Commentary
Expert analysis and public commentary from AVERT researchers on terrorism, radicalisation, and violent extremism — translating research for broader audiences.
Royal commission report doesn't help us start making sense of Bondi terror attack
Justice Virginia Bell has handed the governor-general her interim findings from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism a…
via The Conversation
We can't coerce our way to social cohesion. Here's what else governments should be doing
Last week, Queensland followed the New South Wales and federal parliaments by passing stronger hate crime laws in respon…
via The Conversation
Is Australia's terrorism definition still fit for purpose?
With the alleged attempted bombing at Perth's Invasion Day protest now declared a terrorist act , the release of coronia…
via The Conversation
What is extremism, and how do we decide?
As controversy over Australia's new hate laws continues, last weekend's so-called March for Australia rallies were the l…
via The Conversation
With its new laws, the government is tackling hate speech quickly, but not properly
On Tuesday, in response to the Bondi terrorist attack and mounting pressure to take strong action, the Albanese governme…
via The Conversation
How Australia's anti‑immigration rallies were amplified online by the global far right
Over the weekend, rallies were staged across various Australian cities under the branding "March for Australia". The ral…
via The Conversation
How male grievance fuels radicalisation and extremist violence
Photo by Franco Alva on Unsplash Social extremism is evolving in reach and form. While traditional racial supremacy ideo…
The internet makes it too easy to ‘fall down a rabbit hole of hate’.
A suite of recent troubling events have once again shone a spotlight on extremist violence, especially the kind involvin…
The Return of Terrorism to Southeast Asia
The devastating Islamic State (IS) attack in Moscow on 22 March bought home the reality that the terrorism threat remain…
Why is the Sydney church stabbing an act of terrorism, but the Bondi tragedy isn’t?
Orginally published in The Conversation , April 16, 2024. Just days after the deadly Westfield Bondi attacks , a second …
Islamic State terror attack in Moscow a grim acknowledgement of global power status Russia seeks
One of Moscow’s goals in the Middle East was in many ways similar to that of the United States – to prevent the spillove…
Lawful Extremism
By J.M. Berger Senior Research Fellow Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism Middlebury Institute of Intern…
What is ‘reverse racism’ – and what’s wrong with the term?
“Reverse racism” is sometimes used to describe situations where white people believe they are negatively stereotyped or …
Why government action to thwart neo-Nazi groups is far more difficult than it appears
Hate and prejudice hold no place in our community and we will not tolerate any offensive and abhorrent anti-social behav…
COVID wasn’t a ‘bumper campaign’ for right-wing extremists. But the threat from terror remains
Violent extremism remains a persistent and resilient threat, constantly adapting and evolving. It is an endlessly demand…
Would a law banning the Nazi salute be effective – or enforceable?
Amid the growing threat of far-right extremism in Australia, Victoria recently became the first state to ban the Nazi sw…
Is the terrorism threat over?
Eight years after raising the national terrorism threat level, Australia recently lowered it again – from mid-range (pro…
Terrorism is a communicative act: The way we report and comment on atrocities matters
Consider the following. A terrorist attack occurs. Journalist: “Quick, breaking news — better get on top of it to boost …
Extremists use video games to recruit vulnerable youth. Here’s what parents and gamers need to know
Reports of far-right extremists trying to recruit young people through video games have raised concerns for parents, gua…
Cultivating pro-social resilience online in an age of polarisation
While algorithmic design is one critical component of supporting prosocial resilience to online polarisation, equally im…
How ‘freedom rally’ protesters and populist right-wing politics may play a role in the federal election
As the 2022 federal election draws nearer, there are many factors that may shape the outcome. This is not Australia’s fi…
How will strategic competition influence counter-terrorism? The proxy warfare problem
Australia’s current approach to national security has increasingly prioritised strategic competition between states, wit…
The Auckland attack and the politics of counter-terrorism
The brutal stabbing of six people, by an Islamic State supporter in an Auckland mall, has spurred efforts to update New …
Australian connections to Islamic State in the post-“Caliphate” era
What forms do Australian connections to Islamic State take, now that the movement has lost its territory in Syria and Ir…
Banning extreme-right terrorist organisations: The issues at stake
The Australian government’s recent decision to proscribe the far-right extremist group Sonnenkrieg Division as a terrori…
What is the link between computer gaming and hate-based ideologies?
On 26 February this year , members of the extreme-Right group Atomwaffen Division in the United States were arrested on …
Taking stock of terrorism amid uncertainty
A new poll shows that Australians see terrorism as a less significant threat than they used to. In the Lowy Institute Po…
Coping with crisis: How much resilience is on display?
“Resilience” has become a popular concept in 21st century life. In times of far-reaching social and economic change, wit…
Countering extremism in the midst of coronavirus
Only four months into the start of the new decade, Australia has faced not one but two national crises: a bushfire disas…
COVID-19 and America's counter-terrorism response
Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. foreign policy and national security have been swallowed whole by counter-terroris…
In preventing violent extremism, words matter
The changing security environment In 2015 the Council of Australian Governments published a high-level strategy on count…
Resilience, radicalisation and democracy in the COVID-19 Pandemic
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for COVID-19, how might we build resilience to it? To buy ourselves the time neces…
Citizenship revocation and Australia’s counter-terrorism history
Of the 82 counter-terrorism laws passed by Australian governments since 9/11, one of the most controversial has been the…
Remembering Hodan Nalayeh: A diasporic journalist who stood for peacebuilding, social empowerment and promoting positive Somali culture
She looked at beauty in everything and saw light and hope in any dark situation and disaster Somali BBC journalist and c…
Learning the rules: resources on the complexities of counter-terrorism in Australia
If you search "Australian counter-terrorism" in Google Image , the results are usually pictures of heavily armed police …
The Lessons from the Sri Lanka Bombings
As the people and government of Sri Lanka reel with shock and grief in the wake of the extraordinarily devastating suici…
Captured Australian Islamic State members: whose problem?
In 2014 and 2015, Australian members of Islamic State gained media attention for appearing in recruitment videos , makin…
Time for Kiwis to take a look in the mirror
We might like to think the actions of one person may appear as an extreme aberration, but the sentiments and beliefs tha…
What does the research tell us about the impact of dog-whistle politics on extreme-right groups in Australia?
Since the horrific attacks on peaceful Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, we have been subjected to a steady flow of me…
The Christchurch terrorist attack
1. WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DO THE NEW ZEALAND MOSQUE SHOOTINGS HAVE FOR DEBATES CONCERNING RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY, VIOLENT RADICA…
Amplifying the voice of terror: A new ethics for terrorism reporting by media?
The Christchurch terror attack conducted by Brenton Tarrant highlights the urgent need to break the destructive synergy …
How did the Islamic State's rise reshape jihadist plots inside Australia? Part 2
Part 1 showed that Australia’s jihadist plots had transformed following the rise of Islamic State in 2014, summarised in…
How did the Islamic State's rise reshape jihadist plots inside Australia? Part 1
My first AVERT post examined which Australian terrorist plots had been genuinely connected to Islamic State, and what fo…
What does Australian law say about possessing terrorist instructional material?
In mid-October, the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions withdrew a terrorism charge against a 25-year old Sri Lankan s…
Which Australian terrorist plots have been directly connected to Islamic State, and how?
Hello readers. I will be a regular blogger for AVERT, publishing one post here each month on a range of topics involving…