Frmr White Supremacist & Deradicalized ISIS Wife Lobby ALEC to Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE)
Human Rights Group Finds Supportive Legislators at ALEC Conference
Plans to Bring Effort to TN, AZ, AK, FL, NV, GA, and OH
[SCOTTSDALE, AZ] — A former neo-Nazi along with a deradicalized ex-wife of an ISIS leader received a welcoming audience this week as they lobbied lawmakers at the annual American Legislative Exchange Council Conference in Scottsdale, AZ. The human rights organization Clarion Project, which was there to present its program, “Preventing Violent Extremism,” organized the effort.
Shireen Qudosi, co-Director of the program and a prominent Muslim Reformer presented the program during the National Security Task Force.
“The conference was, hands-down, one of the best platforms we have experienced in the effort to prevent violent extremism across the country,” said Qudosi. “Not only were local lawmakers supportive, but so many are genuinely excited about bringing the program to their states.”
After presentations to Congress, the State Department and the DHS, the PVE training has gained significant traction lately as experts see it as a way to combat the rise of school shootings, hate crimes and reduce the threat of homegrown terrorism like 2013’s Boston Marathon Bombing or the Charleston church shooting. According to the 2019 Global Terrorism Index Report, one in every three mass shootings is now identified as a terror attack.
Qudosi was joined by Tania Joya, once married to ISIS’s number two in command for US propaganda, who now works with Clarion Project to promote the PVE program in the United States and abroad. Also joining the effort was Frank Meeink, the former white supremacist whose life was portrayed by the actor Edward Norton in the award-winning film, American History X. Meeink has committed his life to fighting against hate and racism.
“We are extremely grateful to ALEC for this wonderful opportunity to work with local legislators to prevent violent extremism,” said Qudosi. “Every parent, every educator, and community leader deserves preparation, and every child deserves to be protected.”
Clarion plans to work with local legislators to bring PVE back to their communities where local officials, schools, and law enforcement can train leaders in identifying and addressing risk factors. Clarion Project also provides schools a series of workshops that offer a positive counter-message for youth against the lure of extremist ideologies.
The training follows a three-stage strategy:
∙ Understanding how radicalization and recruitment processes work.
∙ Identifying the vulnerabilities in a child that can be exploited by extremist recruiters.
∙ Presenting a lecture series on PVE that puts academic and field research right into the
hands of the communities most impacted and at risk.
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