The Islamist threat has proven more resilient and more viral than many analysts anticipated. While some leaders are claiming that al Qaeda is dead, in fact its ideology is alive and thriving, with global repercussions from Afghanistan to the Middle East to Nigeria to Malaysia. Reporting from his recent travels, Dr. Sookhdeo will discuss the latest developments, particularly events in Syria and Libya. He will examine the continued rise and evolution of Islamist forces, and the impact of U.S. policy in the region.
Patrick Sookhdeo is a leading expert on jihadist ideology and radical Islam, advising governments around the globe. He has spoken at many military and security events and is the author of numerous books, including Global Jihad: The Future in the Face of Militant Islam, Understanding Shari’a Finance: The Muslim Challenge to Western Economics, and Faith, Power, and Territory: A Handbook of British Islam. He received his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, and he is currently Visiting Professor at the Defence Academy of the UK, and Adjunct Professor at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. He has served as advisor to Permanent Joint Headquarters UK and as Cultural Advisor to RC South, Afghanistan (2010), to ISAF, in Kabul, Afghanistan (2007) and to GOC, Basra, Iraq (2007).
www.westminster-institute.org Katharine Cornell Gorka, Executive Director kcg@westminster-institute.org