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

13

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

15

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.