It's not everyday you get a person in counter-terrorism speaking up in support of Muslim Reformers. The two niches rarely every intersect, which is why I was delighted to connect with Liam Duffy in an hour-long conversation on jihadis and Islamists. We covered:
ISIS hopscotching from China and it’s abuse of Muslim population, Iran for being Shia, and the West for its imperialism.
How do you counter a strategy that adapts to the events of the ground so rapidly?
Is blaming Western adventurism for jihad essentially an anglocentric view?
How abuse against Muslim Reformers gave Liam the courage to speak openly against the ideology of violent jihad.
The fetishizing of minority communities is an obstacle to overcoming some of the issues revolving around Islamism and jihadism.
How are people who’ve grown up in in democratic ideals adopting an 8th century ideology?
The romanticization of 9/11 by Islamists.
Beyond identity politics: A look at what bonds people in a secular state.
How to counter public denial and naivety about Islamist extremism?
Is it possible to fight for PVE without fighting Islamism?
The problem with pigeon-holing radicalization as a vulnerability problem.
Managing expectations in deradicalization.
About Liam Duffy
Liam Duffy is an independent researcher, trainer and adviser on extremism and counterterrorism. Liam designs and delivers extensive professional training programs for law enforcement, government and civil society in both the UK and overseas. He previously worked in the prevention strand of the UK government's counterterrorism strategy.
About Shireen Qudosi
Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018.
She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community.
In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
