CEP Mentions
UNESCO: 80 Years After The Liberation Of Auschwitz: UNESCO Mobilized For The Memory Of The Holocaust
“... On the sidelines of this ceremony, the Director-General of UNESCO will visit the future Auschwitz Centre on Hatred, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) created by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) under the patronage of UNESCO and in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. This research and education centre will be established in the former home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss. On the occasion of this important commemoration, UNESCO is publishing three new guides intended to help teachers and journalists better combat Holocaust denial, distortion and instrumentalization of historical facts related to the Holocaust, as well as contemporary forms of anti-Semitism.”
Archinect News: Daniel Libeskind Will Remake Former Auschwitz Commandant's House Into Learning Center
“... The nonprofit Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is guiding the effort, which also includes a renovation of the former Block 17 prisoner barracks of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum to install a new permanent exhibition. Libeskind is himself the son of two Polish Holocaust survivors.”
RTL Today: Hibatullah Akhundzada: Afghanistan's Reclusive Taliban Leader
“... "Akhundzada's relative anonymity has reportedly served as a factor in the Taliban's decision to elevate him. Previously, many had assumed that more well-known figures... would succeed Mullah Mansour," according to the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), a non-profit policy organisation. "Significantly less public and controversial" than other choices, he seemed like the ideal candidate to ensure discretion for the movement and "retain control over its internal factions", the CEP said. Unlike many Taliban figures, Akhundzada is not on the United Nations sanctions list.”
E2 Employment & Education: The Shadowy Financier Said To Control Islamic State Network
“... With Mumin’s help, “they have recently turned to the jihad” seeking “radicalism, weapons, and funding”. Some observers have described him as the caliph of the jihadist command structure. However, such an official designation would signal an ideological reversal for the group with deep roots in the Levant, the territory of the IS caliphate that lasted from 2014 to 2019 and spanned Iraq and Syria. “That would create some kind of uproar within the community of supporters and sympathisers of IS,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter-Extremism Project (CEP) think tank.”
Blick: Does Germany Have A Security Problem?
“One day after the horrific attack in Aschaffenburg, many questions remain unanswered. In particular: How could this even happen? Enamullah O.* (28) was no stranger to the authorities. He was called out to police several times. He is said to have once strangled a Ukrainian woman. "How could the police fail so badly? They all knew that he wasn't right in the head," said an Afghan who lives in the same refugee shelter as O., stunned… The background to the attack in Aschaffenburg is still unclear. For Hans-Jakob Schindler, an expert at the Counter Extremism Project, the knife attack shows how tense the situation in Germany is. And that the authorities have a system problem. "At the moment, it looks as if the complex administrative processes for deportation from Germany were once again not implemented effectively," the former UN Security Council advisor on global terrorism sanctions told Blick.”
Frankfurter Rundschau: After Knife Attack In Aschaffenburg: Merz Announces Permanent Border Controls If He Wins The Election
“In Aschaffenburg, a man kills two people. Politicians react to the act of violence by criticizing Olaf Scholz… Hans -Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project in Germany, told IPPEN.MEDIA about the knife attack in Aschaffenburg: "The case shows once again that the management of deportation procedures simply does not work effectively enough in Germany." The topic is not new, however: "It has been talked about repeatedly since Solingen at the latest, but apparently nothing has really improved." Regarding the possible motive for the knife attack in Aschaffenburg, Schindler said: "Based on the current information, I also believe that there are no elements that would indicate an Islamist act. For example, previous contact with extremist circles or indications and announcements that would indicate such a motive." At the same time, however, he made it clear that the attack played into the hands of populists. "Alice Weidel and Sahra Wagenknecht were among the first to express such a view."”
Oświęcim Naszemiasto: The Oświęcim Villa Of Rudolf Höss, Commandant Of The Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Has Been Sold. The New Owner Is An American Non-Governmental Organization.
“The house in Oświęcim where Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, lived with his family during the war has been sold. The new owner of the historic building, which borders the Auschwitz Memorial, is the American non-governmental organization Counter Extremism Project. Plans of the American organization in the former house of the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The American organization has decided to create a Center for Research, Education and Action against Anti-Semitism, Extremism and Radicalization in the former home of the Auschwitz concentration camp commandant, whose main goal will be to combat hate speech in public debate.”
