“The Rebranding of Islamic Jihad in the West” with Danny Burmawi

Description

What if the West has fundamentally misunderstood jihad?

In this week's Middle East Forum podcast, Danny Burmawi argues that Islamic Jihad hasn’t changed, but how it’s described in the West has. Reframed through the language of social justice, anti-colonialism, and political grievance, he says the concept has been reshaped in ways that obscure its historical and theological roots.

Burmawi breaks down how this shift happened, from Cold War strategy to post-9/11 messaging, and why he believes it has influenced media narratives, policy decisions, and counterterrorism approaches.

He also examines what this means today, from universities and public institutions to political incentives and changing dynamics across the United States and Europe.

If the framing is wrong, what follows from that?

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