Program On Extremism
@gwupoe.bsky.social
The Program on Extremism at George Washington University. Analysis and policy solutions on radicalization, terrorism and extremism. Launched June 2015.
📍Washington, DC 🔗 extremism.gwu.edu
📍Washington, DC 🔗 extremism.gwu.edu
🚨 New event!
How do teens get pulled into extremist ideologies? Join us for a panel on pathways to radicalization - identity, belonging, trauma & the online ecosystem - featuring a parent’s firsthand story and expert insight.
🗓️ Jan 14 | 🕙 10am ET
📍Online
Register now👇
How do teens get pulled into extremist ideologies? Join us for a panel on pathways to radicalization - identity, belonging, trauma & the online ecosystem - featuring a parent’s firsthand story and expert insight.
🗓️ Jan 14 | 🕙 10am ET
📍Online
Register now👇
Part I - Pathways to Radicalization: How Teens Are Drawn In | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Featuring Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern, Jacob Ware and Bradley Parents; moderated by Senior Research Fellow David Collins.
extremism.gwu.edu
January 7, 2026 at 1:04 PM
🚨 New event!
How do teens get pulled into extremist ideologies? Join us for a panel on pathways to radicalization - identity, belonging, trauma & the online ecosystem - featuring a parent’s firsthand story and expert insight.
🗓️ Jan 14 | 🕙 10am ET
📍Online
Register now👇
How do teens get pulled into extremist ideologies? Join us for a panel on pathways to radicalization - identity, belonging, trauma & the online ecosystem - featuring a parent’s firsthand story and expert insight.
🗓️ Jan 14 | 🕙 10am ET
📍Online
Register now👇
"They've become conspiratorial-minded people looking for the next thing to mobilize for."
Read comments from our research fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social in this @nytimes.com article on the enduring prominence of January 6 conspiracies👇
Read comments from our research fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social in this @nytimes.com article on the enduring prominence of January 6 conspiracies👇
For Many Jan. 6 Rioters, a Pardon From Trump Wasn’t Enough
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM
"They've become conspiratorial-minded people looking for the next thing to mobilize for."
Read comments from our research fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social in this @nytimes.com article on the enduring prominence of January 6 conspiracies👇
Read comments from our research fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social in this @nytimes.com article on the enduring prominence of January 6 conspiracies👇
"Foiled LA terror plot highlights ‘mishmash’ of beliefs that can fuel violence"
With comments from our Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military...
With comments from our Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military...
Foiled LA terror plot highlights ‘mishmash’ of beliefs that can fuel violence
Experts say a thwarted New Year’s Eve attack in the Los Angeles area shows politically-motivated violence isn’t confined to a “pure ideology.”
www.csmonitor.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"Foiled LA terror plot highlights ‘mishmash’ of beliefs that can fuel violence"
With comments from our Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military...
With comments from our Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military...
🚨There's still time to register for our event tomorrow!
Join experts from DOJ & former federal prosecutors for a critical panel on investigating and prosecuting the 764 network - and what real accountability looks like.
🗓️18 Dec | 🕐1 pm ET
extremism.gwu.edu/holding-764-...
Join experts from DOJ & former federal prosecutors for a critical panel on investigating and prosecuting the 764 network - and what real accountability looks like.
🗓️18 Dec | 🕐1 pm ET
extremism.gwu.edu/holding-764-...
Holding 764 Accountable | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Featuring James Kitchen, Steve Grocki, Justin Sher and Kavitha Babu; moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas.
extremism.gwu.edu
December 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
🚨There's still time to register for our event tomorrow!
Join experts from DOJ & former federal prosecutors for a critical panel on investigating and prosecuting the 764 network - and what real accountability looks like.
🗓️18 Dec | 🕐1 pm ET
extremism.gwu.edu/holding-764-...
Join experts from DOJ & former federal prosecutors for a critical panel on investigating and prosecuting the 764 network - and what real accountability looks like.
