APNewsBreak: Effort to stem homegrown US extremism launches

[inanna]

Source: Associated Press

Dec. 8, 2016 2:06 PM ET

BOSTON (AP) — A federally backed effort to stem the rise of homegrown extremists is underway in Massachusetts, nearly three years after the White House announced the initiative on the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and injured hundreds.

The state last week selected three local organizations to use $210,000 in federal money earmarked for the pilot effort, The Associated Press learned through a request of public records. The organizations propose a variety of initiatives meant to improve the prospects of youths so they aren't drawn to the violent messages of extremist groups.

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Local critics in Massachusetts complain the focus on Somalis and other predominantly Muslim minority communities runs counter to the program's stated mission of addressing all manner of violent ideologies, not just Islamic extremists.

"CVE predominantly targets Somalis, Muslims, and Arabs — falsely legitimizing hostility against these communities," said Shannon Erwin, of the Boston-based Muslim Justice League.


Read more: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2016-12-08-US--Fighting%20Extremism-Boston/id-3a346b60220040b48972d90be1c6045c

[annabanana]

1. They should really concentrate of the RW militia and neo-nazi crowd.

MUCH more dangerous than a bunch of nervous minority communities and scared refugees.

[Ilsa]

2. They certainly need to be included. They

are more widespread than the immigrant groups, and at first, that's who I thought they were targeting.

[inanna]

3. I too thought that was what the report was about.