The threat of terrorism on contemporary society can be attributed to the rise in social media, a terrorism expert has warned.
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“Social media presents additional opportunities,’’ said Levi West, Director of Terrorism Studies at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security.
“Nowadays an individual can find all they need online. Whilst they may not be as deeply committed and informed about the ideologies of the terrorist organisations, they are still able to be sufficiently informed,” Mr West said.
He was speaking to students and staff at the University of Wollongong participating in a one day seminar and workshop on Friday.
Mr West also argued social media can be deemed as a weapon, able to be wielded by terrorist organisations.
“It’s a key component of what an effective contemporary terrorist organisation employs in its arsenal of capabilities. It is particularly effective in activating and facilitating people in western jurisdictions,” he explained.
Mr West first became interested in terrorism and radicalisation in the later stages of his undergraduate degree.
“I was studying politics and I became fairly disillusioned with the nature of politics in the western world. I later discovered I have a bit of a capacity to have insight on the topic of terrorism,” Mr West explained.
After working overseas in Israel and Palestine, Mr West developed a complex understanding of the issue of terrorism.
“Contemporary terrorism is and will remain to be a challenging but manageable threat to western societies. It however does present a much more substantial threat to non-western countries,” Mr West said.
“It is expensive and requires a large amount of money but it is manageable.”
He said the concept of terrorism has been evident in recorded history for at least 2000 years though in most recent years, the fear of terror attacks continue to become increasingly sensationalised.
“The challenge is to make sure that we’re preserving the principles and values on which our societies are built”, Mr West believes.
“Societies need to make sure that they are appropriately cohesive so that when something inevitably does happen they react in a moderate and calm way. Terrorism is not an existential threat to the existence of the Australian state”.
The digital world continues to open doors to the possibility of terrorist attacks, as seen in the case of Melbourne teen, Numan Haider, who attacked two police officers earlier this year.
Mr West argues that “if youth are involved, it’s difficult to write them off”.
“They need to be rehabilitated or de-radicalised. They just need help,” he said.