The New Orleans terrorist attack carried out by a Houston man who was born and raised in America is raising serious questions about the threat of Americans being radicalized against their own country. Keeping foreign terrorists out of the country is one thing, but it's much harder to prevent terrorists from "converting" those already here who are vulnerable to their propaganda. Some critics are calling out the left-wing mindset that excuses antisemitism, attacks American patriotism, and minimizes the importance of American citizenship.
Ryan Mauro, who researches extremist groups for the Capital Research Center, tells Fox News there is a dangerous anti-American mindset that is being allowed to fester in our country, which is being exploited by terrorist groups. "There are these 'jihad factories'--specifically for ISIS, but for the Islamist ideology overall--that operate through registered non-profits and online as well," he says. "So there is an infrastructure that creates this type of (radicalization)."
A prime example of this dangerous mindset is pro-Hamas protests seen across the country over the past year since the terrorist attack on Israel. "The radical Islamist element exists within this broader seditionist, anti-American, anti-Semitic ecosystem," Mauro tells Fox. "That includes a lot of non-profits that are stoking things, like the violence we see at protests on college campuses."
When it comes to combating the root causes of homegrown terrorism, Mauro believes these radical non-profit groups are a good place to start. "It is a violation of IRS code (for non-profits) to conspire to commit crime like you're seeing...whether it's fighting police or breaking ordinances," he says. "The Trump administration should...identify those non-profits that no longer qualify for tax-exempt status, and strip them of it."
Photo: AFP
