WASHINGTON – Two authors described the perils of homegrown terrorism in the west in a talk to the liberal-leaning New America Foundation Wednesday.
The think tank discussion featured Mubin Shaikh and Anne Speckhard and was moderated by New America Foundation Director Peter Bergen.
Shaikh and Speckhard co-authored Undercover Jihadi, a biographical account of Shaikh’s journey to radicalization, then deradicalization and participation in the Canadian security services. Growing up in Toronto, Shaikh lived in two identities, going to Canadian school during the day, and going to a very traditional madrassa at night.
This conflict of identity and criticism from the Muslim community led Shaikh to become more religious. After traveling to India and Pakistan with an apolitical group, he had a chance encounter with the Taliban, the fundamentalist group that took power in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in the 1990s convinced Shaikh of its credibility.
He took the militant path, communicating with known extremist groups and recruiting others to the jihadi cause. It was not until the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 — realizing that he could have been killed as well — that Shaikh began to think he was on the wrong path.
A trip to Syria and studying with a moderate religious leader led Shaikh on the deradicalization journey.
