Inecent}(ears.theUnitedStateshasseenallumWroflodivrduais10the
U.S.
IoocomeInvolvedfn,l(lolentextremlstacilvlfies,withcpartlcularactlillty
by
American residentsandcitizensinspired
by
alQaetlaandttsideolegy.Weknowthat1Ii0lentextremls~IsnotconfineCltoanysingleIdeology,butwealsoknowthatthethreat posedbyalQaedaand
Its
adherentsisthepreeminentthreatwefaceInthehomeland,targetingMuslim:MIeficsncQmmunities(orrecruitment.AccordinglY.Illsurgent forlaw,enforcementpersonneltobeapproprtatelytrainedInunderstandlng,anddetectingIdeologicllllymotivatedcriminalbehavior,andInworkingwithcommunitiesand local'lawenforcementtocounterdornesttcviolentextremism.Trainingmustbe,basedon
current
Intelligenceandanaccurate
understanding
ofhowpeople-are radicalizedtoviolence,andmustincludeculturalcompetencytrainingso-thatourpersonnel
do
not,mlsta~e.forexample;varioustypes
of
relfgiousobservanceasasign •ofterroristInclination.MiSinformationaboutthethreatanddyr'lar,nicsof'vIolentradIcalizationcanharm
our
securltybysendingus.Inthewrongdirectionand. unnecessarilycreatingtenslonswithpotentialcommunity.partners, TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity,inpartnershipwiththeNationalCounterterrorismCenter,hostsaninter-agencyworkinggrouptobringtogetherbestpracticesin CounteringViolentExtremism(CVE)training.Thegrouphaspreparedthissuggestedlistof Do's'and Don'ts tipsforfederal,state,andlocalgovernmentandlaw enforcementofficialsorganizingCVE,culturalawareness,
counter-redicallzatlon,
orcounterterrorismtraining..
 
Trainingobjectives should
be
focused'
and
clear1.Matchtrainingcontenttotheaudiencemember'sjobs Materialshouldberelevantancusefultothosebeingtrainee .
Forexample.aproram
designed
for
counterterrorisrn
(CT)
investigators
likely
wit 
00\
beappropriateforothers.Training
sholild
meet
Y lII
sed it:
objectives.
1.
Don'tuseprogramsthatventuretoodeepintotheweedsofreligiousdoctrineandhistory.WhileInteresting.suchdetails willonlybeofusetothemostspecializedlawenforcement personnel;thesetopicsarenotnecessaryinorder-to understandthe,community..
 
Training
objectivee
shouldnothavea politicalagenda SeekoutlrainirlgprovidedbyindividualswhobekmrJto
lar'gel
organizations
with
public
constituencies.Atraining
provider
with
a
publicconstituencyisless.susceptibletointerest
group politics.
2.Seekout
[raining
thatprovidesopportunities
for
further learning
aile 
fostersself-studyTheseMe
complex
topics requiringon-goirlg
leaming.
1.
Don'tusetrainingwilliapolitical.agenda.Thisisnotthetime totrytopersuadeaudiences,
for
example,onviewsabouttheIsraeli/Palestinianconflict,reformationwithinIslam,orthe properrole
of
IslaminmajOrilyMuslimnations.2.Don'tusetrainerswhoanswerprimarily
to
interestgroups.Forexample.trainerswhoareself-professed Muslim reformers mayfurtheraninterestgroupagendainsteadofdeliveringgeneraIlY'accepted,unbiasedinformation.
3.
Don'tusetrainingthatpurportstotellstudents alltheyneed
toknow :
such.trainersarelikelymoreinterestedinsaJe§than·education.Trainerswhodiscouraqeextra-curricular educationarefearfulofdifferingviewpoints.
 