🗓️18 Dec | 🕐1 pm ET
extremism.gwu.edu/holding-764-...
In this latest opinion piece in the New York Post our director Lorenzo Vidino calls out the painful limits of Western democracies in confronting radicals who exploit legal protections, as shown by the Bondi Beach terror attack - urging smarter, proactive tools to protect our freedoms and safety.
Radicals like Bondi Beach terrorists hide behind democracy — as Western countries limited in actions
The horrifying attack in Sydney highlights two interrelated dynamics that have plagued counterterrorism efforts in all Western countries for decades.
nypost.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
In this latest opinion piece in the New York Post our director Lorenzo Vidino calls out the painful limits of Western democracies in confronting radicals who exploit legal protections, as shown by the Bondi Beach terror attack - urging smarter, proactive tools to protect our freedoms and safety.
Our staff’s latest @justsecurity.org piece shows the DOJ has, for the first time, charged a nihilistic violent extremist under a terrorism statute - signaling a shift in how depraved, chaos-seeking networks are legally treated as domestic terrorism.
How the DOJ is Prosecuting Nihilistic Violent Extremism
The DOJ's change in approach to prosecuting Nihilistic Violent Extremism as domestic terrorism is long-overdue.
www.justsecurity.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Our staff’s latest @justsecurity.org piece shows the DOJ has, for the first time, charged a nihilistic violent extremist under a terrorism statute - signaling a shift in how depraved, chaos-seeking networks are legally treated as domestic terrorism.
📢 Launching the inaugural Global Extremism Papers for 2026.
This first issue brings together leading research on how extremist movements adapt, from digital shifts to decentralized structures and AI-driven risks. Papers will be released in early 2026.
Read the editor’s note👇
This first issue brings together leading research on how extremist movements adapt, from digital shifts to decentralized structures and AI-driven risks. Papers will be released in early 2026.
Read the editor’s note👇
Global Extremism Papers Editor’s Note – Inaugural Issue (2026) | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Edited by the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University
extremism.gwu.edu
December 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
📢 Launching the inaugural Global Extremism Papers for 2026.
This first issue brings together leading research on how extremist movements adapt, from digital shifts to decentralized structures and AI-driven risks. Papers will be released in early 2026.
Read the editor’s note👇
This first issue brings together leading research on how extremist movements adapt, from digital shifts to decentralized structures and AI-driven risks. Papers will be released in early 2026.
Read the editor’s note👇
📢 New event!
Join us for a panel on how federal investigators are confronting 764, a diffuse online network tied to violent glorification and serious cyber-enabled crimes. We'll discuss evolving tactics, legal hurdles & paths to accountability.
🗓️ 18 Dec | 🕐 1pm ET
Register now!
Join us for a panel on how federal investigators are confronting 764, a diffuse online network tied to violent glorification and serious cyber-enabled crimes. We'll discuss evolving tactics, legal hurdles & paths to accountability.
🗓️ 18 Dec | 🕐 1pm ET
Register now!
Holding 764 Accountable | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Featuring James Kitchen, Steve Grocki and Justin Sher; moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas.
extremism.gwu.edu
December 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM
📢 New event!
Join us for a panel on how federal investigators are confronting 764, a diffuse online network tied to violent glorification and serious cyber-enabled crimes. We'll discuss evolving tactics, legal hurdles & paths to accountability.
🗓️ 18 Dec | 🕐 1pm ET
Register now!
Join us for a panel on how federal investigators are confronting 764, a diffuse online network tied to violent glorification and serious cyber-enabled crimes. We'll discuss evolving tactics, legal hurdles & paths to accountability.
🗓️ 18 Dec | 🕐 1pm ET
Register now!
Our research fellow Jordyn Abrams’s new article in Small Wars Journal examines the War on Terror in the Sahel, highlighting the complexities of local dynamics, international interventions, & regional governance. A call for a more nuanced counterterrorism strategy.
