September 4, 2019
Colloquium Topic: Alternative Narratives to Violent Extremism: Case Study Examples on Rehabilitation in the US and Overseas
Violent extremists continue to take root globally ranging from Islamist extremist to white supremacist nationalists all over the world. The diversity of the threat posed by these groups and the ideological spectrum of these groups make it difficult for governments, religious communities and local citizens to respond adequately. The discussion will provide insights into the world of deradicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of extremists, and provide current efforts undertaken to combat this threat both inside and outside of the United States.
Colloquium Speaker: Muhammad Fraser-Rahim
Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim is the Executive Director, North America for Quilliam International and in his teaching capacity is an Assistant Professor at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Yale University. He is an expert on violent extremism issues and a scholar on Africa. Prior to his current role, he served as a Senior Program Officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace where he led their Horn of Africa Programs and served as an expert on CVE issues. Mr. Fraser-Rahim's areas of specialty are on transnational terrorist movements, Islamic intellectual history, and Africa. Additionally, Mr. Fraser-Rahim worked for the United States Government for more than a decade for the Department of Homeland Security, Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center providing strategic advice and executive branch analytical support on countering violent extremism issues to the White House and the National Security Council where he was the author or co-author of Presidential Daily Briefs and strategic assessments on extremist ideology and regionally on Africa. Mr. Fraser-Rahim has conducted research in more than 40 countries on the African continent and has worked and studied throughout the Middle East. He completed advanced level Arabic language certificates at various higher education institutions in the U.S., West Africa and the Middle East and he completed his Ph.D. at Howard University in African Studies with a focus on Islamic thought and violent extremism.