Progress Report 2009-2010Making Our Country Better, Safer and Prouder

Mission StatementQuilliam is the world’s first counter-extremism think tank. Located in London, our founders are former leading ideologues of UK-based extremist Islamist organisations. Quilliam stands for religious freedom, human rights, democracy and developing a Muslim identity at home in, and with, the West. We engage in innovative research, training, and public messaging to do the following:

• challenge extremist ideology to expose the intellectual bankruptcy of their worldview• promote political pluralism as an antidote to Islamism• inspire positive change so that Muslims and others live harmoniously as citizens, not as

separatist communities.

Who we areThe founders of Quilliam, Ed Husain and Maajid Nawaz, are both former Islamists who have resoundingly rejected the political ideology of Islamism while remaining committed to Islam. They manage a diverse team of Quilliam staff with previous experience in a broad range of fields. The core work of Quilliam is organised around four departments:

The Directors’ Office

The Directors’ Office spearheads our public engagement work through advising policy-makers, networking among community thought-leaders to shift the terms of debate, regular media commentary and public speaking activities to explain extremism, and fundraising.

The Outreach and Training Unit

The Outreach and Training Unit is the foremost provider of radicalisation awareness courses in this field, training and educating public sector workers on issues relating to Islamist ideologies. The unit also assists the directors with outreach work.

The Research and Policy Unit

The Research and Policy Unit generates evidence-based reports intended to expose and challenge extremists as well as help facilitate Muslim integration. The unit also organises regular roundtables on critical issues.

The Global Affairs Unit

The Global Affairs Unit runs projects abroad that challenge Islamist ideologies and equips people with counter-arguments. These include large-scale tours of and events at university campuses in Pakistan.

Contents

For information on our current activities please contact us or visit our website.

Tel. +44 (0) 207 182 7280 Email. information@quilliamfoundation.org

Website. www.quilliamfoundation.org

Highlights of 2009 - 2010

Statement from the Chairman of the Board

Statement from the Directors

Directors’ Office

Publications

Events

Outreach

Training

Public Messaging and Communications

The Pakistan Project

People

Finances

2

4

5

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

21

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Highlights of 2009 - 2010

Quilliam’s Global Affairs Unit reaches

over 5000 students in outreach events held at 25 universities across the whole of Pakistan to help create a new network to tackle extremist narratives 2009-2010

Quilliam hosts Noman Benotman of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, the latest jihadist group to publicly reject al-Qaeda’s message and publish a theologically-based critique of Islamist violence January 2010

Quilliam’s Outreach and Training Unit trains

over 1000 British public sector workers in countering extremism 2009

CBS News’ flagship programme, 60 Minutes, follows Quilliam and dedicates an entire programme to us and our work reaching roughly

14.5 million viewers worldwide April 2010

In Defence of British Muslims: A response to BNP racist propaganda is released – the first document of its kind to challenge the accusations of the British National Party against British Muslims. It was quoted from on the Nick Griffin edition of BBC Question Time August 2009

Iqbal Wahhab OBE, a leading British Muslim entrepreneur, is appointed as the new chair of Quilliam’s Advisory Board January 2010

Quilliam launches a series of events at British universities to talk about issues of radicalisation and Islamism. Universities include: York, Leeds, Manchester, Durham, City University, LSE, SOAS, Kings College, UCL, Cambridge and Oxford 2009-2010

Alongside Policy Exchange and Progress, Quilliam hosts events at the Conservative and Labour Party conferences including key political thinkers and high profile MPs such as the Rt Hon John Denham MP and Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones September and October 2009

Quilliam’s report on highlighting radicalisation in British prisons generates major news stories in the British and international press including The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, The Associated Press, Newsweek, CNN, Radio 4 Today Programme and BBC News November 2009

Quilliam, having long disassociated ourselves from such rhetoric in our public messaging, welcomes President Obama’s change of lexicon from ‘the Muslim world’ to ‘Muslim-majority countries’ as language that no longer reinforces al-Qaeda’s narrative June 2009