Approaching the War on Terror in the Sahel
The U.S. refocuses on West Africa as kidnappings and rising jihadist groups in Niger, Mali, and Nigeria raise alarms.
smallwarsjournal.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Our research fellow Jordyn Abrams’s new article in Small Wars Journal examines the War on Terror in the Sahel, highlighting the complexities of local dynamics, international interventions, & regional governance. A call for a more nuanced counterterrorism strategy.
🎙️Ep 23 INTIFADA: Hamas in the US is out now!
Lara Burns speaks with Dr. Elkayem-Levy about her commission’s work documenting the sexual torture & atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct 7. Their findings reveal a newly identified form of torture targeting family units.
Lara Burns speaks with Dr. Elkayem-Levy about her commission’s work documenting the sexual torture & atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct 7. Their findings reveal a newly identified form of torture targeting family units.
Episode 23: Unfathomable Hate
YouTube video by INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:09 PM
🎙️Ep 23 INTIFADA: Hamas in the US is out now!
Lara Burns speaks with Dr. Elkayem-Levy about her commission’s work documenting the sexual torture & atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct 7. Their findings reveal a newly identified form of torture targeting family units.
Lara Burns speaks with Dr. Elkayem-Levy about her commission’s work documenting the sexual torture & atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct 7. Their findings reveal a newly identified form of torture targeting family units.
Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns spoke on Fox and Friends this morning about the shooting of National Guard in Washington DC
Lara Burns discusses the shooting of National Guard in Washington DC
YouTube video by Program on Extremism at GWU
youtu.be
November 28, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns spoke on Fox and Friends this morning about the shooting of National Guard in Washington DC
CAIR “has consistently denied” a Hamas affiliation, however “evidence in federal trials and academic research illustrates... their roots in the US-based Hamas infrastructure are indisputable."
👇Read our Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns's comments in this article
👇Read our Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns's comments in this article
The US moves toward a reckoning with the Muslim Brotherhood - The Jewish Chronicle
With Texas leading an unprecedented state-level terror designation and federal scrutiny intensifying, America is edging toward a decisive showdown with the Islamists and their network of affiliates
www.thejc.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
CAIR “has consistently denied” a Hamas affiliation, however “evidence in federal trials and academic research illustrates... their roots in the US-based Hamas infrastructure are indisputable."
👇Read our Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns's comments in this article
👇Read our Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns's comments in this article
PoE visiting scholar and NATO Fulbright recipient Katarzyna Maniszewska sits down with Dževad Terzić of the Federal Police Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss how Russian influence in the Balkans can drive violent extremism in the region.
Balkans Under Pressure: Hybrid Threats, Russian Influence, and Transatlantic Security
YouTube video by Program on Extremism at GWU
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
PoE visiting scholar and NATO Fulbright recipient Katarzyna Maniszewska sits down with Dževad Terzić of the Federal Police Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss how Russian influence in the Balkans can drive violent extremism in the region.
In a discussion with Emma Trimble, POE Director Lorenzo Vidino explains how the Muslim Brotherhood’s network could be influencing UK government policy via sympathetic figures in key roles.
EXPOSED: How the Muslim Brotherhood is SHAPING UK policy as network uncovered in shocking claims
YouTube video by GBNews
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:47 PM
In a discussion with Emma Trimble, POE Director Lorenzo Vidino explains how the Muslim Brotherhood’s network could be influencing UK government policy via sympathetic figures in key roles.
A review by Faisal Saeed Al Mutar of POE Director Lorenzo Vidino’s research on the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the U.S. and the ideology shaping its network
How the Muslim Brotherhood Came to America
Lorenzo Vidino reveals how a foreign ideological movement embedded itself into American institutions. His report shows that extremism can thrive when it learns to speak the language of democracy.
www.themiddleeastuncovered.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:08 PM
A review by Faisal Saeed Al Mutar of POE Director Lorenzo Vidino’s research on the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the U.S. and the ideology shaping its network
🎙️Episode 22 INTIFADA: Hamas in the US is out
This episode features a teen whose mother was murdered atop him on Oct 7, 2023 and activist Maya Roman on the attacks in Kibbutz Be'eri. We end by revisiting CAIR director Nihad Awad’s Oct 7 remarks.
