Defining Key Terms

Defining terms on such a topic can be challenging given the inconsistency in their use and understanding. There is no consensus as to who is an extremist or a terrorist. One person’s extremist may be another person’s hero, and while all extremists do not become terrorists, all terrorists are most certainly extremists (Davies, 2009). Concepts related to violent extremism are especially problematic because they are politically and emotionally charged human phenomena (Brani , 2012) in which “people of every race, culture and creed have used violence to forward their political interests” (Barnes, 2012). Nevertheless, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the concepts in order to suggest what kind of education would be most effective in CVE.

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