Quilliam successfully reaches out to key policy-makers in Washington DC: Maajid Nawaz launches Pakistan: Identity, Ideology and Beyond at the Middle East Institute hosted by Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin and meets with Richard Holbrooke and his ‘Af-Pak’ team August-September 2009

Ofcom launches an investigation into the Islam Channel as a direct consequence of Quilliam’s report that studied Islam Channel content over a three month period March 2010

Months of community outreach up and down the country culminates in an event at St Paul’s Cathedral for Muslim thought-leaders, community activists and imams January 2010

Maajid Nawaz and Ghaffar Hussain deliver Quilliam’s Radicalisation Awareness Programme to the US Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC September 2009

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Statement from the Chairman of the Board

Statement from the Directors

It’s been another tough, but successful year – a year

that can best be described by us with three words:

consolidation, debate and outreach.

In our first year, our strategy was to address global media

and key national governments to explain the nature

of Islamist extremism. We also presented solid policy

proposals which would help governments to challenge

these extreme ideologies.

This year, whilst consolidating that media and political

work we additionally strove to stimulate new debates

and discussions around identity and extremism, helping

to marginalise old approaches to politics and religion

among activist Muslims.

During this time, alongside such debates and our media

briefings, roundtables, policy meetings and reports,

we also initiated outreach in order to influence the

influencers.

With this in mind, we have been busy speaking at UK

campuses to reach out and address the next generation

of Muslim and non-Muslim thought-leaders emerging

from our universities in order to tackle extremism.

We also travelled to Pakistan every three months to

help university students there to build and forge new

alliances against extremism in a country that has direct

implications for the UK.

Additionally, we have been busy building deep coalitions

and networks with Muslim thought-leaders and critics

across the country. Rolling up our sleeves, we spent many

hours of meetings at community gatherings in lecture

halls, restaurants, mosques, community centres and living

rooms. As a result, we are in a relatively stronger position

to be able to do what we do, and say what we say, whilst

maintaining close ties and receiving active and critical

support.

Today, Quilliam is a dedicated team of people committed

to making Britain a better place. We have a solid

reputation for professionalism, expertise and rolling back

extremist influences in Britain.

In this report, we showcase our second year’s work.

Quilliam continues to strive to instigate difficult debates

and re-shape society’s discourse around extremism.

However, this year we have also expanded our remit to

look at issues of integration, citizenship, identity and

far-right extremism that are increasingly affecting all of

society and, without adequate handling, can lead to the

alienation that feeds Islamist narratives.

We are appreciative of the many individuals that have

helped us along the way in these last two tough years,

not least friends in communities, the media, businesses,

politics and government. To those people, thank you.

Quilliam still has a long, long way to go. Extremism

remains untackled in university campuses, prisons and on

the internet, as well as elsewhere. But we are now well

on that journey to, we hope, making Britain better, safer

and prouder.

Ed Husain and Maajid Nawaz

Quilliam Co-Founders and Co-Directors

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For many years, I had been

privately noticing – how

could you fail to? – the rise

of extremism in Muslim

communities around the

UK. Over these years, I have

been appalled to see that

profoundly abhorrent views

were being articulated not

by dubious clerics from

the other side of the world but by people who grew up

in neighbourhoods like mine, who went to schools like

mine, even finding them within my family circles.

By sidelining them as something unrelated to what

defined me, I was implicitly letting them make headway

in preaching a view of the world a million miles from

my own. Whilst I was doing nothing apart from feel

embarrassed by them, they were going out spreading

their vision of anger, conspiracy and hate. And doing so,

sadly, with increasing success.

The anti-Iraq War slogan “Not in my name” was equally

applicable to my views on the espousal of Islamism on

behalf of British Muslims, of which I am one. How are

people to know that however much they are growing,

these extremists still represent a tiny proportion of

opinion among us?

