ISIS has brought terrorist propaganda to a new level, targeting its main audiences in nearly two dozen languages with up to 90,000 tweets every day. Governments have generally been at a loss as how to counter the ISIS narrative with persuasive counter-arguments to reduce its attraction for rebellious Muslim youths…

In contemporary Norway, the mere referral to the term racism has for all practical purposes become taboo in the public sphere. This is both the result of a strategic far-right distancing from classical forms of racism and a conscious effort by numerous Norwegian academics and public intellectuals to restrict its…

Azerbaijan has emerged relatively recently from the Soviet system and sits in a politically sensitive neighbourhood. Regional powers have in the past co-operated with and supported local groups often seeking to destabilise the country in order to promote their own agendas. In such an environment, a delicate balancing act continues…

This essay examines the involvement of ethnic Albanian foreign fighters in the conflict in Syria and Iraq with a particular focus on Kosovo Albanians, given their higher participation rate in the conflict. It explores regional historical and contextual conditions conducive to religious radicalization among ethnic Albanians, assesses the scale of…

Lying at the crossroads between East and West and South and North, the South Caucasus is situated at the intersection of Eurasia’s major energy and transport corridors. An important geostrategic region, for centuries it has been the theatre of competition between regional powers, including the Persian, Russian, and Ottoman Empires….

The following report will present an in-depth analysis of violent extremism and religious radicalization as a national and international phenomenon. A comparative approach will be adopted in assessing the international and regional dynamics of this phenomenon. In turn, this report will provide a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic, ideological and…

This study has collected, generated, and analyzed data on the phenomenon of religious radicalization and violent extremism with the aim of informing policy-making and stakeholders involved in addressing this phenomenon and the challenges interrelated with it. The research methodology approaches the identification and comprehensive analysis of the context by employing a variety of sources to understand the extent and relevance of several factors…

As we gather for the 51st Munich Security Conference, a particularly difficult year in international security policy lies behind us. Over the past twelve months, numerous crises have developed into crucial challenges and threats to international peace and security in ways that many decision makers and analysts did not see…

The current flow of foreigners to Syria and Iraq is remarkable not only for its scale, but also for its inclusion of many women. Much has been written about the male fighters who migrate to engage in the conflict there; these fighters are prolific on social media and share details…

The nature and scale of foreign fighter departures from Western states is unprecedented. This report focuses on the challenges of national-local partnerships within the context of countering the threat posed by foreign fighters. The primary objective of the report is to outline the ways in which national agencies are approaching…

Pakistan is one of the most strategically important countries for the United States and the Muslim world, particularly in regards to countering violent extremism (CVE). In lieu of a robust government-led strategy, Pakistan’s civil society has had to take the lead in CVE. This paper analyzes existing initiatives and their…

In this issue, authors from Asia and Europe analyse the factors that have contributed to the recent development of fundamentalism and terrorism in the Middle East and to discuss the implications of terrorism on societies in Asia and Europe. Special attention are given to the recruitment of young people, the…