Check out the new podcast I recorded with Marc Lynch from the Project on Middle East Political Science: “Tunisia’s Missionaries of Jihad: A Conversation with Aaron Zelin”

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Aaron Y. Zelin, who discusses his new book Your Sons Are at Your Service: Tunisia’s Missionaries of Jihad. In the book, Zelin explains how Tunisia became one of the largest sources of foreign fighters for the Islamic State— even though the country stands out as a democratic bright spot of the Arab uprisings and despite the fact that it had very little history of terrorist violence within its borders prior to 2011.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Jihadology Podcast: Nashids: History and Cultural Meaning

Behnam Said comes on the show to talk about nasheeds. Some of the topics covered include:

  • The role of music in Islam and how it relates to nasheeds
  • A modern history of the use of nasheeds
  • Differences between Sufi, mainstream Islamist, and jihadi nasheeds
  • Different themes used in these nasheeds
  • Why there has been such an explosion in new nasheeds and media outlets from IS and AQAP recently


Links:

Thanks to Haakon Jahr, TankThoughts, and Raihan Kadir for supporting the show. If you’d like to support the podcast please check out the show’s Patreon page!
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (26MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: al-Qaeda's Franchising Strategy

Barak Mendelsohn comes on the show to discuss his new book, The al-Qaeda Franchise: The Expansion of al-Qaeda and Its Consequences. Some of the topics covered include:

  • How organizations expand
  • Why AQ decided to branch out and the strategy behind that decision
  • AQ’s choices on where to expand
  • Case studies on AQ’s different branches


Links

Thanks to Haakon Jahr, TankThoughts, and Raihan Kadir for supporting the show! If you’d like to support the podcast please check out the show’s Patreon page!
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (51MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: Islamic State Networks In Turkey

Aaron Stein comes on the show to talk about IS networks in Turkey. Some of the topics covered include:

  • How IS developed its network inside Turkey
  • Recent attacks in Ankara and Istanbul and the networks behind them
  • How these attacks have affected Turkish governmental policy
  • How things could play out in the future


Links:

Thanks to Haakon Jahr, Raihan Kadir, TankThoughts, and Fredrik Lundqvist for supporting the show. If you’d like to help support the podcast, and get some cool rewards, check out the show’s Patreon page!
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (24MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: The Malian Jihadi Landscape

Andrew Lebovich comes on the show to discuss the various jihadi groups that have been active in Mali over the past few years. Some of the topics covered include:

  • The political process in Mali after the French intervention
  • Why there has been a rise in violence recently
  • Why IS has not been able to penetrate Mali like many of the other jihadi zones
  • Where things might be going from here


Links

Thanks to Haakon Jahr, TankThoughts, and Raihan Kadir for supporting the show. You can help support the podcast, and get some cool rewards, by checking out the show’s Patreon page.
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (28MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: A History of Lebanese Sunni Jihadism

Bernard Rougier comes on the show to discuss Lebanese Sunni jihadism. Some of the topics covered include:

  • How Lebanese first got involved in jihadism in Afghanistan in the 1980s
  • How the Lebanese scene became connected to the European and Australian jihadi network
  • The role the Iraq war played in the mobilization and recruitment of a new generation
  • Background on Fatah al-Islam
  • The role Lebanese Sunni jihadis have played in the Syrian war and spillover attacks back home


Links

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Thanks to Haakon Jahr, Raihan Kadir, and Kaspars Gasuns for supporting the show. If you’d like to support the show, and get some cool rewards, check out the show’s Patreon page.
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (25MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: Reality of The Islamic State's Finances and Economy

Aymenn al-Tamimi comes on the show for an in-depth discussion of the Islamic State’s finances and economic situation. Some of the topics covered include:

  • IS funding prior to 2013
  • How IS funding compares to AQ
  • Current funding streams, particularly those that are less well known
  • Evolution of IS’ economy in the past year and a half
  • Potential for IS to export its economic model to its provinces outside Iraq and Syria
  • Sustainability of IS finances and its near to medium-term trajectory


Links:

After the interview we have an updated #SocialMedia segment covering postings from December 8-14.
Thanks to Raihan Kadir, Kaspars Gasuns, and Haakon Jahr for supporting the show. If you’d like to help support the podcast, and get some cool rewards, check out the show’s Patreon page.
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (22 MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: Americans in the Islamic State

Lorenzo Vidino and Seamus Hughes come on the show to talk about their new report ISIS in America: From Retweets to Raqqa. Some of the topics covered include:

  • Background on the American jihadi scene
  • The demographics of Americans who’ve traveled to join the Islamic State
  • The three roles American Islamic State supporters play on social media


Links:

Thanks to Haakon Jahr, Praecast, Raihan Kadir, and Kaspars Gasuns for supporting the show. You can support the podcast, and get some great rewards, by checking out the show’s Patreon page!
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (18MB mp3)

Jihadology Podcast: The History, Legacy, and Relevance of Algerian Jihadism Today

Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck comes on the show to talk about jihadism in Algeria. Some of the topics covered include:

  • Background and history of jihadism in Algeria
  • The growth of GIA networks in Europe and its legacy
  • Why there haven’t been many Algerian foreign fighters in Syria
  • Similarities and differences between the GIA and the Islamic State
  • The current status of jihadism in Algeria and Algerian jihadists abroad


The interview starts at the 34:00 minute mark. Prior to the interview we have a Primary Sources segment covering postings from October 15 – November 23. After the interview we have an updated #Social Media segment covering postings from November 21-29.
Links:

Thanks to Raihan Kadir and Haakon Jahr for supporting the show. If you’d like to support the podcast, and get some cool rewards, check out the show’s Patreon page.
The podcast is produced by Karl Morand. If you have feedback you can email [email protected], or find us on Twitter: @JihadPod.
You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or with our RSS feed.
Download this episode (60MB mp3)