So when I met Quilliam’s founders, it was clear that it

was time for me – and the many people like me – to

enter the fray and redress the distortion of British Muslim

opinion and to support their consistent and articulate

challenges of the hardliners, exposing their activities and

recruitment procedures and pushing forward the more

mainstream, pluralist set of views that British society is

built on. By taking on this challenge, they put themselves

at considerable personal risk; the people whom they are

challenging are not renowned for welcoming scrutiny or

criticism.

The advisory group which I now chair seeks to provide

wider support for Quilliam’s work to ensure processes

are robust, that communications are effective and that

we are supported by and engage with the private sector

and ordinary individuals as well as with government and

public bodies. More of us need to come forward and

support Quilliam – whether it’s with words, actions or

money. We need all three to ensure that safety, peace

and tolerance win the day.

Iqbal Wahhab OBE

Founder of Roast and Chair of Quilliam’s Advisory Board

Directors’ Office

This year, the directors have

continued to help shape the

response of the UK and the

international community to the

threat posed by extremism and

terrorism. In particular, they have

played a key role in assisting US and

UK government counter-terrorism

strategies, whilst also strengthening

civil society groups and networks

to respond to radicalisation. The

directors’ work supports and

reinforces the work undertaken by

Quilliam’s other units.

Muslim communities

and leaders

The dangers of extremism within

Muslim communities in the UK

can be defeated if British Muslims

work together to eradicate the

threat. Whilst Quilliam is not a

representative Muslim organisation,

the directors support the outreach

team by reaching out to Muslim

thought-leaders, imams and

organisations in order to shape

the discourse, encourage inter-

community relations and create

resilience to the messages and

impact of extremists. To these ends,

the directors have been meeting

with Muslim community members

in the Midlands, the North West

and in London particularly. The

outcome of dedicated time and

effort from many people was an

event attended by key Muslim

thought-leaders at St Paul’s

Cathedral in January 2010.

Public messaging

Informing and influencing the

public debate on extremism and

counter-terrorism is pivotal to

Quilliam’s work. The directors

dedicate much time to this,

targeting their messages according

to the specific subject and needs of

the audiences. For instance, in the

last year, the directors have written

columns in newspapers from

The Sun to The Guardian; spoken

at events from select committee

inquiries to community gatherings

and universities; and delivered high-

level presentations at think-tanks,

NGOs and government departments

in the UK, Europe and the US.

Examples of impact:

In March 2010, the directors

and Quilliam’s media team pro-

actively supported the launch

of an anti-terrorism fatwa

by Shaikh Dr Tahir ul-Qadri,

founder of the international

Minhaj-ul-Quran movement.

Quilliam briefed journalists on

the importance of this fatwa,

issued a press release drawing

attention to it and were

interviewed on it in the national

and international media. The

result was that the fatwa was

widely covered in the press, and

that Shaikh Qadri’s message

was heard globally by both

Muslims and non-Muslims, with

particular focus on his assertion

that suicide bombers would go

to hell.

Since mid-2009, the directors

have launched a messaging

campaign specifically targeted

at universities with a view to

raising awareness of campus

extremism and exposing

students to a wider variety

of Muslim thought than the

often narrowly Salafi or Islamist

ideologies promoted by many

student Islamic societies. Ed

and Maajid have now spoken at

universities including LSE, UCL,

SOAS, Kings College, Durham,

Manchester, Leeds, Bristol,

Westminster, Buckinghamshire,

Kingston, Cambridge and

Oxford. Ed was interviewed for

an extensive article in Pi, UCL’s

student newspaper. Maajid

has also undertaken a national

tour of universities in Pakistan.

For further information see the

Outreach and Pakistan Project

pages.

Policy assistance

Over the past year, the directors

have assisted in guiding government

counter-terrorism policy through

private meetings, briefings

and public messaging. This

predominantly takes place in the

UK, but also extends to Brussels,

The Hague, Washington DC and

Pakistan, among other places.

