CSIS says violent extremism radicalization becoming more complex to counter

The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) says various evolving forms of violent extremism are becoming increasingly difficult to address and even understand, with secret and anonymous online radicalization challenging investigators’ ability to keep pace. The agency’s annual report released Friday said violent extremism “continues to pose a significant threat to Canada’s national security and remains a critical operational priority for CSIS,” noting such extremism is “motivated by an increasingly diverse range of beliefs and convictions.”Those sometimes conflicting beliefs create what CSIS calls a “salad bar” of motivating grievances — particularly in the ideologically-motivated violent extremism landscape, which the agency says is “complex, diverse, chaotic, and constantly evolving, which challenges our understanding of the national security threat.”But it says other, emerging forms of extremism are further muddying the picture as radicalizing content proliferates online. Story continues below advertisement “Numerous factors, including the availability of violent extremist-created content on the internet, personalized and hybridized worldviews, and domestic and international events have contributed to create an environment where more Canadians are radicalizing and mobilizing to violence,” the report says.Of particular concern is the threat of religiously motivated violent extremism, which CSIS says has “increased significantly” since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on