Inside Arab nation's battle against radicalism as top official warns of threat brewing on Europe's streets
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A senior Emirati official is warning that demonstrations in Europe have crossed a line from political expression into a national security threat, arguing that extremism must be confronted before it turns violent.
Key points
- Kruse, an organizational psychologist who helped establish Hedayah in 2012, described radicalization as a process that can begin with ideas, develop through emotional responses and, in some cases, lead to violent behavior.
- "When we talk about countering extremism and terrorism, we understand and realize that no one country, no one institution, no one individual can deal with this on their own," Kruse told Fox News Digital.
- The distinction is central to the UAE's tolerance strategy: rather than waiting until extremist beliefs turn into violence, Kruse argues that societies must invest in education, community engagement and other preventive measures that address the underlying drivers of radicalization.
RESCUE EXPERT WARNS FLYDUBAI HIJACKING ATTEMPT SHOWS US, ALLIES ARE ‘PLAYING CHECKERS’ AGAINST TERROR THREAT That philosophy becomes visible in a very different setting across Abu Dhabi: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
Additional details
- Kruse's argument is not that education replaces counterterrorism operations, but that security alone cannot address the ideas and human vulnerabilities that recruiters exploit, and a holistic approach is needed.
- During a visit to the sprawling white-marble landmark, Fox News Digital passed displays on the approach to the prayer halls emphasizing tolerance, mutual respect and the legacy of the UAE's founding president….
- The operation targeted online role-playing content promoting jihadist, far-right, far-left and anarchist violence, including material that could draw minors toward extremist networks.
- Kruse pointed to the experiences of former extremists who abandoned radical movements, arguing that their stories demonstrate the possibilities for rehabilitation and reintegration.
- 3, Europol reported that authorities from 16 countries had referred more than 9,000 links to extremist and terrorist material appearing across 47 social media and gaming platforms.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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