Examples of impact:

Quilliam contributed both

written and oral submissions

to the recent Communities

and Local Government Select

Committee inquiry into the

Preventing Violent Extremism

strategy. Ed delivered the oral

submission at an inquiry session

held in Parliament in which he

expanded on the concerns raised

in Quilliam’s written submission.

He particularly criticised its

current lack of focus on actively

challenging extremism whilst

making some recommendations

about how Prevent could

be made more effective in

the future. These concerns

were picked up widely in the

committee’s written report.

Following Quilliam’s report on

the threat of radicalisation in

prisons, the directors and the

author of the report met with

key members of HM Prison

Service to advise on how best to

tackle prison radicalisation, as

well as raising the issue through

media appearances and public

events including one at the

International Centre for the Study

of Radicalisation. As a direct

result, civil society and policy-

makers are now far more aware

of the threat Britain faces from

prison radicalisation.

In the wake of the Detroit Bomb

Plot, Quilliam publicly warned

that passenger profiling risked

damaging counter-terrorism

efforts as there is no profile of

a suicide bomber who can be of

any race, age or ethnicity. Ed also

wrote in the print edition of

The Guardian that ‘The profiling

of ordinary Muslims not only

opens other avenues for al-

Qaeda, but results in the

harassment and potential loss of

support from the very people we

need on our side to contain al-

Qaeda: ordinary Muslims’. In the

wake of such debate, ministers

and opposition politician leaders

have largely rejected the concept

of racial or religious profiling.

National cohesion

The directors actively engage

themselves in issues of national

cohesion. Creating cohesive

societies is important to undermine

the sense of alienation felt by

some communities that feeds into

Islamist narratives. A key concern

is the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

It is important that, regardless of

events abroad, it does not translate

into anti-Semitic sentiment and

a breakdown of Muslim-Jewish

relations in the UK. For this reason,

the directors actively encourage

Muslim-Jewish relations. As well as

private meetings, Ed attended a day

at the Holocaust Memorial Centre in

Nottinghamshire, spoke at an event

at the Israel Diaspora Trust and

wrote an article entitled ‘UK Jews

and Muslims can co-exist’ in the

Jewish Chronicle. Other examples of

the directors’ involvement include

joining other Muslim organisations,

publications and voices to remind

Muslims of the importance of

Remembrance Sunday as well

as actively speaking out against

far-right nationalism through their

media commentaries and public

events.

Media commentary

This year Maajid and Ed have

authored numerous articles and

have been interviewed for a host

of television and radio channels.

They have written for publications

including New Statesman, Progress,

Jewish Chronicle, The Times, The

Independent, The Daily Mail, The

Sun, The Guardian, The Observer

and Dawn. Highlights of their

broadcast appearances include

Maajid on BBC Any Questions and

challenging Anjum Choudary on

BBC Newsnight, as well as regular

appearances on BBC Radio 4’s

Today Programme and the BBC

World Service. For more information

see the Public Messaging and

Communications pages.

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During nearly two years at Quilliam I have seen many examples of our work crippling extremist organisations in the UK and abroad. These organisations and individuals no-longer have the freedom of movement to spread their poisonous narrative unchallenged.

Ed Jagger, Head of Operations & Finance

Publications

Impact All of Quilliam’s publications are distributed widely,

targeting relevant MPs, policymakers, NGOs and journalists

depending on the recommendations contained within

them. Such distribution ensures that our reports do not

remain static pieces of research, but are used to instigate

and stir up critical debate among key thinkers and

politicians.

