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'Best remedy for load speech is more speech'

US counterterrorism specialist on combating radicalisation

Mohammad Jamil Khan
****"Shulling down websites or removing content from the internet is not sufficient to really address those issues [radicalisation]. The techniques that have proven to work better over time are alternative narratives."****
John T Godfrey, deputy coordinator for regional and multilateral affairs, Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism under the US Department of State, was in Dhaka on a two-day (August 18,19) visit.
During the visit, Godfrey - who is responsible for the Bureau’s Office of South and Central Asia and the Near East; Office of Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas; and the Office of Multilateral Affairs - attended a roundtable on "counterterrorism and countering violent extremism" at the US embassy with academics, journalists and experts from other relevant sectors. In an interview, he shared his views on the subject with The Daily Star.
Are you partnering with Bangladesh in countering violent extremism?
Godfrey: Yes, we are The [US| embassy has a range of programmes in partnership with the government of Bangladesh. These are implemented in different parts of the country and target different groups who are considered to be at risk.
What is your take on violent extremism in Bangladesh?
Godfrey: Bangladesh obviously has had the unfortunate experience of acts of terrorism committed here, some of them recently. I think the one that grabbed everyone's attention was the terrible attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in 2016, and following the incident, the government took a number of steps to dismantle the network that had conducted that attack.
There has been some success in dealing with that particular threat. 1 think there's concern regarding Bangladesh being located in a region where Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups have shown interest in trying to develop capacity and perhaps even establish a presence. Going forward, a high level of attention on efforts to mitigate that threat is needed.
Bangladesh has decided that it will not allow foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) to return to the country. Do you think this will help in addressing the issue?
Godfrey: Our policy is that FTFs' countries of origin
I would say AQIS very much fits in that broader trend.
Self-radicalisation through online content has became a major threat. What would be your suggestion to stop the "lone-wolf' or "wolf pack" attacks and home-grown radicalisation? Godfrey: It is not possible to give a simple answer to this. It's a complex challenge that involves a range of efforts running in parallel to and complementing each other to help change the mentality of individuals who are self-radicalised and also the environment.
It's important to understand that often people go through traumatic events or challenges that leave them vulnerable to radicalisation. Having systems, programmes in place that allow people to understand what those signs of radicalisation look like - when someone is going through that kind of experience - provide for effective intervention to
steer people off the path of radicalisation.
It's a challenging task but it's something really important - particularly in societies where there are people who feel marginalised for a number of reasons.
Will shutting down websites be enough for combating radicalisation?
Godfrey: Unfortunately, again this is an issue where there is no single solution. Shutting down websites or removing content from the internet is not sufficient to really address those issues. The techniques that have proven to work better over time are alternative narratives or so-called counter narratives.
In the US, we would say "the best remedy for bad speech is more speech". That right to free expression is enshrined in our constitution and that's the way we approach this particular issue. I would say, in many societies one of the things we have seen as a contributing factor of radicalisation by IS and AQIS and other extremist groups is the absence of messages that counter what those groups are putting out. It's something all societies need to particularly focus on.
What should be the government's
approach in countering violent extremism?
Godfrey: One of the important things for any government is to have a healthy dialogue with actors outside of government — that include civil society and nongovernmental organisations, religious leaders, community leaders etc.
I think it allows governments to have a much better and more accurate understanding of the challenges that people are facing within society and of the dynamics that are driving things like radicalisation.