Religion and security

• October 2022

Two strategic documents have been issued as concerns security dealing with religion: Strategy for National Security and Strategy for Prevention and Supression of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism.

National Security Strategy
In Strategy for National Security, as one of the security challenges, risks and threats, it is recognized that, “terrorism and violent extremism, hate speech, i.e. advocacy of hatred and intolerance on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or on any other basis, when used by religious and/or political leaders, is one of the motivating factors for radicalization. and should be treated with special care”.
The State’s response to this “will be based on strengthening national capacities to combat these challenges, coordinating the activities of all subjects within the country...”.

CVE Strategy
Strategy for Prevention and Suppression of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism sets the strategic goal of “Increased resilience of society, better response of institutions and stronger international position of Montenegro in the fight against radicalism and violent extremism”.
Within the operational goal “Increasing resilience of Montenegrin society to radicalism and violent extremism” it is foreseen “to continue with the implementation of coordinated campaigns in the public, with a strong affirmation of counter/alternative-narratives to radicalisation and violent extremism, with special attention focused on young people, and in synergy with state institutions, civil society , the media, religious communities and the academic community, through the ’involvement of the whole community’ approach”.
Also, within the operational goals, is mentioned ”Strengthening the capacity of Montenegrin institutions and other subjects to fight against radicalism and violent extremism and strengthening the mechanisms of their cooperation and coordination”. Cooperation with the religious communities is foreseen.
Representatives of religious communities participated in the round table on the occasion of the creation of the Strategy.

National PCVRLT Platform
The Strategy refers, among other documents, to the National Platform for Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalisation Leading to Terrorism. Under the slogan "Together against violent extremism", the Platform unites “representatives of competent state institutions, local self-governments, media, political parties, non-governmental associations, religious communities, the academic community and individuals who can contribute to opposing these phenomena”.
In this documentt it is underlined that, “religious communities also have a very important role in spreading tolerance in the education of believers, preventing the abuse of religion and condemning those extremists who commit crimes ’in the name of religion’, contributing to this fight”.

Sources: www.skupstina.me, www.gov.me, www.osce.org.