador Cynthia Schneider from her keynote speech to The Brooking Institution. Ambassador Schneider is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.
“The words that Thomas Jefferson penned to his friend, James Madison, from Paris in 1785 I think are just as apt today as they were then as guidance for how America could behave in the world, and they’re especially relevant to what the Arts and Culture Initiative is trying to do. Jefferson is also an apt way to begin this evening. I, personally, think he’s an apt way to begin just about any evening, but he’s particularly apt tonight because he shares with the Prophet Muhammad a belief that the pen is mightier than the sword. In Islam, this phrase evokes the hadith or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad: “The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.”
Jefferson urged Thomas Paine to “Do with the pen what has been done before with the sword.”
Today, when the divide between the U.S. and Muslim World presents one of our greatest foreign policy challenges, leaders from Secretary Gates on down are recognizing the limitations of military power and the need to enhance diplomacy and engagement with other cultures. Within that context, arts and culture have untapped potential as a component of the engagement between the U.S. and Muslim World. This is because, number one, of the power of creative expression to tap into our emotions and to move us and to shape and reveal identities.
It is also true that funding for arts and culture engagement with the Muslim World, sadly, does not begin to take advantage of this potential. In fact, funding from the public sector, from the government, for worldwide cultural engagement –- this is not university exchanges, but sheer cultural engagement –- is only around $11 million. From private philanthropy, at a time when overall numbers have increased, the amount of money that we could figure out that goes to arts and cultural engagement with the Middle East is about 1/10th of 1 percent. At the same time, the unique U.S. ability to create successful commercial culture represents an asset that is not at all, sadly, being strategically deployed….
American political scientist Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” to remind us that a viable civil society would help mitigate violence. Nye emphasized that “power in a global information age, more than ever, will include a soft dimension of attraction as well as the hard dimensions of coercion and payment. Combining these dimensions effectively is called “smart power.” For example, the current struggle against transnational terrorism is a struggle over winning hearts and minds, and overreliance on hard power alone is not the path to success. A public diplomacy is an important tool in the arsenal of smart power, but smart public diplomacy requires an understanding of credibility, self-criticism, and the role of civil society in generating soft power. If it degenerates into propaganda, public diplomacy not only fails to convince but can undercut soft power. Instead, it must remain a two-way process, because soft power depends, first and foremost, upon understanding the minds of others.
Therefore, to counter radicalization and terrorism intelligently in today’s global information age, nations must infuse conventional hard power tactics with more flexible and strategic cultural soft power approaches. The declining enrollment in arts, which is part and parcel of soft power, is a short-sighted strategy that weakens the fabric of society, leaving young people believing they are dependent on external forces to give their lives meaning. Therefore, educational institutions must harness popular and multicultural music and other forms of arts and create opportunities for youth to write and produce music, poetry, film, and debates that resonate citizenry, identity, unity, diversity, equality, and most importantly the value of human life and family. These mediums are not merely entertainment but provide an essential message about the value of all life.
Finally, Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This great quote by Mahatma Gandhi just refers to the fact that there is always a change. Change is the law of the universe. Change doesn't just set in in a matter of days or weeks, it takes years. But the change has to come from a single individual to actually become a trend. The process of change or rather reform comes from a single individual's step towards change. And others will follow if that change is for a good cause. It's just how our society progresses. So if you want terrorists to change, you must first and foremost be that change yourself.
