Remember how former “Democratic Socialist” presidential candidate Bernie Sanders constantly praised Denmark for its socialist policies? Well, good ol’ Bernie is sure to love the latest move by Denmark police to combat terrorism.
Police in Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, truly believe they can stop the spread of radical Islamic extremism “by supporting them and offering them kindness rather than treating them as outcasts and criminals.”
Apparently, IQ tests are not administered within the Aarhus police force -- at least among their higher-ups -- because if they think for one minute that they can combat the Islamic radicalization of people by telling them how wonderful they are, then they don’t understand the dedication to the cause that these people hold.
Some are calling this new plan “hug a terrorist,” or “hug a jihadi.”
According to SBS in Australia:
The police running the program believe helping young extremists is the best way to keep the peace. Treating them harshly and with suspicion only isolates them further - making them more of a danger to society.
While the reasoning for the program seems to be well intentioned, good intentions don’t always equal results. This is the “you catch more flies with honey” approach to doing things, and it's unlikely to work with people who want to kill you on radical religious grounds.
One very vocal critic of the program, Danish politician and Syrian-born Muslim Naser Khader, believes authorities shouldn’t be in the practice of rewarding radicalized people.
“When you have been in Syria, and come back,” Khader said, “it’s wrong, in my opinion, to reward who has been in Syria by giving [them] apartments, jobs, education. We should prosecute them, not reward them.”
Society needs to stop painting everyone, including criminals and “former” terrorists, as victims in the eyes of the public. Doing so not only muddles the definition of a criminal, but ultimately puts the native people at risk for further violence from extremists.
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H/T: Fox News