CEP Analysis Update

Research Resources on Combating Terrorism and Extremism

Extremist Content Online

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has spotlighted the “worst of the worst” propagandists and content with direct links to violence that should be banned by all Internet and social media sites. These individuals and publications pose a threat to public safety and security, and must not be permitted to spread their hate online.  

Extremism Spotlight: Muslim Brotherhood Ideologue Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s Ties to Extremist Individuals & Organizations <[link removed]>
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a radical Islamist theologian living in Qatar, is the unofficial chief ideologue of the Muslim Brotherhood. In Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>, CEP documented 15 extremist individuals and organizations with ties to Qaradawi. Through verified accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as his personal websites, Qaradawi releases his writings, speeches, and fatwas, which have called for the murder of Americans, gay people, and Jews. He has served as the chairman of numerous Islamic organizations and operated on a variety of media platforms, including a televised broadcast on Al Jazeera, which reached approximately 60 million viewers.

Extremism Spotlight: Ahmad Musa Jibril’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>
Ahmad Musa Jibril <[link removed]> is an Islamist preacher well-known for being an influential jihadist voice in Syria and for having radicalized Khuram Shazad Butt, one of three London Bridge attackers who killed eight people and wounded almost 50 others on June 3, 2017. Despite Jibril’s role in inciting horrific violence, YouTube shockingly declared <[link removed]> two years ago that Jibril’s videos did not violate the company’s Terms of Service. Jibril’s lectures remain freely available on Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms and his messages continue to resonate with extremists and jihadists.

Extremism Spotlight: Abdullah al-Faisal’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>
Abdullah al-Faisal is a U.S.-designated Islamist propagandist who has recruited for ISIS and facilitated travel to ISIS-held territory. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office <[link removed]>, in announcing his indictment, said Faisal’s lectures, websites, and videos have incited “untold numbers of people around the world to take up the cause of jihad.” In Abdullah al-Faisal’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]> CEP has documented a total of 49 extremists linked to Abdullah al-Faisal. Of these, 25 are violent extremists, 12 are successful or attempted foreign fighters, and 17 are propagandists.

Extremism Spotlight: Siege’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>
James Mason’s neo-Nazi manifesto, Siege, which calls for a race war, has inspired a generation of neo-Nazis since it was first published in 1992. The book sparked a violent online subculture called Siege Culture, which is found across social media, podcasts, and chatrooms dedicated to Mason’s book. CEP has documented 32 extremist entities—21 individuals and 11 organizations—with ties to Siege. Of these 21 individuals, nine have been involved in acts of violence, four have been involved in specific murders, and four have been involved in threats or acts of terrorism. On July 11, CEP reported <[link removed]> that copies of Audiobook uploads of the neo-Nazi manifesto Siege seem to have been taken down by YouTube. The apparent removal of these videos represents a policy reversal for YouTube, which in February stated <[link removed]> that Siege videos did not violate its Terms of Service.

Extremism Spotlight: The Turner Diaries’ Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>
For more than 40 years, William Luther Pierce’s The Turner Diaries has served as a “Handbook for White Victory <[link removed]>” for white nationalists around the world. The book has directly inspired at least three terror attacks, including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, and has incited white supremacists into committing other acts of violence. In The Turner Diaries’ Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>,CEP documents the book’s role in the deaths of 248 individuals. On July 11, CEP reported <[link removed]> that copies of Audiobook uploads of The Turner Diaries seem to have been taken down by YouTube.

Technology and Terrorism

Report on Germany’s NetzDG Online Hate Speech Law Shows No Threat of Over-Blocking <[link removed]>
In partnership with the Centre for European Policy Studies, CEP issued a report analyzing the impact of Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG). NetzDG is an ambitious law that can fine online platforms for failing to delete illegal content and represents a crucial measure to help combat hate speech online. In the report, Germany’s NetzDG: A Key test for combatting online hate <[link removed]>, researchers debunked tech companies’ claims about NetzDG, finding that the law had not in fact resulted in a flood of reports or over-blocking, and researchers uncovered no further evidence of false positives. The report was also launched at a CEP event held in Berlin, Germany: video <[link removed]>. Media coverage: EuroNews <[link removed]>.

The eGLYPH Web Crawler: ISIS Content on YouTube <[link removed]>
CEP conducted a study <[link removed]> that found that YouTube’s process for identifying and removing terrorist content is failing, and the company is not fulfilling its promise to take action against accounts that repeatedly violate their Terms of Service. The study, which used eGLYPH and a web crawler to search for video titles and keywords in videos uploaded to YouTube, found that hundreds of ISIS propaganda videos have been uploaded to the popular video sharing platform between March and June 2018, gathering thousands of views—despite YouTube’s purported content removal efforts. According to the report, the 1,348 ISIS videos uploaded gathered 163,391 views. The study also found that 60 percent of the accounts remained live on YouTube even after the videos had been removed for content violations and 91 percent of all uploaded videos were uploaded more than once. Media coverage: Scientific American <[link removed]>, Daily Mail <[link removed]>, The Sun <[link removed]>, Arab Weekly <[link removed]>, The Hill <[link removed]>.

CEP Report Reveals How ISIS Supporters are Organizing on Facebook <[link removed]>
Facebook claims it has aggressively targeted terrorist content. The CEP report, Spiders of the Caliphate: Mapping the Islamic State’s Global Support Network on Facebook <[link removed]>, lays out the shortcomings in Facebook’s approach, revealing how ISIS supporters avoid detection by using Facebook Live to host meetings and linking to banned material in comments, tricks that avoid Facebook’s automated flagging tools. CEP researchers found 1,000 pro-ISIS profiles on Facebook and six months later, 57 percent of them were still on the platform. Even worse, the report exposes how Facebook’s “recommended friends” feature helps connect disparate groups of ISIS supporters across the globe. Media coverage: Telegraph <[link removed]>, CBS News <[link removed]>, Vice News <[link removed]>, Gizmodo <[link removed]>, New York Post <[link removed]>.

