RAN Webinar Extremists use of humour

On the 3^rd July 2020, Prisma European Network represented by its General Secretary: Jennifer Ghraichy attended a webinar by RAN – Radicalisation Awareness Network under the subject of Extremists use of humor, facilitated by Reem Ahmed and Maik Fielitz.

 

74 Panelists and Participants from all around the world including one of Prisma’s European Network members: Speak up Right represented by its member from Tunisia: Haykel Boutabba engaged in this interested online gathering.

 

 

 

 

In this webinar a lot of interesting examples were provided and discussed used by both extreme parties: Far Right and Jihadist Extremism along with how creative content is launched online to attract, engage and modulate the mind of the people exposed to those different kinds of materials: Memes, Hashtag Campaigns, Gaming and Anime.

 

 

 

As per Saul Alinsky: The Most potent weapon known to mankind are satire and ridicule

 

As an Explanation to this quote:  extremist use Emotional humor to active them and release an instant and spontaneous exchange of feeling.

 

They use as well Cognitive humor to stimulate decision making processes to change as well the rigid perspectives and replace it with a flexible one and finally the Communicational Humor in order to reduce the interpersonal barriers leading to moving the person from his own group where he belong to being a person on his own.

 

So using all together: the Culture, the Brain and the Heart in Humor can make a person more vulnerable to being radicalized let’s all imagine together if we add a pinch of technology we mean by that using all the channels such as Messaging Groups and Platforms to induce their ideologies.

 

 

Fighting back without a good mindset is no solution to this matter: a set of recommendation was provided for us to opt if we were subject or surfing simply the web:

1. Improved Media Literacy by understanding the codes provided the imagery and the efforts the extremists are putting to create the needed impact.
2. Monitoring by remaining up to speed with the best innovations and developments
3. Knowledge sharing by building effective partnerships

 

As a conclusion, dealing with this subject is not as easy as it looks it needs: Awareness, Readiness and a good mindset to overcome all what’s already over the net and what is going to come.