While the threat of radicalized Muslims gets a lot of attention, another source of homegrown terror is often overlooked. That threat comes from militia, white supremacists, sovereign citizens, and other right-wing groups. Since the 2008 presidential election there has been a sharp uptick in radical rightwing (and to a less publicized extent leftwing) movements. There was a 2009 US Department of Homeland Security report on this uptick, which faced strong conservative criticism. GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich accused DHS of "smearing veterans and conservatives."
The FBI recently said it is increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorism committed by sovereign citizens, whose ideology, according to AFP, rejects government authority, refuses to pay taxes, does not recognize US currency, and has a tendency to engage in violence. Such ideology spawned the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995. Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's counterterror division Stuart McArthur said, "The ideology itself promotes violence and encourages violence. We want to focus on this particular threat."
The FBI's announcement comes on the heels of a Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security study proposing the perceived threat of radicalized American Muslims is unfounded. Charles Kurzman, author of the report, said such terrorism poses "a minuscule threat to public safety." The study found 20 Muslim Americans were charged in violent plots or attacks in 2011, down from 26 in 2010 and a high of 47 in 2009. He also wrote a book entitled, "The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists." As such, he does have a vested interest in the issue.
I would not go so far as saying radicalized Muslims pose a "minuscule" threat, but I do think much of the fear and suspicion our fellow Americans who happen to be Muslim face is unfounded and only isolates an important swath of our society. Much more attention should be paid toward extreme right wing groups intent on lashing out at a country that dares to elect a man named Barack Hussein Obama to office.
The FBI recently said it is increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorism committed by sovereign citizens, whose ideology, according to AFP, rejects government authority, refuses to pay taxes, does not recognize US currency, and has a tendency to engage in violence. Such ideology spawned the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995. Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's counterterror division Stuart McArthur said, "The ideology itself promotes violence and encourages violence. We want to focus on this particular threat."
The FBI's announcement comes on the heels of a Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security study proposing the perceived threat of radicalized American Muslims is unfounded. Charles Kurzman, author of the report, said such terrorism poses "a minuscule threat to public safety." The study found 20 Muslim Americans were charged in violent plots or attacks in 2011, down from 26 in 2010 and a high of 47 in 2009. He also wrote a book entitled, "The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists." As such, he does have a vested interest in the issue.
I would not go so far as saying radicalized Muslims pose a "minuscule" threat, but I do think much of the fear and suspicion our fellow Americans who happen to be Muslim face is unfounded and only isolates an important swath of our society. Much more attention should be paid toward extreme right wing groups intent on lashing out at a country that dares to elect a man named Barack Hussein Obama to office.
No comments:
Post a Comment