In order to assist with this, report forewords have been

written by leading politicians including Baroness Pauline

Neville-Jones, Jon Cruddas MP, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

and Patrick Mercer OBE. A high-profile example of success

includes the Conservative Baroness Sayeeda Warsi using a

piece of evidence from the BNP report on the controversial

BBC Question Time episode that featured Nick Griffin,

Chairman of the British National Party. Other examples

include discussing Muslim women and employment with

the UK’s first Muslim Cabinet minister on BBC Radio

4’s Woman’s Hour and a full investigation of the Islam

Channel launched by the broadcasting regulatory authority

Ofcom. Behind the scenes, this year’s reports have led to

key meetings with, among others, HM Prisons Service, the

Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, the Ethnic

Minority Advisory Group and high profile ministers and

shadow ministers.

Quilliam publications also generate a significant amount of

media attention including print, broadcast, websites and

blogs. Examples of generated content are available on our

website www.quilliamfoundation.org/media.html.

Re-Programming British Muslims: A study of the Islam Channel by Talal Rajab was released in March 2010. The report was based on three months of viewing, recording and analysing key Islam Channel programmes. The report concludes that the channel is often dangerously divisive in its rhetoric and content, breaching a number of broadcasting regulations. Recommendations include a full investigation of the channel by Ofcom.

A Brief History of Islamism by Ghaffar Hussain was released in January 2010. An accessible introduction, it focuses on key Islamist movements and their ideas, showing how the political ideology of these movements, when combined with puritanical Saudi Wahhabism, helped to create modern Jihadism. It is the first in Quilliam’s ‘Concept Series’ – short and easily digestible publications that intend to explain the nature of the Islamist threat today to civil servants and the general public.

Unlocking Al-Qaeda: Islamist Extremism in British Prisons by James Brandon was released in November 2009. The report found that unless radical measures are put in place and made immediately effective, British prisons risk becoming ‘universities of terror’ where extremists are recruited and radicalised. The report contains more than 30 recommendations for the Prison Service that were followed up by meetings with the relevant individuals.

A Selected Translation of the LIFG Recantation Document translated by Mohammed Ali Musawi was released in October 2009. This was the first translation into English of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group’s ‘refutation’ of al-Qaeda jihadist ideology. The LIFG was a Libyan jihadist group affiliated to al-Qaeda, and this document therefore provides a powerful ideological tool in the battle against jihadist ideology, damaging al-Qaeda’s credibility.

In Defence of British Muslims: A response to BNP racist propaganda by Lucy James was released in August 2009. The paper took ten key accusations made by the British National Party against Islam and British Muslims and systematically refuted their arguments. It was endorsed by forewords from MPs from each of the three major political parties and was distributed widely to relevant people in the public sector including MPs, PPCs and local councillors in BNP target areas.

Pakistan: Identity, Ideology and Beyond by Fatima Mullick and Mehrunnisa Yusuf was released in August 2009. The report called on the US and other western governments to undertake a paradigm shift in their approach to counter-extremism efforts in the country. It drew upon analysis of questionnaires distributed among students during Quilliam’s May tour to provide insights into the thoughts of Pakistani youth on issues relating to extremism, nationalism, religion and politics.

Immigrant, Muslim, Female: Triple Paralysis? by Anya Hart Dyke and Lucy James was released in July 2009. Based on the largest poll to date of unemployed South Asian Muslim women, the report showed that, contrary to stereotypes, the majority of these women wanted to work but were restricted by a lack of support from their families and the government. As such, Britain is under-utilizing a vital source for integration and counter-extremism. Recommendations were directed at a range of government departments.

Reclaiming the Nation: In conversation with Pakistani youth by the Global Affairs Unit was released in June 2009. The report aimed to outline some of the problems Pakistan is facing, and provide answers to some of the pertinent questions raised by students during Quilliam’s workshop tours. The report was widely distributed to university students in Pakistan as a tool to aid understanding and build support for Quilliam’s Pakistan Project.

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Feedback

In Defence of British Muslims

First rate, well done.

Denis MacShane MP

Just read your report and an excellent piece of work.

Something that many other groups should have done

long ago.