This episode features a teen whose mother was murdered atop him on Oct 7, 2023 and activist Maya Roman on the attacks in Kibbutz Be'eri. We end by revisiting CAIR director Nihad Awad’s Oct 7 remarks.
Episode 22: The Unfolding of Tragedy
YouTube video by INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:19 PM
🎙️Episode 22 INTIFADA: Hamas in the US is out
This episode features a teen whose mother was murdered atop him on Oct 7, 2023 and activist Maya Roman on the attacks in Kibbutz Be'eri. We end by revisiting CAIR director Nihad Awad’s Oct 7 remarks.
This episode features a teen whose mother was murdered atop him on Oct 7, 2023 and activist Maya Roman on the attacks in Kibbutz Be'eri. We end by revisiting CAIR director Nihad Awad’s Oct 7 remarks.
Expressen’s investigation reveals a web of Muslim Brotherhood-run schools in Sweden accused of welfare fraud, siphoning over 1 billion SEK. Key figures - some convicted, others wanted - have now fled abroad, leaving 33 million in unpaid taxes.
www.expressen.se/nyheter/sver...
www.expressen.se/nyheter/sver...
Fick miljard till barn – nu flyr de Sverige
Över en miljard i skattemedel har gått till skolor och förskolor i ett islamistiskt nätverk förenat av gemensamma släktband, kriminella affärer och välfärdsbrott. Nu flyr nyckelpersonerna landet – en ...
www.expressen.se
November 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Expressen’s investigation reveals a web of Muslim Brotherhood-run schools in Sweden accused of welfare fraud, siphoning over 1 billion SEK. Key figures - some convicted, others wanted - have now fled abroad, leaving 33 million in unpaid taxes.
www.expressen.se/nyheter/sver...
www.expressen.se/nyheter/sver...
Texas governor Abbott has designated CAIR & MB as FTOs, citing our research that links CAIR to efforts by the US-based Hamas network to operate under new guises
gov.texas.gov
November 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Texas governor Abbott has designated CAIR & MB as FTOs, citing our research that links CAIR to efforts by the US-based Hamas network to operate under new guises
⚖️ Case update: Yesterday, Michail Chkhikvishvili, aka "Commander Butcher," and leader of the Nihilist Violent Extremist (NVE) group Maniac Murder Cult, pleaded guilty to soliciting hate crimes and sending instructions to make bombs and ricin.
Leader of White Supremacist Group Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Hate Crimes and Sending Instructions to Make Bombs and Ricin
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Mishka,” “Michael,” “Commander Butcher,” and “Butcher,” pleaded guilty to soliciting hate...
www.justice.gov
November 18, 2025 at 3:29 PM
⚖️ Case update: Yesterday, Michail Chkhikvishvili, aka "Commander Butcher," and leader of the Nihilist Violent Extremist (NVE) group Maniac Murder Cult, pleaded guilty to soliciting hate crimes and sending instructions to make bombs and ricin.
📢 We’re hiring Spring Research Assistants (Jan–May)!
This paid, term-limited role is open to students and recent grads from GWU and beyond. RAs support research on terrorism/extremism, produce analytic products, and maintain databases.
📍Hybrid; DC on-site required.
🔗 www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...
This paid, term-limited role is open to students and recent grads from GWU and beyond. RAs support research on terrorism/extremism, produce analytic products, and maintain databases.
📍Hybrid; DC on-site required.
🔗 www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
November 17, 2025 at 4:39 PM
📢 We’re hiring Spring Research Assistants (Jan–May)!
