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ISIS – Analysis and Comment

Yazidi children hold pictures of Nadia Murad, one of two winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, in Duhok, Iraq, Oct. 5, 2018. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

Warriors against sexual violence win Nobel Peace Prize: 4 essential reads

With the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to two leaders who fight against sexual violence as a tool of war, we looked into our archive to find stories about those efforts across the globe.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes his seat to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington in April 2018 about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Big Tech is overselling AI as the solution to online extremism

Many tech titans say they can self-regulate online hate speech and extremism with artificial intelligence, but can they?
The World Trade Center burns after being hit by planes in New York Sept. 11, 2001. Reuters/Sara K. Schwittek

Why al-Qaida is still strong 17 years after 9/11

An unprecedented onslaught from the US hasn’t destroyed the terrorist organization. What is the secret of its resilience?
Iraqis carry the picture of three men who were kidnapped and executed by Islamic State during a funeral procession in Karbala, southern Iraq, in June 2018. EPA-EFE/FURQAN AL-AARAJI

Islamic State has survived 100,000 bombs and missiles and is still active

The wars against Islamic State and al-Qaida show that military responses may seem to work in the short term but don’t change much in the long run.
Anti-terror police guard the house of the family that detonated bombs in Surabaya, Indonesia, May 15 2018. Fully Handoko/EPA

How people become suicide bombers: the six steps to terrorism

To prevent people from climbing the staircase to terrorism, educating people about the values of tolerance should start early.
Members of the Iraqi police forces sit outside a building in the city of Fallujah on June 30, 2016 after they’ve recaptured the city from Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP

How Saddam Hussein’s old ideology may have contributed to the modern Islamic State

Was the early conception of IS a branching-out of the old Baath party? Or was it, as some argue, completely separate with no connection at all? Reality is probably a bit of a mix of both.
Mubin Shaikh, a Toronto-born de-radicalization expert, speaks during a counter-terrorism event in Germany in May 2015. U.S. Army

De-radicalization can work for former ISIS fighters

No country is immune to terrorism, but de-radicalizing people who have been attracted to terrorist organizations like ISIS can work.
ISIS has been using fantastical propaganda on social media that describes the Islamic State as a land that is full of happiness to recruit supporters. shutterstock.com

On social media, ISIS uses fantastical propaganda to recruit members

ISIS may have lost most of their territory, but it’s important to be aware that ISIS can still utilise the Internet and social media to recruit people and to spread their fantastical propaganda.
A nine-year-old boy plays on his damaged street in Mosul, Iraq in this July 2017 photo. U.S.-backed forces have wrested Mosul from the Islamic State, and the terrorist group lost Raqqa, in northern Syria, last month. Nonetheless the Islamic State is using virtual information sessions to keep its members committed to the cause. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

How the Islamic State uses ‘virtual lessons’ to build loyalty

Despite the fact that the Islamic State is on the run, the terrorist group still manages to inspire, motivate and maintain the social identity and cohesion of its members. Here’s how.
Is religion inherently violent? Some believe so, but secular individuals and institutions have proven to be just as violent. (Shutterstock)

Challenging the notion that religion fosters violence

Many think that violence is central to religion, but some scholars argue it’s meaningless to single out religion rather than socio-economic factors when assessing violent acts.
Police investigate the scene where a car crashed into a roadblock during a suspected terrorist attack in Edmonton on Sept. 30. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

How terrorists use propaganda to recruit lone wolves

The recent Edmonton attack raises questions about a new type of terrorism and the different methods required to stop it. Labelling such attacks as the work of a “lone wolf” obscures a larger problem.
Though British officials have foiled far more terrorist plots than they’ve missed, the United Kingdom is on edge after its fifth terrorist attack this year alone. Reuters/Kevin Coombs

London train bombing: Why is Europe seeing so many terrorist attacks?

The September 15 London train bombing that injured 30 was the UK’s fifth terror attack this year. A security expert looks at why Europe has been seeing more frequent and bloodier jihadist assaults.
A makeshift memorial to the victims of the terrorist attack in Barcelona. Police killed five men August 18 believed to have been involved. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

Are Islamic State recruits more street gang members than zealots?

With terrorists striking again in Spain and in Finland, one cannot help but ask – again – why people want to follow the Islamic State. Some new theories are emerging.