A government program that was set up to counter violent ideologies may be renamed and re-organized so that it only focuses on Islamist extremist ideologies.
According to sources informing Reuters, the program would go from being named “Countering Violent Extremism” to “Countering Islamic Extremism” or “Countering Radical Islamic Extremism.” The group wouldn’t target dangerous white supremacists who have committed bombings and shootings anymore and would redirect its energy to ending radical Islam.
The program also partners with Google and Facebook to find and deter groups or single potential attackers.
The group only works on U.S. residents and is not part of any military efforts to stop online extremism.
Critics of the program have pointed out that renaming the program would antagonize millions of Muslims who practice peacefully, alongside the travel bans that were enforced against people from Muslim-majority countries.
The program is funded by a Congressional appropriation of $10 million.