This paid, term-limited role is open to students and recent grads from GWU and beyond. RAs support research on terrorism/extremism, produce analytic products, and maintain databases.
📍Hybrid; DC on-site required.
🔗 www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...
This paid, term-limited role is open to students and recent grads from GWU and beyond. RAs support research on terrorism/extremism, produce analytic products, and maintain databases.
📍Hybrid; DC on-site required.
🔗 www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...
PoE staff Lara Burns, David Collins, and Barry Jonas explain in their latest article, "Fighting Peace," how Hamas and its US-based support network have continually undermined peace agreements between Israel and Arab states. Read it here 👇
Fighting Peace | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Authored by Lara Burns, Barry Jonas and David Collins
extremism.gwu.edu
November 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
PoE staff Lara Burns, David Collins, and Barry Jonas explain in their latest article, "Fighting Peace," how Hamas and its US-based support network have continually undermined peace agreements between Israel and Arab states. Read it here 👇
Senior Research Fellow Dr. Sergio Altuna Galan (@altuna.bsky.social) sat down with Dr. Djallil Lounnas to discuss recent gains by JNIM in Mali and the Sahel more broadly. You can watch his interview here 👇
Is Bamako on the Brink of a Jihadist Takeover?
YouTube video by Program on Extremism at GWU
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Senior Research Fellow Dr. Sergio Altuna Galan (@altuna.bsky.social) sat down with Dr. Djallil Lounnas to discuss recent gains by JNIM in Mali and the Sahel more broadly. You can watch his interview here 👇
There's still time to register for tomorrow's event! Be sure to join a captivating discussion with Dr. Matthew Levitt, Alexandra Hughes, and Edmund Fitton-Brown, moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas. You can sign up using the link below!
extremism.gwu.edu/congress-and...
extremism.gwu.edu/congress-and...
Congress and the Muslim Brotherhood | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Featuring Matthew Levitt, Edmund Fitton-Brown, and Alexandra Hughes; moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas.
extremism.gwu.edu
November 11, 2025 at 6:19 PM
There's still time to register for tomorrow's event! Be sure to join a captivating discussion with Dr. Matthew Levitt, Alexandra Hughes, and Edmund Fitton-Brown, moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas. You can sign up using the link below!
extremism.gwu.edu/congress-and...
extremism.gwu.edu/congress-and...
📢 Join us Nov 12, 2025, 3-4 PM ET for “Congress and the Muslim Brotherhood: Issues, Debates, and Policy Perspectives.”
Experts Matthew Levitt & Edmund Fitton-Brown will join Barry Jonas to unpack recent FTO designation efforts.
Experts Matthew Levitt & Edmund Fitton-Brown will join Barry Jonas to unpack recent FTO designation efforts.
Congress and the Muslim Brotherhood | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Featuring Matthew Levitt and Edmund Fitton-Brown; moderated by Senior Research Fellow Barry Jonas.
extremism.gwu.edu
November 4, 2025 at 3:40 PM
📢 Join us Nov 12, 2025, 3-4 PM ET for “Congress and the Muslim Brotherhood: Issues, Debates, and Policy Perspectives.”
Experts Matthew Levitt & Edmund Fitton-Brown will join Barry Jonas to unpack recent FTO designation efforts.
Experts Matthew Levitt & Edmund Fitton-Brown will join Barry Jonas to unpack recent FTO designation efforts.
Our new publication, CAIR—Why History is Important, examines reports that CAIR-Ohio Director Tuurani joined an online event with Hamas official Majed al-Zeer, revealing how CAIR obscures its history and affiliations.
CAIR—Why History is Important | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University
Authored by Lara Burns, Barry Jonas and David Collins
extremism.gwu.edu
November 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Our new publication, CAIR—Why History is Important, examines reports that CAIR-Ohio Director Tuurani joined an online event with Hamas official Majed al-Zeer, revealing how CAIR obscures its history and affiliations.