Fakty Oświęcim: Hate Speech Combating Centre Opens Only On January 27th
“As we have already reported HERE, the building where Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, lived, was purchased by the American non-governmental organization Counter Extremism Project (CEP). On January 27, 2025, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the center officially named Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Radicalization and Extremism (ARCHER) will open its doors for one day primarily to Survivors, invited guests, and official delegations. "After this date, construction work will resume and visiting the house will not be possible. We consider making the house available on the anniversary of the liberation of the camp to be our duty and an expression of respect for the Survivors and all Victims of the Holocaust," wrote Jacek Purski, director of ARCHER, in an e-mail to Fakty Oświęcim.”
De Standaard: House From 'The Zone Of Interest' Becomes Research Center Against Anti-Semitism
“The former home of the Höss family next to Auschwitz will soon be open to visitors. It will become the new base of operations for the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). The research center will open on Monday, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Visitors will see photos of the Höss family, as well as diaries of the housekeeper and Rudolf Höss, who was forced to write down his experiences after the war to gain insight into his psyche. The Counter Extremism Project is a New York-based NGO that has been fighting extremism for ten years. They bought the home of a Polish family that had owned it since the liberation of Auschwitz. “The idea behind the project is to create something that doesn’t exist yet, and to fight extremism in the home of one of the worst extremists and anti-Semites that ever existed,” CEP director Hans Jakob Schindler told CNN. CEO Mark Wallace also stressed the importance of the center: “Since the Holocaust, we have been taught never to forget. Eighty years later, it is clear that ‘never forget’ is essential, but it is not enough to prevent the hatred and anti-Semitism that grips us today.””
Voice Of America Kurdish: Crackdown In Iran's Kurdistan: Arrests Amid Protests Of Death Sentences
“Several individuals in Sanaa, Saqiz and Sardasht, in Iran’s Kurdistan region, have been arrested for participating in strikes protesting the death sentences of Pakhshan Azizi and Varisha Moradi, two ethnic Kurdish women. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported the detention of six citizens in Sanaa, while three others were arrested in Saqiz and Sardasht by the Ministry of Intelligence… Ari Heistein, an Israel-based researcher with the Counter Extremism Project, said Houthi military leaders risk losing relevance in running their regime if they disconnect from electronic communications for prolonged periods. “Running a country of more than 32 million people with serious problems is hard to do from isolation in a remote environment,” Heistein said.”
United States
NPR: President Trump Aims To End Investigations Into Extremism In The U.S. Military
“President Trump is eliminating federal DEI programs, including in the Department of Defense. He is also aiming to end investigations into extremism in the U.S. military.”
Reuters: Trump Designates Yemen's Houthis As A 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday re-designated Yemen's Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a "foreign terrorist organization", the White House said. The move will impose harsher economic penalties than the Biden administration had applied to the Iran-aligned group in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against U.S. warships defending the critical maritime chokepoint. Proponents of the move say it is overdue, though some experts say it could have implications for anyone seen as aiding the Houthis, including some aid organizations.”
New York Post: American Hiker Shot Twice By Suspected Cartel Terrorist Near US-Mexico Border
“A suspected cartel terrorist attacked and shot an American hiker multiple times near the San Diego-Mexico border, according to the US Customs and Border Protection. Border patrol said a group of hikers were bombarded with gunfire, with the victim struck twice and robbed in El Centro Sector’s area in the Jacumba Wilderness. “Cartels think they can bring their war here. Think again!” Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino posted to X Wednesday afternoon. “He was here legally, visiting and out for a hike with his friends,” according to the post. “He was shot at (uninjured) and later robbed after bravely staying at his wounded friend’s side.””