2.
Don'tuseprogramsthatgeneralizeaboutappearance,nationaloriginorothersimilarcharacteristicsinanattemptto identify indicators or types'ofpeoplelikelytocarryoutacts ofviolentextremism.AVOidsuchexamples-sachangeinbeardshape,listenstohip.hopmusic,fromaspecific religiousbranch,etc.Theseindicatorsareinaccurate.
3.
Don'tusetrainingthatisoverbroad,equatinganentire religio~,nation,region,'orculturewithevilorviolence,For example,ilisincorrectanddamagingtoassert
tbat
allMuslimshaveterroristties..
I ~ 
-----.---- --.f---- ------- - --.---
 ;held
th<lt
lr.Jin n'd
proll; ;es
oper2.tiol:uibc)~,~
P 
aC(icc:s'0;
1
c
Don't'usetrainingthatisall warstories, whichmayrelytoo
\'ow
it.;
eng<lge(e
iJ
shoes
offinmosquesill
fAu ;,,,muchonoutdatedinformationandoverqenerailzations.
.4. , ·),i ; <1
communities)so
i.ri\in~)rJ
f:rS()nne'
Gan
conkbnliy
Regalinganaudiencewithablow-by-blowaccountofa2003
I? i'<9a9ii.
teirorism,investlgationdoesnotaddressthechangingnature ofviolentextremismwefacetoday.Trainingshould besensitiveto constitutionalvalues
D
Trainingshouldbe appropriatelytailored andsupported Revi ,wmetraining
.program
to
ensurethat
it
usesexamples todemonstratethatterrorists
span
ethniclty.
race.
gender.andj(~Ii(:J.iOri. 2Lopk.fortrainingthatfocusesonbehaviorsoverappearances
01'
1 ,3<1; S.
3.LOOK
fortraining
thatsupportstne
protacllon
ofGi'lilright,,;and
c.ivHHbnrtiesaspartofnational
sf::curHv_
'2Choo'~e
H
trairWlg
thEll
I :lrailarsc)(0
y01/f
{1iJd.iBnGl~,Ls.a
;n~il)inn
fo;
i
t
te iig8n(;e
pfofB:;;slon~11:,v[Hi$\ (058
terii(lnoln}H-'
\'lh·::.:reas(-1
Iff;inii1g
for
 ;:p. i
 (lfc;Cen;ent
~NiH
:::I( i:~,~:~)
 ltBTCf(:Hon
1.
bon'tusetrainingthatequatesradicalthought.religious .expression,freedomtoprotest,orotherconstitutionally- protectedaCtivity.withcriminal.acttvlty,Onecanhave'radical thoughts/idaas.includingdislikingtheU.S.government, withoutbeingviolent;forexample,trainerswhoequatethe .desireforSharialawwithcriminalaclivilyviolatebasicIenets of
the-
FirstAmendment.2.Don'tusetrainingthatpurportstoteachpsychological lndlcatorsofterrorism.Keeptrainingprogramsfocusedon criminalbehavior,notmenIalprocesses,3.Don'tusetrainingthatreasonsbroadlyfromanecdotal evidencere.q..OmarHammamlstartedtowearmore religiousclothing,therefore,startingtowearreligiousgarbis anindicatorofterrorism.
 
