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TRENDS 5th Annual Forum on Political Islam Discusses Shared Patterns of Ideologically Driven Violence

16 Sep 2025

TRENDS 5th Annual Forum on Political Islam Discusses Shared Patterns of Ideologically Driven Violence

16 Sep 2025

-Experts and researchers call for a comprehensive roadmap to counter extremism and stress the importance of promoting values and citizenship

-Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities Wins TRENDS Global Award for Combating Extremist Ideology

 

Experts and researchers participating in the TRENDS Fifth Annual Forum on Political Islam emphasized that confronting extremism requires comprehensive, multi-level approaches that go beyond security solutions to include intellectual, social, and cultural dimensions, alongside the promotion of democratic values and the rule of law.

The Forum, held at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi under the title “Shared Patterns of Violence: Contemporary Approaches to Ideologically Driven Extremism”, also witnessed the announcement of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities as the winner of the inaugural edition of the TRENDS Global Award for Combating Extremist Ideology. The forum recommended the need to separate real grievances from ideological exploitation, create civil pathways that provide youth with opportunities for leadership and innovation, and to safeguard educational institutions from politicized religiosity by teaching critical thinking skills and dismantling narratives that justify violence.

The Forum included officials, experts, and academics from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Canada, France, Italy, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Poland, Egypt, and Jordan. It focused on the commonalities among different types of ideologically driven extremism. Excessive preoccupation with differences often confines understanding of the phenomenon to narrow approaches that lead to ineffective solutions.

Participants stressed that confronting extremism requires comprehensive, multi-level approaches that do not stop at security measures, but also address intellectual, social, and cultural dimensions, alongside promoting democratic values and the rule of law. The Forum further recommended separating genuine grievances from their ideological exploitation, opening alternative civic pathways that provide youth with opportunities for leadership and innovation, and safeguarding educational institutions from activist religiosity by teaching critical thinking skills and deconstructing narratives that justify violence.

Speakers emphasized the importance of strengthening social cohesion as a protective wall against hate speech, establishing clear legislative frameworks to separate religious activity from political work, and preventing the use of religion for political gains. They affirmed that resorting to violence is unacceptable in any democratic or constitutional system. The Forum also discussed the role of the digital space, calling for action against extremist content online through cooperation between governments, civil society, and technology companies, and the launch of digital awareness campaigns that promote pluralism and citizenship while countering extremist propaganda with alternative narratives.

Participants also underscored the need to hold all actors engaged in ideologically driven violence—whether states or organizations—accountable under international law, to break the cycle of impunity that fuels terrorism. The Forum concluded that building resilient societies capable of neutralizing extremist propaganda, developing a charter for religious platforms and charitable work, creating early-warning networks to monitor extremist discourse, and launching rehabilitation programs for former extremists represent essential pillars for combating ideological terrorism and safeguarding human values based on belonging, justice, and dignity.

Throughout its sessions, the Forum addressed key issues relating to how religion is exploited to fuel political conflicts, the methods extremist groups adopt to recruit individuals through digital media tools and social platforms, the role of moderate religious discourse in reinforcing social peace, and the importance of building an alternative intellectual narrative that promotes coexistence and tolerance.

New Intellectual Maps

In his opening address at the Forum, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, welcomed the participants and stressed that the Forum seeks to draw new intellectual maps that reveal hidden intersections among diverse extremist currents, such as Islamism, the far right, and the radical left.

Dr. Al-Ali pointed to the Muslim Brotherhood as an example that illustrates the ability of ideology to combine proselytizing rhetoric with violent projects, capitalizing on the digital revolution to recruit followers via online platforms. He warned that confronting extremism requires a global roadmap that brings together intellectual and political expertise and alliances, going beyond dismantling hate speech to dismantling the illusions that enable such groups to attract new generations. He concluded with a call for collective efforts that integrate academic research, public policy, technology, and political will to make the Forum a platform for launching narratives of coexistence and humanity instead of ideological violence.

The Intellectual and Behavioral Structure of Extremism

In his keynote speech, Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al-Dhaheri, Director of Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, highlighted the similarities between political Islamist groups and other extremist movements, noting that they share an identical intellectual and behavioral structure built on a closed worldview that claims absolute truth, categorizes others as enemies, venerates a “savior” leader, and promotes narratives that justify a final battle.