CEP German Language Report Calculates the Costs of Extremism <[link removed]>
In the German language report Die Kosten des Extemismus <[link removed]> (Costs of Extremism), CEP, in partnership with the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS), tackles the complex task of defining violent extremism and evaluating its impact on society. Notably, the report establishes the first of its kind economic model and mathematical formula for calculating the true costs of violent extremist and terrorist incidents, while providing new insights into how societal behavior and decision-making is influenced far beyond that of the direct targets and victims.

CEP Study Finds YouTube Users 4x More Likely to Find Extremist Content Than Counter-Narrative Material <[link removed]>
A CEP study <[link removed]> found that extremist propaganda—including violent videos—is still readily accessible on Google-owned YouTube, far exceeding counter-narrative content. Between August 2 and August 3, 2018, CEP reviewed 649 YouTube videos for extremist and counter-narrative content, based on searches for six terms related to Islamic extremism. CEP found a decrease in the number of counter-narrative videos on YouTube since its assessment in April, indicating that Google has not improved the performance of its Redirect Method Program. CEP found only 9 videos (1.4% of the 649 videos checked) that may have included counter-narrative messaging.

Islamist Extremism

Muslim Brotherhood’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>
In The Muslim Brotherhood’s Ties to Extremists <[link removed]>, CEP details the Muslim Brotherhood’s connections to more than 40 extremists, including terrorist groups, foreign fighters, and propagandists. The Brotherhood officially maintains a platform of non-violence, but has supported violent terrorism across the Middle East. “The Muslim Brotherhood has trained terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and supported other terror organizations, such as al-Qaeda, ISIS and Hamas,” said CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace.” CEP has produced individual reports on the Sunni Islamist movement’s origins, history, violent activities, and government designations in 18 countries <[link removed]>.

Far-Right Extremism

White Supremacy Groups in America <[link removed]>
Some white supremacist groups in the United States such as the Aryan Brotherhood promote blatant racism and violence. However, more recently established organizations such as the League of the South and Identity Evropa attempt to advance white nationalism as a legitimate ideology that belongs in mainstream political and academic discussions. CEP’s Guide to White Supremacy Groups <[link removed]> profiles some of the most virulent white supremacist groups in the United States, demonstrating the diversity of white supremacist rhetoric and tactics promoting the rejection of non-white cultures.

CEP Report on the European Far-Right Reveals Some Groups Eschew Violence to Broaden Appeal <[link removed]>
More than 70 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, ethno-nationalist and white supremacist movements in Europe continue to thrive. They include far-right political parties, neo-Nazi movements, and apolitical protest groups. In its report, European Ethno-Nationalists and White Supremacy Groups <[link removed]>, CEP found that some groups openly espouse violent white supremacy, while others have propagated their radical stances under the guise of populism, claiming they are striving to protect average hardworking Europeans by preserving their livelihoods and heritages from economic and cultural threats posed by immigrants and ethnic minorities. Media coverage: Independent <[link removed]>, EU Scream <[link removed]> (interview begins at the 11-minute mark of the broadcast).

Neo-Nazi Groups Allowed to Stay on Facebook Because They ‘Do Not Violate Community Standards’ <[link removed]>
In its report, The Extreme Right on Facebook <[link removed]>, CEP documents Facebook’s failure to remove white supremacist and neo-Nazi pages that clearly violate its terms of service. CEP identified and monitored a small selection of 40 Facebook pages belonging to online stores that sell white supremacist clothing, music, or accessories, or white supremacist or neo-Nazi groups. After a period of two months, CEP reported the pages to Facebook and found that a mere four pages were removed. Media coverage: Independent <[link removed]>, La Repubblica <[link removed]>

Rehabilitation/Reintegration and Prevention

Convicted Jihadists Released from Prison Pose Pressing Challenge <[link removed]>
In a CEP-sponsored report, When Terrorists Come Home: The Need for Rehabilitating and Reintegrating America’s Convicted Jihadists <[link removed]>, Parallel Networks Co-Founders Mitch Silber and Jesse Morton warn that during the next five years, almost a quarter of U.S. terror convicts will complete their terms of imprisonment and it is unlikely their recidivism rate will be zero. Further, the United States has neither established a formal rehabilitation and re-entry program for convicted terrorists nor developed the infrastructure to support individuals upon their release. Media coverage: Daily News <[link removed]>, Fox News <[link removed]>.

French Handbook: Radicalization of Young People - Ways and Solutions for Educators <[link removed]>
In November 2018, CEP launched a practical handbook <[link removed]> for French educators. Produced in collaboration with the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (SG-CIPDR) and the European Foundation for Democracy, the guide <[link removed]> aims to help educators detect and react appropriately to sensitive situations without compromising their authority. France, like its European neighbors, is confronted with the problem of youth radicalization. Through its active engagement on this issue, CEP is working to help French educators promote integration, while recognizing the threat of radicalization. Media coverage: Le Parisien <[link removed]>, CNS News <[link removed]>, 20 Minutes <[link removed]>.

Handbook to Assist German Educators with Radicalization, Complex Cultural Issues <[link removed]>
German teachers, especially in areas with high immigrant populations, often struggle to understand and properly respond to complex and sensitive cross-cultural and religious issues, including recognizing the signs of radicalization. CEP, in concert with the European Foundation for Democracy, produced a German-language handbook, A Practitioner’s Guide on Preventing Radicalisation in Schools <[link removed]>,presenting useful options for action, and showing how educators can react to situations that are challenging in professional, legal, or emotional terms.



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