Dr. Lorenzo Vidino

 

Dr. Lorenzo Vidino is the Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. An expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, his research over the past 20 years has focused on the mobilization dynamics of jihadist networks in the West; governmental counter-radicalization policies; and the activities of Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organizations in the West.

A native of Italy who holds American citizenship, Dr. Vidino earned a law degree from the University of Milan Law School and a doctorate in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has held positions at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the RAND Corporation, and the Center for Security Studies (ETH Zurich).

The author of several books and numerous articles, Dr. Vidino’s most prominent works are on the Muslim Brotherhood in the West. His first is The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West (Columbia University Press, 2010). The book offers a comparative study of Islamist organizing in various Western countries as well as the wide-ranging public policy responses by Western leaders. His most recent book, The Closed Circle: Joining and Leaving the Muslim Brotherhood in the West, (Columbia University Press, 2020) is based on interviews with former members of the group, offering an unprecedented inside view into how one of the world's most influential Islamist groups operates, and how some individuals made the difficult decision to leave. The book has been translated into Arabic, Spanish, French and Italian.

Dr. Vidino has testified before the U.S. Congress and other parliaments; advised law enforcement officials around the world; and taught at universities in the U.S. and Europe. He regularly provides commentary to diverse media outlets (including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, PBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, BBC, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya...) and is a columnist for the Italian newspapers La Repubblica and La Stampa. 

In 2016, he was appointed by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi as Coordinator of the National Commission on Jihadist Radicalization.

Publications

"The Myth of Moderate Jihadis," Foreign Policy, September 22, 2021

"American counterterrorism cannot be an either/or proposition," The Hill, May 25, 2021

"The Islamic State is in Congo. What Now?" Lawfare, May 16, 2021

"Austria, Not France, Is the Model for Europe’s Crackdown on Islamists," Foreign Policy, November 11, 2020

"Emmanuel Macron’s War on Islamism Is Europe’s Future," Foreign Policy, February 24, 2020

"Erdogan's Long Arm in Europe," Foreign Policy, May 7, 2019

"Why the United States Should Be as Circumspect as the British about the Muslim Brotherhood," Lawfare, February 12, 2017.

"Toward a Radical Solution," Foreign Policy, January 5, 2010.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Pan-European Structure,  Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Extremism, October 2021

The Islamic State in Congo, Program on Extremism, March 2021

"This is Our House!": A Preliminary Assessment of the Capitol Hill Siege Participants, Program on Extremism, March 2021

Antisemitism as an Underlying Precursor to Violent Extremism in American Far-Right and Islamist Contexts, Program on Extremism, October 2020

Dollars for Daesh: Analyzing the Finances of American ISIS Supporters, Program on Extremism, September 2020

"Europe Frets, America Yawns: The Trans-Atlantic Gap on Domestic Islamism," Hudson Institute, July 2020

The ISIS Files: An Introduction, Program on Extremism, June 2020

"Dollars for Daesh: The Small Financial Footprint of the Islamic State's American Supporters," CTC Sentinel 13 (3), March 2020. 

Kamal Helbawy: Pioneer of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West, Program on Extremism, January 2020

A Review of Transatlantic Best Practices for Countering Radicalisation in Prisons and Terrorist Recidivism, EUROPOL, July 2019

"Destination Jihad: Italy’s Foreign Fighters," International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)- The Hague, March 2019

“Sharia4: From Confrontational Activism to Militancy,” Perspectives on Terrorism 9(2), 2015.

Home-Grown Jihadism in Italy: Birth, Development and Radicalization Dynamics, ISPI (Istituto per gli studi di politica internazionale) and European Foundation for Democracy, April 2014. Published also in Italian under the title Il jihadismo autoctono in Italia: nascita, sviluppo e dinamiche di radicalizzazione.

The West and the Muslim Brotherhood After the Arab Spring, Translated and published in English as an EBook by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, February 2013

Countering Radicalization in Europe, International Centre for the Study of Radicalization, King’s College London, December 2012. 

European Experiences in Counterradicalization, CTC Sentinel 5(6): 16-18, June 2012. 

“The Buccinasco pentiti: a unique case study of radicalization,” Terrorism and Political Violence 23(3): 398-418, 2011.

Radicalization, Linkage and Diversity: Current Trends in Terrorism in Europe, RAND Corporation, July 2011.

The Muslim Brotherhood in the West: Evolution and Western policies, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, King’s College London, March 2011.

“The Role of Non-Violent Islamists in Europe,” CTC Sentinel 3(11): 9-11, November 2010.

Countering Radicalization in America: Lessons from Europe, United States Institute of Peace, November 2010.

“Homegrown Jihadist Terrorism in the United States: A New and Occasional Phenomenon?” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Volume 32(1), January 2009.

The Closed Circle: Joining and Leaving the Muslim Brotherhood in the West, Columbia University Press, March 2020. 

“The Evolution of the Post-9/11 Threat in the United States,” in Bruce Hoffman and Fernando Reinares, eds., The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat: From 9/11 to Osama bin Laden's Death (Columbia University Press, 2014).

Western Governments and Political Islam after 2011, Al Mesbar Studies and Research Center (Dubai, December 2012). Editor. In Arabic.

The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West, Columbia University Press, August 2010. Translated and published in Arabic by Al Mesbar Studies and Research Center, Dubai, 2011.

“The Muslim Brotherhood's European Constellation” | Le Point | 1/24/2022

“Jewish leaders renew antisemitism fight after hostage case” | Star Tribune | 1/24/2022

“After the US Capitol riot, a sprawling inquiry continues to grow” | AFP | 1/2/2022

“Political Islam more dangerous than Islamist terror” | Kronen Zeitung | 10/30/2021

“Lorenzo Vidino: "The EU and its governments are naively financing Islamism"” | ABC Espana | 3/8/2021

“57 nations hit for failure to repatriate women, children from Syrian camps” | Al-Monitor | 2/10/2021

“Social transformation project” | Frankfuter Allgemeine | 2/7/2021

“State Department Cuts Ties With Islamic Charity Over Anti-Semitism” | Free Beacon | 1/18/2021

“Europe needs tougher laws to fight the Islamist threat” | The Times | 11/7/2020

“Researcher: Has Sida missed the almost daily Islamic Relief scandals?” | Ledare | 8/28/2020

“Criticism of Swedish aid after revelation of anti-Semitism” | Värlen Idag | 8/27/2020

“New Islamic Relief Worldwide chairman celebrated Muslim Brotherhood on social media” | The National | 8/27/2020

“Confederation washes controversial Islamic aid organization clean” | Tages Anzeiger | 8/24/2020

“Swedish tax money should not go to anti-Semitism” | Ledare | 8/24/2020

“Entire board resigns at Islamic Relief Worldwide” | London Times | 8/22/2020

“London Bridge Attack Raises Questions About Convicted Terrorists Reentering Society” | NPR | 12/3/2019

“Thousands of ISIS Children Suffer in Camps as Countries Grapple With Their Fate” | New York Times | 5/8/2019

“European Leaders Reluctant To Meet Trump's Demands To Take Back Captive ISIS Fighters” | NPR | 2/18/2019

Testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on Terrorism, HUMINT, Analysis and Counterintelligence: The Muslim Brotherhood in the West: Characteristics, Aims and Policy Considerations. Washington, April 13, 2011.