In G20 protests, a different view of extremism
For Germans, in particular, last weekend was eye-opening.聽
For some time, the country has been concerned about its far-right political fringe. Recent years have seen rallies by Pegida, an anti-Islamic group, gain momentum,聽as well as those by the far-right Alternative for Germany聽party. Germany, it seemed, was in the midst of its own turn to the populist right.
But at the聽Group of 20 summit聽last weekend, something entirely different came to the fore: left-wing extremism. Germans were shocked by what they saw in the streets of Hamburg: protesters turning the event into a gallery of water cannons and broken glass.聽
We鈥檝e seen this before, at the 1999 Seattle聽World Trade Organization聽protests, at聽President Trump's聽inauguration, and elsewhere: a class of hardened left-wing protesters turning free expression into something darker. The German Ministry recently concluded:聽鈥淚n the past few years the acceptance and intensity of violence in the far-left scene has聽noticeably increased. This is especially true of violence against police and political enemies (particularly real or imagined right-wing extremists.),鈥� according to the German news agency聽.
The point is not to chart right-wing and left-wing violence in order to assign blame and decide which is worse. The point is to recognize that extremism in whatever form is a red flag 鈥� a signal that sections of society are feeling so impotent and adrift that they聽see聽no choice but to resort to violence and extremist ideologies.聽
One expert has long seen聽more similarities than differences聽among extremists. Daniel Koehler聽of the German Institute on Radicalization and聽De-radicalization聽Studies has worked with neo-Nazis and Islamic State recruits.聽
鈥淭hey talk a lot about justice. They talk a lot about freedom. They want to change the society into a positive direction. They believe that they're doing something good for humanity,鈥� he told聽.
Indeed, for many radicals, violence is a desperate, though misguided, step to do good, he said. 鈥淧ositive aspects like quest for significance, justice, help [for the] poor,聽[defense of]聽women and children, Syria, delivering humanitarian aid,鈥� he said.聽
What聽kindles violence聽is the mix with the negative: 鈥渢hey have not felt that they are part of a society,鈥� Mr. Koehler said.聽
Koehler鈥檚 answer: Flip the equation. Take away the bad influences and turn up the volume on the good, like finding role models for extremists to look up to, he told the Monitor鈥檚 Warren Richey for his聽ISIS in America聽series. 聽
鈥淭he only thing we can do is build up the family or the social environment as a counterforce,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is the only way we can succeed.鈥�
It might sound like Parenting 101. In many ways,聽it is. And that puts the battle against extremism of all stripes in a different light.
