DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Public Safety Canada
Violent extremism, broadly speaking, refers to
the process of taking radical views and putting
them into violent action.
While radical thinking is by no means a
problem in itself, it becomes a threat to
national security when Canadian citizens,
residents or groups promote or engage in
violence as a means of furthering their radical
political, ideological or religious views. The
motivations and drivers that inspire them
towards violent action may be due to real or
perceived grievances, for example, animal
www.publicsafety.gc.ca
VIOLENT EXTREMISM
rights, white supremacy, Al Qaida-inspired,
environmentalism and anti-capitalism.
Homegrown and imported violent extremism
has been on the Canadian scene for many
decades. It is not limited to any specific race,
ethnicity, religion or culture. There is no single
profile or pathway for individuals who come to
embrace violent extremism.
It is important to note that the threat of violent
extremism in Canada evolves constantly.
Today's threat is not necessarily the threat of
tomorrow.
Canadian Security
Intelligence Service
The radicalization of Canadians towards
violent extremism continues to be a significant
concern to Canadian national security.
Essentially, radicalization is the process
whereby individuals move from holding
moderate, mainstream beliefs towards
adopting extremist political or religious
ideologies. Individuals who become
radicalized may support or become involved
in violent extremism. Activities can range from
attack planning against Canadian targets,
sending money or resources to support violent
extremist groups, and/or influencing others
(particularly youth) towards adopting radical
ideologies. Radicalized individuals may also
seek to travel abroad for terrorist training or to
engage in fighting. Such individuals can pose
very serious threats to the security of Canada.
Not only are they now seasoned fighters who
harness the ability to conduct attacks here, but
they may also serve in influencing others.
www.csis-scrs.gc.ca
RADICALIZATION
The participation of two young Canadians in
an attack on an Algerian petroleum facility in
January 2013 where up to 60 individuals died,
as well as the widely-reported travel of two
other young Canadians to North Africa,
allegedly for extremist purposes, is indicative of
this trend and highlights the challenge posed
by the travel of radicalized individuals for
terrorist purposes.
In order to generate a better understanding of
the phenomenon, the Service conducts
research on radicalization in Canada. CSIS has
found that for those influenced by the AQ
narrative, violent extremists have come from
varied social and age levels, are spread widely
across the educational spectrum and can
appear fully integrated into society, making
detection especially difficult.
Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 41