"A bit like the Taliban, the de facto rulers of Afghanistan since the summer of 2021, who are not yet recognised as such by the international community, HTS may have difficulty getting off Western lists of terrorist organisations. A position that German Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) think tank and former expert at the United Nations Security Council, considers justified. He stresses that HTS "glorified Hamas' attacks" against Israel on October 7, 2023.”

"Hans-Jakob Schindler, the director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), said this was justified.

"If you have to ask for permission before you break ties with al-Qaeda, from the leadership of Al-Qaeda, the sincerity of the ideological reorientation is in question," he told AFP."

"According to CEP (Counter Extremism Project) and scholars at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a new wave of Islamic extremism began to take hold in Cabo Delgado as early as 2014 and 2015 when radical preachers from nearby countries began proselytizing in northern Mozambique."

CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson writes: "Violent extremism has the power to disfigure society and rob people of their personal security. We can address this problem but only if we equip our prisons to be places with the time, space and tools to challenge the scourge of ideologically motivated offending. And, of course, only if the supply of new recruits is stopped at source."

"Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the NGO Counter Extremism Project, spoke to DW about what the new Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire means.

Asked whether the deal could hold, as Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, seems to have agreed to its terms, Schindler said: "Absolutely. Hezbollah, especially now in its weakened form, is more dependent on Iran than it was a year ago. And hence, if the guys who are paying for the show are telling you that this is the decision, it is very clear that Hezbollah is going to keep to the agreement.""

“... For extremism expert Alexander Ritzmann, this is precisely the strategy of the "Active Clubs". "Violent right-wing extremists train, prepare for violence, but act as if they were just doing sports." Ritzmann works for the non-governmental organization "Counter Extremism Project", which operates in the USA and Europe and deals with extremist movements worldwide. In his opinion, the "Active Clubs" serve one main purpose: to build a network of right-wing extremists who are prepared to fight and use violence. According to Ritzmann, it remains to be seen what really drives the right-wing extremists behind the still young "Active Club" movement: "Will it remain a fist fight? Or is it just a pretense, a pretext, and in fact it is an armed militia, an armed vigilante group."” 

CEP Advisor Liam Duffy writes: "Once the allegation of either Islamophobia or blasphemy is out there, the accuser has no control over who hears it and what they see fit to do about it. Those who seek to weaponise these allegations can then use this to their advantage with plausible deniability."

"According to Joshua Fisher-Birch, who is an analyst at the Counter Extremism Project, crypto is extremists' preferred method of crowdfunding as any group can easily post a link to a wallet that can serve as a central destination where supporters around the world can channel funds. And while Bitcoin and Ethereum are among the most popular cryptocurrencies for mainstream investors, one of terrorist groups favorite cryptocurrencies is called Monero, due to its "untraceability.""

"“Different entities have previously requested cryptocurrency donations to allegedly pay for equipment, the costs of making and spreading physical propaganda, web hosting, travel, legal, and prisoner support,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst at the Counter Extremism Project. “Crypto is attractive to the extreme right because it is easy to create a wallet and solicit donations online.”

He said while the anonymity of crypto was an obvious plus, extremists who use it are interested in not being deplatformed by mainstream crowdfunding sites, which is why Monero, a Bitcoin alternative with a higher degree of untraceability, has become a darling of cybercriminals and terror groups alike.

“Monero has also become popular with pro-Islamic State and IS-linked propagandists, who have asked for Monero donations and have posted advice on how to purchase it,” he added."