Iran
Reuters: Iran Says Trump's 'Terrorist' Designation Of Yemen's Houthis Is 'Baseless'
“Iran on Thursday condemned as "baseless" a move by U.S. President Donald Trump to re-designate Yemen's Tehran-aligned Houthi movement as a "foreign terrorist organization (FTO)". Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the move, which will impose harsher economic penalties than the Biden administration had applied to the Houthis, was "an excuse to apply anti-human sanctions against the Yemeni people". "Such arbitrary and baseless unilateral actions will further weaken the rule of law in international relations and threaten regional peace and stability," Baghaei was quoted by state media as saying.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: Saudi Foreign Minister Makes First Official Trip To Lebanon In A Decade After Years Of Strained Ties
“Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat visited Lebanon on Thursday for the first time in a decade following years of strained relations between the oil-rich kingdom and the small Mediterranean country. Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit comes almost two months after a ceasefire went into effect that halted Israel and the Hezbollah group’s war that battered southern Lebanon and destroyed much of the group’s military capabilities. It also comes following a lightening insurgency in Syria in December that ousted Bashar Assad and ended decades of his family’s rule.”
Middle East
The New York Times: Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Militants Wanted In Deadly Attack
“Israel’s military on Thursday pressed ahead with its offensive in and around Jenin, a city known as a center of militant opposition to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, killing two men in a nearby village who were wanted for the murder of three Israelis. The men, identified on Thursday as Mohamad Nazzal and Qutayba Shalabi, had earlier this month shot at Israeli vehicles in the West Bank village of Al Funduq, the Israeli military said. The attack killed three Israelis: a police investigator and two women from a nearby settlement. Since the cease-fire in Gaza began this week, Israel has turned its attention to the West Bank, particularly Jenin. The Israeli military has launched at least three major operations there over the past year and a half, arresting militants, tearing up roads and leaving many Palestinian civilians hiding in their homes in fear.”
Associated Press: Israelis Await Names Of Next 4 Hostages To Be Released By Hamas As Part Of The Ceasefire
“Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to ensure all remaining captives are freed, while also appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to continue pressing for their release. As a fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its sixth day, Israelis waited anxiously for the names of the next four hostages who will be released from among the more than 90 still held in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, civilians in the central and southern part of the Gaza Strip hoping to return to the remnants of their home in the battered north faced an agonizing wait.”
Reuters: Israel Sees More To Do On Lebanon Ceasefire As Deadline Nears
“Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal. The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT). The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war.”
Nigeria
BBC: New Nigerian Jihadist Group Declared Terrorists
“Nigeria's authorities have officially declared the Lakurawa armed group - which flogs people for listening to music - a terrorist organisation and banned it across the country. Lakurawa is a new militant group which carries out attacks, targeting local communities in north-western Nigeria and across the border with Niger. Nigerian officials say Lakurawa is affiliated with jihadist factions in Mali and Niger, and its militants have for years settled in communities along the Nigeria-Niger border, marrying local women and recruiting youths. This adds to Nigeria's security concerns, as it is already fighting against several armed groups, from Islamist militants Boko Haram to kidnapping gangs.”
United Kingdom
BBC: Could Calling Attacks Like Southport 'Terrorism' Help To Prevent Them?
“Axel Rudakubana had a long-standing obsession with violence, killing and genocide, but prosecutors said there is no evidence he ascribed to any particular political or religious ideology. He admitted a terrorism offence for downloading an al-Qaeda training manual. But the knife attack has not been treated as terrorism by police or prosecutors, and the judge stressed that he "must accept" that there was no evidence of terrorist cause. He added, however, that Rudakubana's culpability is "equivalent to terrorist matters, whatever its purpose". Following Rudakubana's guilty pleas earlier this week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared "terrorism has changed" and Britain is facing a "new threat".”
Technology
BBC: Terror Cop's Extreme Online Content Warning To Parents
“A top counter terror police officer has called for parents to "be alive" to extreme content children may be viewing online. Lone extremists "fed" by violent material on social media now pose "one of the biggest risks", Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Gunney believes. The head of counter terrorism policing in Wales warned parents not to be "complacent" about the risks. It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said terrorism had "changed" following the conviction of Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls in Southport. Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison on Thursday, where the judge said he planned to kill as many people as he could.”
The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation.
