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Huge "surge in far-right political terrorism" across the globe, says report

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27 November 2020

The Global Terrorism Index 2020, which "provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 50 years, placing a special emphasis on trends over the last decade." The report highlights a "surge in far-right political terrorism, even though the absolute number of far-right attacks remains low when compared to other forms of terrorism."

See: Global Terrorism Index 2020 (Institute for Economics & Peace, link to pdf)

In a section on "far-right terrorism and political violence," the report states:

"The second emerging trend in terrorism following the decline of ISIL in the Middle East has been the rise of far-right terrorism in the West, amidst the rise of populism, civil unrest, and political violence more generally.

(...)

The rise in far-right attacks has led to intense debate on the nature and extent of this threat, with a particular focus on whether far-right terrorism is now a greater threat in the West than radical Jihadist terrorism. This section looks at the history of far-right terrorism in the context of political unrest over the past fi fty years, how it compares to other types of terrorism, its characteristics, and whether the threat of far-right and other political terrorism is likely to increase over the next few years."

See also: Compendium: An overview of the far right (University of Oslo Centre for Research on Extremism, link):

"What explains support for far right parties, or the mobilizing capacity of far right organizations? Why do some activists turn to violence to achieve political ends? When, and how, does the internet play a role in radicalization? How do democracies preventand counter far right motivated violence?

(...)

In this compendium, C-REX scholars synthesize theories and findings from various disciplines, providing concise, but solid, answers to ten big questions in the study of the far right. Some questions are more descriptive, some more explanatory. All of them, however, are key questions for academics and non-academics alike. These entries strive for completeness in their aim to include all important aspects, factors, and dimensions of a particular issue."