The Saudi government is deeply involved in trying to stop extremist recruitment and advocacy through the Internet. One of its projects is the ‘Sakinah Campaign’, a program of both monitoring extremist websites and seeking to engage individuals in on-line discussions about Islam and extremism. Author Christopher Boucek, an Associate at the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was in Saudi Arabia last June, so the information is up-to-date.

The link below goes to the current issue of ‘CTC Sentinal’, the journal of the Combating Terrorism Center at the US Army’s West Point Military Academy. The link is to the entire 28-page (PDF format) issue. The four-page article to which I’m drawing your attention starts on the first page. Unfortunately, I do not have a way to link to only this article. Consider the rest of the issue a bonus!

The Sakinah Campaign and Internet Counter-Radicalization in Saudi Arabia
Christopher Boucek

The prominent role of the internet in propagating and perpetuating violent Islamist ideology is well known. The speed, anonymity and connectivity of the web have contributed to its emergence as a powerful source of knowledge and inspiration; it is an unrivaled medium to facilitate propaganda, fundraising and recruitment efforts. The vast scope of information available, coupled with the absence of national boundaries, facilitates ideological cohesion and camaraderie between disparate and geographically separated networks. A broad spectrum of individuals turn to the internet to seek spiritual knowledge, search for Islamist perspectives and attempt to participate in the global jihad. As such, identifying methods to short-circuit internet radicalization has become an urgent goal for numerous
governments.