Self-Isolation Might Stop Coronavirus, but It Will Speed the Spread of Extremism

By Nikita Malik

The COVID-19 crisis has ravaged many countries across the globe—and it has also presented an opportunity for extremist groups across the ideological spectrum to spread hate. As is often the case in times of uncertainty, extremists and terrorists have jumped at the chance to exploit confusion and fear, reach new audiences, and serve their own interests.

This is worrying for several reasons. In 2014, when the academic community was studying the effects of Islamic State propaganda on people’s willingness to travel abroad and join the conflict in Iraq and Syria, it was clear that the appeal of recruiters lay in a target audience’s need to understand their place in the world.

Read the full article in Foreign Policy