From the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | August 4, 2011 – Late yesterday, the White House released the Administration’s strategy to prevent violent extremism, “Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States.” The Administration has taken a clear stance that the US government will work to “prevent all types of extremism that leads to violence, regardless of who inspires it.” This broad definition is the correct approach, as extremism is not isolated to a single ideology or religion.
The principles behind the strategy seem balanced and in good faith. However, ADC seeks clarification on how these guidelines will be implemented, and further what oversight, if any, will be used to measure the progress of this strategy. ADC recognizes as a positive sign the Administration’s focus on ensuring that the civil rights and civil liberties of individuals are not jeopardized. As President Obama stated in his preface letter, “We will uphold the civil rights and civil liberties of every American.” The strategy also indicates that the US Government “must do everything in [its] power to protect the American people from violent extremism while protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of every American.”