Mother of radicalized Calgary man wants to make a difference

BILL GRAVELAND
The Canadian Press | Thursday, September 11, 2014

A woman whose 22-year-old son was killed while fighting with Islamic extremists in Syria says she doesn’t want her son to have died in vain.

Chris Boudreau of Calgary spoke Thursday at a conference on the radicalization of Muslim youth…

. . .

Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said community-based programs aren’t always the best way to find isolated and marginalized youth — the ones most at risk of being targeted.

“We have young Canadians who have been affected by this and their families. Given the nature of this phenomenon and the criminal radicalization, there likely isn’t going to be any single magic-potion solution as to how we can best tackle it together,” said Gardee.

“There does not appear to be a single factor that can be pointed to as a catalyst for someone being a positive, contributing member of society to somebody who espouses violent and criminal extremism.”

Gardee said violent extremists are usually coached to maintain anonymity and to avoid detection…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/mother-of-radicalized-calgary-man-killed-in-syria-wants-to-make-a-difference/article20567204/