For far-right extremists, the rise of a new enemy: women

Deep Dive National Security For far-right extremists, the rise of a new enemy: women May 27, 20265:00 AM ET Odette Yousef Nicole Witherow prays beside flowers placed outside of the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 19. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Evidence tied to last week's deadly attack on a California mosque illustrates a violent ideology and playbook that is all too familiar to counterterrorism and extremism experts. A 75-page typewritten document, attributed to the teenage suspects, and a livestreamed video showing the attack show extensive grounding in far-right, neo-Nazi thinking. But one facet of the ideology behind this attack has, so far, been left out of much mainstream coverage. "He just flat out says he hates women and that they're the devil and they're destroying everything. And this is an important thing, because that kind of misogyny did not exist in white supremacist circles, say, 10, 15 years ago," said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Bierich was referring to the first part of the written document, authored by one of the two suspects. Sponsor Message National The San Diego mosque shooting victims remembered as heroes for protecting children For many, the suspects' apparent misogyny may seem irrelevant, given that they targeted a Muslim house of worship. But Alex DiBranco, executive director and co-founder of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, says it is comparable to antisemitism, a foundational underpinning of white nationalist thinking that is rooted in conspiracy theories. Antisemitism has been an essential ideological component behind white supremacist attacks at mosques, retail establishments frequented by African Americans and Latinos, gay bars and schools. "We've seen similar kinds of conspiratorial thinking about women 'pulling the strings behind the scenes' as well," DiBranco said. "And so the targeting of a mosque in San Diego is something that is inte...