E
r iners ndtr iningb ckgroundshouldbe expert nd
well-
regardedThoroughlyreviewtheprospectivetrainer'sbiographyand resumetoensureheorshehasWbjectmatterexpertise andexperiencedeiivenngtrainmgonthatspecificsubject matter.
2.C.eck
formedia
or
othercoveragehighlightingeither successesorconcerns
about
thetrainerortraining. 3.Contactotheragencieswhohavereceivedtramir.gtoget formalorinformalfee<lbacl<onthecourseortrainer.
4
Requeststudentfeedbackwhenshoppingfor
a
training provider,Thecomprehensiveness
of
thefeedback providedindicatesthetransparencyof
theprovider.
Comprehensivestudentfeedbackwillrevealwhetherthe curriculumisrelevantforyourparticular
objectiveand
whetherthecuniculumispoinicized
5.Obser_
trainingbeforebuyin,•if
possible
6.Intervieweachprospectiveinstructorabouthisorher experienceinthespecifiedtopic.whichshouldinclude educationandworkexperience.notmerelynationalor re igiousbackqrouno.
i 
Ensurethatal writtenmaterialsarersvie
l 
carefullyby personswith
aunderstandingof
tile
relevant communities.
If
possible,
vet
willi
trustericommunity
contacts. 8Eraluatetheprospective
trainer
duringandaftercourse delivery,andactontheevaluation. 1.Don'tassumethatbecausesomeoneisAraborMuslimandhas lawenforcementexperiencethatheorsheisaqualifiedcultural competencytrainer.(Nate,too,thatnotallArabsareMuslims andnotallMuslimsareArabs.)
2.
Don'tuseatrainerortrainingthathasreceivedrepeated externalnegativefeedback.
3.
Don'tuseatrainerwithareputationforcontentthatdisrespects civilrightsorcivilliberties.Forinstance,trainerswhosuggest thatthereisalwaysprobablecausetoarrestanindividualwho hasmultiplespellingsandvariationsofhisnameviolatefederal lawandlongstandinglawenforcementpoliciesandprocedures,
4.
Don'tuseatrainerwhohasnoexperienceorsubjectmatter expertiseonthetopics.Forexample,trainerswhoareteaching  counterterrorism courses.buthavenocounterterrorism experienceshouldraiseredflags.
5.
Don'tusetrainingthatmakesmeaninglessoroverbroadconclusionsabouttheconnectionbetweensuspiciousactivity andculture.Oneexampleofsuchundersupportedconclusions mightbetrainingthatstatesthatonelessonlearnedfrom terrorismisthatsomeofthe
9
hijackershadsimilarnames. Inreality,manyAmericanMuslimshavesimilarnames,and similarnamesdonotiridicateterroristactivity.
 
Trainingshould adheretogovernment standardsandefforts
1.
Ensure
thatthe
training
alignswith
thefederalapproacn
to
CVE.:includingpriOfilizingciv(i rights,and8iv1llibertiesand buildingpartnerships
with
cornrnunities.
(S.ae
theWhite HouseApproachtoCounteringViolentExtremism http://www:whitehouse.gov/sites/defauIUfiles/ empoweringlocal'partners,pdD
2,Note.Counlerinq
violentextremismprogram'sdifferfrom countenerrorismKrf)programs.
eVE
programsfocws
011
devetopmqtrust.ent,ancirigcommunityresiliency.and protectingciv lrightsandcivilhberties.CTprogramsfocus ondevelopingsources,ir1I1·9stigatiflg.arresting,and prosecetmqcriniin.alactivity.lralningObjectivesfor
eVE
programsshouldrel1ec\thisapproach. 3.Reachouttoe:<istingqcvernrnenttrainingeftortsunderway fortheirsponsor'sinput 1.Don'tuseatrainerwhoclaimstohaveinformationbetterthan theU.S.tlovernmentoracademics.Justbecausesomeone speakswithauthoritydoesnot.meanheorshehasaumority.
2.
InlinewiththeNationalSecurityStrategy,don'tusetrainingthat treatstheAmericanMuslimcommunityasaproblemratherthan asapartner.ThePresident,theSecretary
of
HomelandSecurity,andtheAttorneyGeneralhaveallstatedthat communitiesarepart·ofthesolution,notpartoftheproblem. 3.Don't-usetrainingthatreliesonfearorconspiraciestomotivate lawenforcement.Don'tusetrainingpremisedontheorieswith littleornoevidencetosupportthem.Exarnptes(fromthereport  ManufacturingtheMusliniMena~·)ofunsubsiantiated theoriesinclude:
a.
ManymainstreamMuslim
orqanizaliona
haveterroristties. b.MainstreamMuslimorganizationsarefrontsforIslamic politicalorganizationswhosetruedesireistoestablishSharia lawinAmerica.MuslimAmericansareusingdemocratic processes,likelitigationandfreespeech,tosubvert democracyandinstallshanalaw.
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