Al-Dhaheri explained that these movements distort reality through conspiratorial rhetoric, misuse religious and political concepts, reject national frameworks, and seek to dominate or overthrow the state using opportunistic alliances, disinformation, violence, and even child recruitment—reflecting their nihilism and reliance on violence as their sole method.

The Exploitation of Religion

H.E. Sir Liam Fox, Chair of the Abraham Accords Group (UK), argued that the term “religious extremists” is misleading, as they are not men of faith but individuals who exploit religion to pursue political and authoritarian goals. He cited Karl Popper’s Paradox of Tolerance. He warned of the dangers of extremism in Europe arising from political correctness, stressing that allowing intolerance to spread has made the West, particularly the UK, a haven for groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which have exploited mosques for incitement. He concluded by urging firm confrontation, exposing their rhetoric before their followers, and calling them by what they truly are: “extremists who exploit religion, not representatives of faith.”

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Member of the French Senate representing the Orne region (Normandy), argued that violence is a common thread linking political Islam and far-right extremist movements. She highlighted their shared financial dimension, including opaque funding structures, misuse of charitable organizations, and the role of cryptocurrency assets.

The TRENDS Global Award for Combating Extremist Ideology

At the opening of the Forum’s proceedings, writer and thinker Professor Radwan El Sayed, member of the Scientific and Academic Council of TRENDS and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the TRENDS Global Award for Combating Extremist Ideology, announced that Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities had won the first edition of the award. The recognition was granted in appreciation of the university’s pioneering efforts in promoting the values of moderation and tolerance, dismantling extremist discourses, and reinforcing the foundations of shared human coexistence.

Prof. Radwan El Sayed emphasized that the university’s selection reflects the award’s belief in the pivotal role of academic institutions in building intellectual resilience and upholding the values of citizenship, dialogue, and tolerance as the first line of defense against extremism. He further noted that today’s university represents a global intellectual model that integrates research, education, and community service in confronting extremist ideology and fostering a culture of peace.

High-Level Session: From Islamism to Far-Right Extremism

Paul Cruickshank, Editor-in-Chief of CTC Sentinel at the Combating Terrorism Center, United States Military Academy at West Point, moderated the session. It opened with remarks by Fiyaz Mughal, Founder and Director of Faith Matters (United Kingdom), who explained that extremism emerges from the fusion of genuine grievances—such as marginalization and unemployment—with identity struggles, and is reinforced through social media platforms that amplify grievances and create echo chambers. He cited the Muslim Brotherhood as a case study in exploiting governance failures to transform legitimate concerns into extremist ideologies.

H.E. Dherar Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Al-Majlis Group (UAE), addressed the Muslim Brotherhood’s role in targeting students through boycott campaigns and channeling them into Brotherhood-affiliated institutions to increase financial revenues, consolidate influence, and tighten control over the education sector.

Session One: Tracing the Origins of Extremism

The session was moderated by Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi, Senior Researcher and Deputy Head of the Research Sector at TRENDS Research & Advisory, with contributions from Professor Alessandro Ferrari, Professor of State Laws and Religions and Comparative Law of Religions at the University of Insubria, Italy. He introduced the concept of “militant democracy” as a solution to confront the enemies of democracy without undermining freedom of religion, highlighting the Italian experience as a model for balancing the protection of public order with respect for religious pluralism.

Prof. Radwan El Sayed, Dean of the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research College at Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, stressed that extremists employ ideology as a foundation for correcting reality, calling for a new reading of history and recognition of the modern state as a national necessity in confronting extremism.

Dr. Wael Saleh, Advisor for Political Islam and Extremism Affairs at TRENDS Research & Advisory, underlined in his contribution that traditional studies on extremism often focus on differences between groups and overlook their commonalities, leading to narrow approaches and limited solutions. His presentation sought to uncover the intellectual, organizational, and behavioral commonalities across different forms of extremism, explaining that ideologically driven violence is a structural option in Islamism, the far right, and the radical left. These currents share a closed mindset, emotional mobilization mechanisms, binary worldviews, symbolic displays of violence, and, at times, mutual reinforcement. He concluded by calling for the dismantling of the foundational ideas of extremism and building educational and cultural strategies that promote plurality, critical thinking, and citizenship.

