According to Reuters, the Trump Administration intends to change the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program significantly, moving it away from a broad goal of countering all violent ideologies to solely focusing on Islam, renaming it “Countering Islamic Extremism” in the process.
The CVE is one of several “counter-propaganda” efforts the government runs aimed at deterring attacks through educational programs. It of course focuses heavily on ISIS and other Islamist groups as it is, but also puts some effort into countering other extremist groups, like violent white supremacist factions.
Some in the Trump Administration, however, say that the program’s big problem is that it isn’t explicitly targeting Muslims, and that they believe being more explicit would make it a better deterrent. Others are concerned the move is going to alienate Muslim groups that had previously been working with CVE.
The Lebanese-American organization Leaders Advancing & Helping Communities has already announced it will be declining a $500,000 grant from the program, citing their concerns about the current political climate. Other groups, like Life After Hate, which rehabilitates former neo-Nazis, would be outside of the program’s purview if the change goes through.
Of course Trump wouldn’t want to target violent extremism, like the neo-nazi Ukrainian government, nor undermine whatever philosophy American leaders use to legitimize their own extreme violence, waging undeclared wars all over the world at will.
Let us remember that Trump is good at driving a wedge between different interests. The philosophy practiced by Democrats was to fight extremism and terrorism without ever linking groups like ISIS or Al-Nusra with Islam — is deeply flawed. In appearing politically correct — Democrats by implication in the eyes of ordinary Americans, blamed all Moslems. By not willing to point out to the ideology that is attracting and recruiting Moslems into their ranks — it is vaguelly making all Moslems guilty by association. The approach is good for Israel, as being able to get sympathy by Americans for their occupation of lands outside its UN defined boundaries. Never mind that issues are vastly different, the talk of terrorism almost always included all kinds of moslem terrorism, terrorism against settlers, Hezbollah repelling Israel’s incursion in Lebanon, movement for secession of South Yemen.
Even though Trump did not go far enough in defining radical Islam — at least gave it a name. Basically –by pointing finger at radical islamists, he is giving the rest of Moslems some real legs to stand on. We are dealing with Islamic cults, a doomday ideology of being “salafi”, or the true believers. All modled on the concept of feudal caliphate, rejection of secular state, secular judiciary, secular institutions or borders. And it is undeniable that all recognize Mecca as Sharia authority –a bone of contention for all secular states that have their own Sharia authority, and use Sharia by incorporating it into secular judiciary. Saudi Arabia is fighting this trend. But to fight ISIS or Al-Qaeda one must fight them as cults. First, they must be defeated militarily, and then the cult must be fought by all the social institutions st disposal. This is how US can get on its side all the people that are now being endangered by ISIS, and all the Muslims living all over the world. It is time to separate the religion from cult. And give all the moslem indtitutions a clear goal in fighting cults, and creating programs for youth countering the cult propaganda. But this will require removing all foreign radical clergy from mosques, and replacing by US citizens. This will require getting tough on Salafi centers in US — in short, having to stop Saudi prositizing of Wahhabi Saudi Sunni sect.
At present, it is unlikely, as US seems to ignore Sunni cults –responsible for 100% of attrocities in Syria and Iraq, as well as the terrorist acts all over the world, inuding Europe and US. Not one terrorist act was committed by Shia religious extremism. But Trump’s administration focus on Iran, and its supposed help in Yemen, as well as Israel’s focus on Iran or Lebanon Hezbollah — is understandable. Even with all the assurances to Israel he cannot move on any Islamic cults, until Israel and Saudi Arabia are sufficiently satisfied on Iran — or better put, taking away power from Shia population. Good example is Yemen. It was a Shia country ever since Shia people were forced to flee Mecca region about 1000 years ago. Ever since fifties Saudi Arabia tried to impose Sunni rulers, South Yemen with Sunni population was forcefully added to North Yemen. It does not matter who ruled in Teheran — even friendly Shah, Saudis and their local enablers prosecuted Shia majority. In early seventies, Shia rebellion resulted in mass executions of Shia fighters in Sana’a main square. Every day at noon. Even little boys were executed by firing squad. Right now, Saudi Srabia and US are trying to restore a”president”. to Yemen, a Sunni, never elected! It does not matter if Iran is a threat or not — Saudi Arabia and Israel would like to prevent any Shia dominated country to emerge. I guess, Iraq knows what the future holds.
These are early days. There is hope that Trump will take over flully the engagement with Iran, and allow US to fully engage with Israel and Saudi Arabia on issues that are separate from Iran, like Palestinian question and proselitising using Salafi cults.
If they scream “Radical Islam” in everybody’s face, replete with bug eyes, popping veins, and flying spittle, then all of a sudden everything will be magically OK.
What I don’t understand is why all the pretending and tiptoeing around what they really want? Why not just come out and say it?
Afraid?
The two terrorist attacks that have come closest to me personally have both been Christian Terrorists.
The Atlanta Olympic bombing was committed by a Christian Terrorist who was opposed to abortion. I’d been standing at the exact spot where that bomb went off just 24 hours before. The same Christian Terrorist set off other bombs in the Atlanta area, and everyone was at a place I’d been. Although thankfully not as close as 24 hours.
Now I live in Colorado, and again the terrorist attack that struck closest to me was another Christian Terrorist. A Christian Terrorist walked into a Planned Parenthood clinic, carrying firearms and other objects. He opened fire on people in the parking lot. The ‘other objects’ created a bomb scare after the murdering Christian was stopped by police.
What was fascinating to watch was that the authorities went to great lengths not to call the attack a ‘terrorist’ attack, but what else do you call some crazy guy with a cause and a gun who just starts killing strangers because he thinks God has told him to do so? This act of Christian terror was quickly pushed to the background by the San Bernandino attack a few weeks later. But for me personally, while that attack was thousands of miles away, the murdering Christian Terrorist was just down the highway from me.
Muslim terrorist don’t ever attack within a thousand miles of me (knock on wood), but having murderous Christian extremist terrorist kill people around me seem to be keep happening over the decades.
America’s war with the Muslim world began shortly after the collapse of the USSR. It is unlikely to end soon. — http://www.twf.org/News/Y2004/1026-JusticeGreed.pdf