Public sector worker, London

Immigrant, Muslim, Female

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your

report. Thank you for coming out and saying these

things. It is a pity Government does not listen.

ESOL tutor

Re-Programming British Muslims

It is a heroic work. You’ve made this country a

better place.

Founder of leading political blog

Unlocking Al-Qaeda

I must applaud you for your excellent research and

conclusions about prison radicalization. It is my sincere

desire that prisons in the UK and the US take heed of

your writings.

Member of the US Department of Justice,

Federal Bureau of Prisons

My belief that Islam is more than the closed-minded, rigid interpretation of extremists inspired me to work for Quilliam. Then it motivated me to author a report exposing the BNP’s lies that all British Muslims are extremists. Be they far-right nationalists or Islamist extremists, we cannot sit by and let their ideas win.

Lucy James, Research Fellow

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Events

Annual event

To celebrate Quilliam’s first birthday, we began the year

with a large anniversary event held at the British Medical

Association in April 2009. Entitled ‘What do Britons have

in common?’ it sought to facilitate discussions around

the problems of integration and belonging in the UK.

Guest speakers included the Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP,

Michael Gove MP, Parvin Ali OBE and Dr Tahir Abbas,

and the event was introduced by Angus Walker, Editor

of ITN News.

Roundtables

The Research and Policy Unit (RPU) also organises

regular specialist roundtables for decision-makers,

opinion-formers and practitioners from the media,

think tanks, academia, community organisations and

government. These usually consist of one or two key

speakers and 30-50 attendees, with a focus on the

question and answer session in order that the events

prioritise discussion and debate.

Quilliam has organised five roundtable events this year:

• ‘How to win a cosmic war’ with Reza Aslan (Assistant

Professor at UCLA and writer of No God But God) on

his new book How to Win a Cosmic War,

3 June 2009.

• ‘Pakistan: Identity, Ideology and Beyond’ with

Maajid Nawaz (Co-Founder & Co-Director, Quilliam)

and Fatima Mullick (GAU Project Manager, Quilliam)

on the Global Affairs Unit’s work in Pakistan,

28 October 2009.

• ‘Refuting Al-Qaeda: Former jihadists and the battle

of ideologies’ with Noman Benotman (Libyan Islamic

Fighting Group) on the LIFG’s Corrective Studies

document that refutes al-Qaeda jihadist ideology,

11 January 2010.

• ‘A Roundtable with the President of Somalia’ with

President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (President of Somalia’s

Transitional Federal Government and former leading

member of the Islamic Courts Union), held at the

Karimia Institute, 9 March 2010.

• ‘The Uighur’s: China’s forgotten Muslims’ with

Dr. Enver Tohti (Chairman of the Uighur Association)

about the situation of, and threat of radicalisation

facing, Muslim Uighurs in China’s north-western

Xinjiang province and possible ramifications for the

West, 12 April 2010.

All roundtables are followed up with a summary of

the proceedings, which are distributed widely in order

to maximise the impact of our events. These have

proved popular, particularly among contacts abroad

and are available on our website at http://www.

quilliamfoundation.org/events.html.

Events at party conferences

Quilliam also held events at the Labour and Conservative

Party conferences:

The Labour conference event on 28 September 2009 was

held in conjunction with Progress and was entitled ‘How

should the left engage with British Muslims?’ Speakers

included the Rt Hon John Denham MP (Secretary of State

for CLG), Ed Husain (Co-Founder & Co-Director, Quilliam),

Martin Bright (Jewish Chronicle) and Tahir Abbas FRSA

(Birkbeck College).

The Conservative conference event on 7 October 2009

was held in conjunction with Policy Exchange and was

entitled ‘What would a real counter-extremism policy

look like?’ Speakers included Baroness Pauline Neville-

Jones (National Security Advisor to the Rt Hon David

Cameron MP), Maajid Nawaz (Co-Founder & Co-Director,

Quilliam), Paul Goodman MP (Shadow Communities

Minister) and Paul Richards (former CLG advisor to the

Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP).

