Islamism's Changing Trends and Ideological Divisions

Description

In contrast to 9/11, which spurred a huge American debate over Islam and Islamism, jihad, and related concepts, conversations around the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7 as well as over recent Hezbollah, Houthi, and Iranian aggressions are nearly void of these topics. What caused this change? How is the Islamist threat evolving? Does Europe take a different view than America? What are MEF and other counter-Islamist organizations doing, given a general lack of interest and the scale of the threat?

In the years since 9/11, public discourse around Islamism has significantly diminished, even as Islamist groups continue to pose a serious threat. This panel will explore the reasons behind this shift in attention and discuss the evolving nature of the Islamist threat. Panelists will share insights from their research and experiences countering Islamist extremism in politics, media, academia, and religious communities to examine the current state of Islamism and the work being done by the Middle East Forum to address this critical issue in the face of public apathy and the scale of the threat.

Ryan Mauro is an investigative researcher at the Capital Research Center with a focus on extremist groups and foreign influence operations. He is a counter-extremism and international security analyst with a history of involvement in intelligence, counterterrorism, human rights, academia, activism, law enforcement training, and engagement with policymakers. He is the creator and former director of the Clarion Intelligence Network, a group that tracks extremist activity throughout the world.

Sam Westrop has headed IW since March 2017, when MEF absorbed the counter-extremism unit of Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), where he was the research director. Before that, he ran Stand for Peace, a London-based counter-extremism organization monitoring Islamists throughout the U.K.

Dexter Van Zile is managing editor of the Middle East Forum publication Focus on Western Islamism. His articles have appeared in the Jerusalem Post, the Boston Globe, Jewish Political Studies Review, the Algemeiner and the Jewish News Syndicate. He has authored numerous academic studies and book chapters about Christian anti-Zionism.

Presented on May 14, 2024 in Washington, D.C.