White supremacists and Islamic State recruits have more in common than you might think
On the surface, white supremacists and Islamic State recruits would not seem to have much in common. One group embraces a racist, anti-immigrant ideology and is mobilized by fear that a majority of people in the United States will soon no longer be white. The other group believes it must kill "infidels" and create an Islamic "caliphate."
Terrorism experts, however, say the radicalization process, tactics and narratives used by violent white nationalists are actually strikingly similar to those employed by Islamic State. Understanding what the two groups have in common, experts say, can help officials develop a strategy for preventing homegrown extremism.
"I see extremism as a structure for beliefs," said J.M. Berger, author of the book "Extremism." "We need to do a better job in treating extremism as a universal phenomenon."
