TALKING ISLAMISM IN ABU DHABI

Ten years after A Mosque in Munich was published, the book still resonates in parts of the Arab world, which is grappling with the book’s key theme: how Islam has been instrumentalized for political gain.

I had a chance to talk about this in Abu Dhabi earlier this week at a public event sponsored by the The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR)

I talked for an hour about the origins of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, and why western governments and some sections of society remain enamored with the Brotherhood, despite its advocacy of a divided, us-vs-them world.

A Mosque in Munich has recently been translated into Arabic, which spurred interest in the talk–about 100 people attended. The talk was simultaneously translated into Arabic, and we had a lively discussion about how the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideas still influence public perceptions of Islam in the West, and warp societies in the Muslim World.

Thanks to the ECSSR for the invitation and for giving me a tour of its huge library and media monitoring operations. Thanks also for putting my speech on its YouTube channel.

I’ve also put some photos on my Facebook professional page. You can see the post here.