الطريق لمكافحة التطرف: اكتشافه المبكر

Abstract

Grave consequences of any act of terrorism necessitate intense efforts to prevent its occurrence. Prevention of extremism, which begins with the detection of potential extremists, is the most effective means to prevent such acts. Accordingly, this paper elaborates the development of reliable measurement tools in the early detection of potential extremists, as this detection constitutes the foundation and main starting point for the success of strategies to combat terrorism and extremism. Hence, the last decade witnessed a growing interest in the development of such tools worldwide.
This paper aims to introduce early detection tools for extremists, and to draw the attention of those concerned with combating extremism to these tools, especially in the absence of an Arab contribution, in research and practice, in this field.
Among the recommendations offered in this paper, the most prominent is that counter-terrorism programs should incorporate measuring tools for extremism risk factors. Moreover, the paper focused on the need to develop a cooperation mechanism among security and research institutions to obtain factual information that reveals the link between religious fanaticism and extremism, the reasons why a religious person turns to extremism, and the factors behind that. Such information represents the basis of tools appropriate to our culture and helps with early detection of potential extremists.