Islamism | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Since its onset, the Program on Extremism has devoted substantial attention to the activities of Islamist groups, particularly in Western countries. The Program’s director, Lorenzo Vidino, has studied the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and North America for more than 20 years, authoring two acclaimed books and regularly consulting with various governments on the subject. The Program has also produced reports on the Salafist movement in America and other Islamist movements.

Recent Publications

Tackling Hamas Funding in the West

November 2023

Lorenzo Vidino and Sergio Altuna

The Muslim Brotherhood's Pan-European Structure

This study seeks to be a primer on Muslim Brotherhood-influenced networks in Europe. It aims to provide a common framework of what constitutes the Brotherhood in Europe, who belongs to it, how the network operates and what its views and goals are.

The Closed Circle: Joining and Leaving the Muslim Brotherhood in the West

Program Director Lorenzo Vidino's latest book publication offers an unprecedneted inside view into how one of the world's most influential Islamist groups operates. Through the stories of diverse former members, he paints a portrait of a highly structured, tight-knit movement.

Austria, Not France, Is the Model for Europe’s Crackdown on Islamists

Sebastian Kurz’s government failed to stop a recent terrorist attack, but he has been saying—and doing—what Emmanuel Macron is proposing for years. Program Director Lorenzo Vidino argues in Foreign Policy for sharper counterterrorism policies in Europe.

Salafism in America: History, Evolution, Radicalization

This study is one of the first to focus solely on Salafism in the United States. Drawing on multiple primary sources, including interviews with leading American Salafis, it provides an overview of the history, evolution, and contours of the movement in America.

Browse All Related Resources

Books

The Closed Circle: Joining and Leaving the Muslim Brotherhood in the West

Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | March 2020

The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West

Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | August 2010

Commentaries

The Myth of Moderate Jihadis
Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | FP | September 22, 2021

Austria, Not France, is the Model for Europe’s Crackdown on Islamists

Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | Foreign Policy | November 11, 2020

Europe Frets, America Yawns: The Trans-Atlantic Gap on Domestic Islamism
Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | Hudson Institute | July 16, 2020

Erdogan’s Long Arm in Europe
Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | Foreign Policy | May 7, 2019

The Muslim Brotherhood: Terrorists or Not?
Authored by Mokhtar Awad and Samuel Tadros | The Wall Street Journal | March 1, 2017

Why the United States Should Be as Circumspect as the British about the Muslim Brotherhood
Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | Lawfare | February 12, 2017

Egypt's New Radicalism: The Muslim Brotherhood and Jihad
Authored by Mokhtar Awad | Foreign Affairs | February 4, 2016

Sharia4: From Confrontational Activism to Militancy
Authored by Lorenzo Vidino | Perspectives on Terrorism | Terrorism Research Initiative
April 2015

Media Coverage