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
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.
Aftermath of the 2016 Berlin attack.
EPA/Rainer Jensen
Attacks like the one in Berlin harm democracy because they spread fear and self-censorship among citizens.
Today’s violent extremists can draw inspiration from material online and through media coverage of sensational acts of violence.
Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch
We have become used to hearing stories of ‘increased chatter’ and ‘high alerts’ when it comes to terrorism. Doesn’t that mean intelligence agencies should know enough to prevent attacks?
What’s in the mind of a solo attacker?
Man with gun image via shutterstock.com
Lone offender – sometimes called “lone wolf” – attacks may become a more prevalent threat. What can we understand about them and the people who carry them out?
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo at the site of an explosion in Chelsea, New York.
REUTERS
A year of violence continues with bombs in NYC and a stabbing in Minnesota, leaving many asking, why? A psychologist explains what research has revealed about the minds of violent extremists.
Encounters at an open day at a Paris mosque.
Charles Platiau/Reuters
How literary analysis led one scholar to develop a theory of how immigrants become connected to their host society – and therefore unlikely to attack it.
Islam is not a monolith, and understanding its source code has value for everyone.
Amit Dave/Reuters
Undertaking a Muslim education – coming to understand the faith’s teachings and its ideas about humanity – can have enormous value for anyone who wishes to tackle social conflicts.
A picture paints a thousand words, which can be manipulated into a false narrative.
Shutterstock/1000words
While the French public comes to terms with a series of appalling attacks, politicians seize the opportunity to position themselves ahead of next year’s Presidential election.
Nice attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel exemplifies how quickly ideology can be adopted.
EPA
The French novel uniquely blends social critique, personal struggle, entertainment and aesthetics – underpinned by an irony that winks at human weakness. Can it help us in these dark days of extremist violence?
There are calls for Australia to focus on early intervention strategies to steer young people away from the path to radicalisation in the wake of events like the Nice attack.
Reuters/Eric Gaillard
The UK’s experience with its Prevent strategy over nearly a decade urges caution in how Australia should approach its own efforts to counter the threat of radicalisation.
The far right isn’t afraid to admit to fear in the wake of brutal attacks like the one in Nice. More mainstream politicians would be wise to follow suit.
The death in Nice on Bastille Day was live streamed in sickening detail.
Tragic and violent events are increasingly being live streamed to the world. Are we learning something from these graphic visuals – or are we wallowing in voyeurism and confirming our prejudices?
Social media campaigns such as #PrayForNice have been accused of being discriminatory for focusing on Western attacks, but research shows that familiarity and location are more relevant.
The Promenade des Anglais July 17.
Eric Gaillard/Reuters