Government & Politics

German state fights Islamist extremism with YouTube satire The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is betting on wit and humor as an antidote to Islamist extremism. Extremists use YouTube to target young people, but NRW wants to fight fire with fire.

(Deutsche Welle) The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has launched a satirical YouTube channel in the hope of stopping young people from becoming radicalized via the video sharing platform. The project launched by the NRW Office for the Protection of the Constitution […]

Clerics & Preachers

Al Qaeda’s master terrorists are still on Facebook and YouTube Facebook and YouTube say they have scrubbed tens of thousands of violent extremists' posts. But we found 105 from the most dangerous preachers of jihadist terror.

(Daily Beast) In 2006, Ibrahim Suleiman al-Rubaish was repatriated to Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo Bay after he’d served more than five years as an enemy combatant for training with al Qaeda, and fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan against the United States. […]

News: Europe

‘Dangerous’ Muslim Brotherhood fatwa app in Apple Store’s top 100 downloads Exclusive: Despite calls for the Muslim Brotherhood-linked app to be banned for its 'poisonous' content, it remains among the most downloaded

(National-UAE) A “dangerous hate” app linked to the Muslim Brotherhood has been in the top 100 downloads in the Apple Store in a third of European countries since its launch, despite international calls for it to be banned. The Euro Fatwa app, […]

Children & Teens

Anna, a young woman seeking love and Allah Elke Müller is fighting for her daughter Anna, who fell in love with a young Afghan and converted to Islam. Her mother spoke to DW about feeling alienated and her fear that Anna might become radicalized.

(Deutsche Welle) The day that Elke Müller dreads so much is not long off — the day her daughter Anna turns 18. “When she is of age, I can no longer legally hold her back,” Müller told DW. And then, she fears, […]

News: Europe

How a German mining town became a recruiting ground for IS The western town of Dinslaken became known as a Salafi hotbed in 2013 when a group of local youths traveled to Syria to join the 'Islamic State.' Years on, the community is still trying to leave the past behind.

(Deutsche Welle) A deep-seated mistrust is noticeable, even from inside the car, as we drive slowly through the streets of Dinslaken-Lohberg. Due to bad weather, only a few people are outside, following us with their glances. “That’s normal in Lohberg,” social worker […]

Deradicalization

Terrorists set for release across EU without proper monitoring EU still tinkering with deradicalisation policy as convicted extremists are set to walk free

(National-UAE) European countries will release 1,500 convicted terrorists over the next 12 months, posing a major security challenge for authorities grappling with the fallout from wars in Syria and Iraq, a London counter-terrorist conference heard on Wednesday. The wave of releases coincides […]

News: Europe

Spain helping US identify European jihadists in Syria Interior Ministry is receiving information from officers working on Operation Gallant Phoenix that could serve as evidence against returning fighters

(El País) Spanish agents in Syria are cooperating with Operation Gallant Phoenix, a U.S.-led effort to identify fighters from Western nations who have joined Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda-affiliated groups in the region, counter-terrorism sources told El País. The Spanish Interior […]

News: Europe

Germany introduces extremism counseling service The 'emel' service will mainly target Turkish- and Arabic-speaking families. Germany has seen a dramatic rise in young people becoming radicalized online in recent years.

(Deutsche Welle) A new prototype project was launched in Germany on Wednesday, aimed at counseling parents who are concerned their children may be flirting with extremism. The Turkish Community in Germany (TGD) non-profit established the service primarily for Turkish- and Arabic-speaking parents, […]

Government & Politics

Germany to curb mosque funding from Gulf states The German government has started to request that those countries register any funding they may provide to mosques in Germany, a report says. The move aims to discourage radicalization in German mosques.

(Deutsche Welle) The German Foreign Ministry wants Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other Gulf states to register any donations or state subsidies intended for mosques in Germany. According to daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and German broadcasters WDR and NDR, the government has involved […]