General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOne of DT's first acts in office was to exempt white supremacists from an anti-terrorist program.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-extremists-program-exclusiv-idUSKBN15G5VO?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5892aff004d3012ade6d4b39&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitterWASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Trump administration wants to revamp and rename a U.S. government program designed to counter all violent ideologies so that it focuses solely on Islamist extremism, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The program, "Countering Violent Extremism," or CVE, would be changed to "Countering Islamic Extremism" or "Countering Radical Islamic Extremism," the sources said, and would no longer target groups such as white supremacists who have also carried out bombings and shootings in the United States.
SNIP
Hoda Hawa, director of policy for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said she was told last week by people within DHS that there was a push to refocus the CVE effort from tackling all violent ideology to only Islamist extremism.
"That is concerning for us because they are targeting a faith group and casting it under a net of suspicion," she said.
marybourg
(12,708 posts)they want to do it. Am I mis-reading?
pnwmom
(109,068 posts)This was written this month, after the former head of the program resigned.
https://www.justsecurity.org/43882/resignation-george-selim-implications-cve-u-s/
Its clear the Trump administration will now only support work focused on a single form of violent extremism: Islamist. Life After Hate, which works with far-right extremists, and had been approved for funding during the waning days of the Obama administration, was not awarded funds by the Trump administration. This, despite clear evidence that attacks committed by right-wing violent extremist groups have killed far more people in the U.S. than those committed by radical Islamist groups or individuals. There are also clear indications that singling out the American Muslim community as the sole focus of such efforts may serve to further alienate communities whose cooperation is critical to staunching ISIS recruitment and the growth of homegrown violent extremism.