Mother Whose Son Died Fighting for ISIS Among Speakers
03/22/2018
Contact: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHEN: Friday, March 23
WHAT: Nicola Benyahia’s son Rasheed was recruited by ISIS as a teen and within a year, he was dead. Now the head of a nonprofit that fights terrorist recruitment, Benyahia will deliver the keynote address to a conference of more than 150 law enforcement professionals and educators presented by UMass Lowell’s Center for Terrorism and Security Studies.
“Combating Hate and Extremism: Fostering Inclusion in our Schools and Communities” will feature experts from the public and private sector including Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety Daniel Bennett, along with representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Current and Emerging Threats Center, the U.K. Ministry of Defense and organizations such as Parents for Peace.
The UMass Lowell students who launched a nonprofit that works with educators and parents to deter terrorist recruitment by improving children’s online safety and risk assessment skills will present at the event, which is also presented by the university’s School of Criminology and Justice Studies.
In addition to Benyahia’s address at 9:30 a.m., sessions are scheduled to include:
- How terrorists use the internet as a recruiting tool, a panel discussion led by UMass Lowell Prof. Neil Shortland, director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Terrorism and Security Studies – 10 a.m.
- The rise of hate and the extreme right, presented by Prof. Arie Perliger, director of UMass Lowell’s Security Studies Program – 10:40 a.m.
- Online Threat in Practice, presented by Perliger and representatives of the Current and Emerging Threats Center personnel and Massachusetts State Police – 11 a.m.
WHERE: University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.