PHILADELPHIA – June 7, 2018 – The Middle East Forum is taking the fight against Islamism to the local level, with the launch of its Counter-Islamism Grid (CIG) to be headed by Kyle Shideler.
As the saying goes, ‘all news is local.’ But in the local context, Islamists prosper in obscurity. To meet this challenge, CIG will coordinate research, writing and activism by a network of researcher-activist associates across North America, to oppose Islamist ideas, individuals and organizations. The project will be spun-off as a separate entity in the future.
Kyle Shideler will begin as Director of CIG on July 2. Mr. Shideler specializes on Islamist groups operating in the United States, having spent over a decade researching and writing on their history, doctrine, and impact. He has briefed senior U.S. Government personnel, Members of Congress, and law enforcement on this topic, as well as testified before the Canadian House of Commons.
Mr. Shideler has written for The Federalist, The Hill, FoxNews.com, the Claremont Review of Books, and contributed to Saudi Arabia and the Global Islamic Terrorist Network (Palgrave, 2011).
Mr. Shideler previously worked at the Center for Security Policy, the Endowment for Middle East Truth, and StandWithUs. He is a graduate of Boston University and was a Lincoln Fellow with the Claremont Institute.
“Currently, counter-Islamist organizations focus on national and international networks,” notes Mr. Shideler. “CIG will be the eyes and ears on the neighborhood level, from Lewiston, Maine, to Jersey City to Minneapolis to Lodi, California.”
“Islamism is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” He continued. “The two cannot co-exist on equal footing. Lawful Islamists utilize legitimate tactics but to negate the existing order. We seek to research, expose, and oppose this threat.”
The Forum will soon post job openings for researcher-activists in locales across North America.
The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects the West from Middle Eastern threats.
For immediate release For more information, contact: Gregg Roman, Director Roman@MEForum.org