Prof. Patrice Brodeur, an Associate Professor at the Institute of Religious Studies at the University of Montreal, emphasized the need to integrate political, religious, educational, and community efforts to combat extremism. Dr. Orla Lynch of University College Cork, Ireland, joined via video to provide analyses on the motivations for joining extremism and strategies for engaging with target audiences.

Session Two: Deconstructing the Foundational Ideas of Extremism

Mohamed Aldhuhoori, Director of the Department of Advanced Political Studies at TRENDS, moderated the session. Presentations began with Spasimir Domaradzki, Assistant Professor at the Department of Law and Institutions of the European Union at the University of Warsaw, Poland, who explained how to dismantle the intellectual foundations of extremism by studying Central and Eastern European experiences.

Mohammed Khalfan Al-Sawafi, a Researcher in International Relations, stressed that ideologically driven extremism is no longer a marginal phenomenon but extends across all ideologies, including nationalism and neo-Nazism. Meshari Al Thaydi, an Opinion Writer and Political Analyst at Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, underlined the importance of systematically studying the origins of extremism.

Dr. Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, the United States, contributed her professional expertise by presenting the concept of the “deadly cocktail of terrorism,” which consists of the group, ideology, social support, and individual motivations. She noted that it is the group that transforms ideology into violence. Aimen Dean, Regional Affairs Advisor, the United Kingdom, emphasized practical approaches to understanding the motivations for joining extremism and addressing their root causes.

Session Three: New Approaches to Combating Extremism

The session was moderated by Shamsa Al-Qubaisi, Researcher in Political Islam Studies at TRENDS Research & Advisory, with presentations beginning with Dr. José Pedro Zúquete, Research Fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal, who presented a study on reciprocal radicalization between identity movements and Islamist groups in Europe, stressing the importance of dismantling propaganda and addressing the roots of societal fears.

Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, Governing Member and Vice President of the Global Imams Council, stated that the Muslim Brotherhood represents a principal source of modern extremism, exploiting religious texts to justify violence.

Prof. Yon Machmudi, Professor of History at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Indonesia, linked the rise of extremism in Indonesia to multiple factors and called for an approach that combines hard power (law and security) with soft power (de-radicalization programs, education in moderation, and community empowerment). Dr. Orla Lynch, again joining via video, highlighted the importance of drawing upon the experiences of former defectors to understand and target the motivations behind joining extremist groups.

Session Four: Community Discussions on Shared Patterns of Violence

The session was moderated by Mohammed Al-Mulla, Founder and President of the Diwan Al-Mulla Network, Kuwait. Presentations began with Omar Al-Bashir Al-Turabi, Interim General Manager and Editor–in–Chief at Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center, who discussed the “supply chain” of extremist thought and organization, noting the role of penetrating education and charitable work in forming a social base for extremism. Abdullah Bin Bijad Al-Otaibi, writer and researcher from Saudi Arabia, pointed out that extremism is part of human nature and has manifested in different forms throughout history, warning against the notion of “counter-extremism,” which has been exploited by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hamad Al-Hosani, Senior Researcher and Director of Political Islam Studies at TRENDS Research & Advisory, drew attention to the compounded threat of the Muslim Brotherhood to religion, the state, and society, which has led to its designation as a terrorist organization in several countries. Osama El Daleel, Head of International Affairs at Al-Ahram newspaper, Egypt, emphasized the necessity of using precise terminology, advocating for the term “Islamized political criminality” instead of “political Islam,” and highlighted the role of the media in confronting these phenomena.

The session concluded with Major General (Ret.) Saleh Al Mu’ayta, a Strategic Analyst from Jordan, emphasized that political Islamist groups monopolize religion and instrumentalize it in politics, while turning certain mosques into recruitment centers. He called for an Arab strategy based on distinguishing between peaceful thought and violence.

Accompanying Activities

The Forum was accompanied by an exhibition that showcased the efforts of Forum partners and TRENDS in countering extremism and displayed leading studies and research. A short awareness film, produced with the participation of the TRENDS Youth Council, was also screened. It illustrated how extremist groups operate online and delivered an inspirational message to young people: “Be aware… Be part of the solution… Don’t let extremism steal your dreams.”

Strategic and Media Partnerships

The Forum benefited from strategic partnerships with Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities and the UAE Cybersecurity Council, and received media support from The National, Sky News Arabia, Al-Ain News, the Harici platform, Aletihad News Center, and Al-Khaleej newspaper.