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Sohail Ahmed (former Islamist)

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Sohail Ahmed
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipBritish
Alma materOpen University
Occupation(s)Counter-terrorism and counter-extremism specialist
Known forFormer Muslim extremist, turned LGBT rights activist[1]

Sohail Ahmed (born 1992) [2] is an English social activist of Pakistani and Kashmiri descent, former Islamist and Muslim extremist who was at one point considering carrying out an Islamic terrorist attack in his home city of London.[1][3][4] Following his coming out as a gay man,[1][3][4] he now works in the fields of counter-extremism, counter-terrorism, and social integration. He has featured in the media and has written for a number of publications exploring his personal journey, LGBT rights in the Muslim world, and Islamic extremism.[13] He has also exposed the prevalence of extremism and jihadism in British universities.[14][15][16]

Background

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Sohail is a British citizen of Pakistani and Kashmiri descent.[1] His parents settled in London following the main wave of immigration from Mirpur, situated in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Ahmed grew up in East London.[17] Originally coming from a Barelvi Muslim background, his parents later became radicalized and started believing in the Salafist form of Islam after befriending Wahhabi neighbors.[1][18] Ahmed is a openly gay man who has described his struggles with his homosexuality as a Muslim.[1][7]

Radicalization

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Ahmed became radicalized in response to the Iraq and Afghanistan military interventions by the United States and the United Kingdom. He was taught at his local mosque that the Iraq and Afghanistan interventions were representative of a war against Islam and Muslims. Consequently, he began considering carrying out an Islamic terrorist attack in his home city of London.[1][3][4]

Sohail has mentioned that his struggle with homosexuality also had a significant impact on his journey towards Islamic extremism.[1][3][4] In an attempt to change his sexuality, he became even more religious and observant, and given that he was a Salafist,[1][7] this, in practice, resulted in him becoming ever more extreme in his views.[7][19]

Sohail admits that whilst he was an Islamist, he was involved in propagating his radical views at Sir George Monoux College. He also admits that he had radicalized a fellow British Muslim who later went on to join the jihad with the now defunct Islamic State in Syria.[3]

Deradicalization

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Ahmed ultimately decided not to engage in violence. He then began to doubt his religious beliefs, which mainly centred around questioning the anti-scientific views he was raised with, in particular regarding the rejection of biological evolution. This culminated in him studying evolution, which in turn led to him abandoning his Salafist views.

He then later questioned the concept of revelation and religion, which resulted in him becoming a Deist.[1] He then began questioning the existence of God and became an agnostic. He now describes himself as a cultural Muslim, retaining a connection to his former religion, whilst simultaneously rejecting its truth claims.[20]

Activism and current work

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Ahmed has campaigned for LGBT rights in the Muslim world, and against Islamic extremism.[8][7] He is also an active Labour party member. He now works in the fields of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism, and is currently an intern at the Henry Jackson Society.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hornall, Thomas (8 October 2015). "What It's Like to Grow Up as a Closeted Gay Extremist Muslim". Vice. Vice Media. ISSN 1077-6788. OCLC 30856250. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  2. ^ "What It's Like to Grow Up as a Closeted Gay Extremist Muslim". VICE. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Sommerlad, Nick (28 August 2015). "I was a hate preacher who radicalised at least one Brit jihadi but I've changed after coming out'". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Vine, Jeremy; Ahmed, Sohail (2015). "the former Islamic extremist who says he became radicalised to suppress his homosexuality". BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  5. ^ Counter extremism expert on terror threat of Islamism, 19 October 2021, retrieved 2021-10-19
  6. ^ "How a Young Londoner Escaped Radical Islam". HuffPost. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. ^ a b c d e "A gay Muslim speaks: Why I left radical Islamism | Peter Tatchell Foundation". www.petertatchellfoundation.org. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  8. ^ a b "Hostility & support at LGBT-Muslim Solidarity launch | Peter Tatchell Foundation". www.petertatchellfoundation.org. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  9. ^ "Reformed Islamic extremist looks back". MSNBC. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  10. ^ Gay Muslim: I radicalized to try 'to cure myself' - CNN Video, 20 June 2016, retrieved 2021-10-10
  11. ^ Hanif, Faisal. "My Muslim father tried exorcism to stop me being gay". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  12. ^ "BBC Three - Reggie Yates' Extreme, UK, Gay and Under Attack". BBC. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  13. ^ [1][5][6][7][8][3][9][10][11][12]
  14. ^ Hanif, Faisal. "University's Islamic society is suspended over 'intimidation'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  15. ^ "Ex-Islamist radical says extremism rampant in British universities". Queen Mary University of London. 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  16. ^ Youle, Emma (2015-08-06). "Former Islamic radical claims 'talk of jihad' common at Queen Mary University Friday prayer". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  17. ^ "Brit hate preacher changes his ways after coming out". The Mirror. 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  18. ^ Sohail Ahmed | Ex-Salafi On Leaving Islam, 29 July 2020, retrieved 2021-10-10
  19. ^ "My de-radicalisation story: Life after considering terrorism". International Business Times UK. 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  20. ^ My Journey In and Out of Extremist Islam, 28 February 2020, retrieved 2021-10-10
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