IAG is set to publish in the second quarter of 2018 a research looking into the phenomenon of violent religious extremism.

IAG Executive Director Benedicto Bacani made the announcement during the third and last of a series of focus group discussions on the same subject Thursday, January 11, in Quezon City, the highlights of which will form part of the study.

The research and the focus group discussion (FGD) series led by Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr., IAG senior policy adviser, attempt to profile violent religious extremists that now threaten the world, and the Philippines, in particular. The focus group discussions unraveled some mystics contributing to the surge of religious extremism, especially among the youth disillusioned by the mainstream liberation fronts.

Together, the FGD series and the research expose the dangers and threats of religious extremism to unity and dialogue between and among peoples of different faiths and beliefs.

"The research and publication will serve as a primer to violent religious extremism that now menaces communities, nations and the world community. Definitely, the publication will help in getting an in-depth knowledge of violent religious extremism and how it threatens humanity and the planet," Fr. Mercado said.

It comes a year after IAG and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue with support from the Government of Netherlands published the “Research on Youth Vulnerability to Violent Extremism in the ARMM” that investigated the vulnerability of Muslim youth to radicalization and recruitment by violent extremist groups.

The first study found no evidence of large-scale radicalization of young Muslims in Mindanao, but youth respondents affirmed the presence of recruiters of violent extremist groups in their community who drove people to being radicalized.

Thursday's concluding FGD featured three sessions with select experts coming from the security sector, defense and intelligence community, religious sector and the academe. The discussion probed the implications of ISIS-like religious ideology on the Moro liberations fronts, peace process and the  implementations of peace agreements, and interfaith dialogue and relationship among Christians, Muslims and indigenous peoples. The first two FGDs, meanwhile, looked into the theological, religious and historical roots of violent extremism, as well as the profiles of violent extremists currently in the country.

IAG has reiterated the need for evidence-based policies and programs to counter the lure of extremism among the most vulnerable sectors, especially in the conflict-affected areas of the southern Philippines. It is also looking into the complex intersection of this issue interfaced with the developments in the Bangsamoro peace process and the BBL, including the floating proposal for a systemic shift to a federal form of government.