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One of the things I value most about Britain is that it welcomes political, religious and social diversity. Quilliam is a vital voice in the struggle to maintain this and protect the rights of Britain’s citizens against extremists who seek to destroy it.

Skye Blythe-Whitelock, Intern

Working alongside the Quilliam team has been an invaluable experience. It is refreshing to meet people who are so genuinely passionate about fighting the spread of the Islamist ideology.

Natalie Stanton, Intern

• Ghaffar Hussain gave a series of roundtable presentations in

Washington DC in February 2010 at prestigious institutions

including the Centre for Strategic and International Studies

and the Marine Corps Base, Quantico – a major training

centre for the US army.

• Ghaffar Hussain participated as keynote speaker at a

roundtable discussion in March 2010 organised by the

Media Diversity Institute in Rabat, Morocco, that discussed

radicalisation in the West.

• James Brandon spoke at the Jamestown Foundation in

Washington DC in April 2010 about the links between

extremist groups in Yemen and the UK.

The directors have also been particularly active in their

international outreach, from Brussels and The Hague, to

Washington DC, to Pakistan. For information on Quilliam’s

outreach in Pakistan see the Pakistan Project pages.

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Outreach

Whilst Quilliam is a think tank and not a representative

Muslim organisation, we recognise the importance of

engaging with a cross-section of society in order to help

facilitate change through influencing the influencers

in critical debates. Crucially, this involves both listening

as well as sharing ideas and experiences. This takes

place on an individual basis as well as group meetings,

roundtables, seminars and lectures. We proactively seek

opportunities to meet and discuss with a wide range of

people including students, community members, Muslim

thought-leaders, public sector workers and researchers

both within the UK and abroad.

Community outreach

Quilliam has both organised and been invited to attend

community events up and down the country. This has

included the training of imams (in Urdu) in the Midlands,

and speaking at community events in areas including

London, the Midlands and the North West.

By activating the networks facilitated through such

community outreach, Quilliam was able to organise

an event for Muslim thought-leaders in January 2010

in conjunction with the St Paul’s Institute. This was an

all-day event comprising of attendees from around the

country that took place in the unique surroundings of St

Paul’s Cathedral. Two panel discussions were held. The

first assessed the barriers faced by British Muslims to

integration in the UK, while the second questioned the

engagement of British Muslims with a prospective new

Conservative government. Both panels generated healthy

dialogue and debate, and the day as a whole facilitated

communication and cooperation between British Muslims

from around the UK in a relaxed environment. The day

closed with a tour of St Paul’s Cathedral.

University outreach

Concern surrounding the radicalisation of students at

universities has been long-held, and has been re-ignited

in the wake of the Detroit Bomb Plot. Members of

Quilliam’s Outreach and Training Unit, as well as the

directors, have been actively reaching out to speak at

university events over the past year. Those spoken at

include the University of York, the University of Leeds, the

University of Manchester, the University of Cambridge,

the University of Oxford, Durham University, the Unversity

of Bristol, the University of Westminster, London School

of Economics, The School of Oriental and African Studies,

City University London, University College London, Kings

College London, the University of Kingston, the University

of Buckinghamshire and at the London programme of

New York’s Syracuse University. Topics range from the

nature of Islamism, counter-extremism and radicalisation

on campuses, to the rise of English nationalism.

Schools outreach

Quilliam has also spoken at several schools this year on

a range of topics including the personal experiences of

the ex-Islamists at Quilliam, the Israel-Palestine conflict

and, to the younger children, about the religion of

Islam in general. The schools include Dauntsey School

in Wiltshire, King Edward’s School in Birmingham,

and Copland Community School, Highgate School and

Westminster School all in London.

Global outreach

Quilliam outreach projects extend beyond the UK.

Members of Quilliam, including the directors, are

active in building communication with individuals and

organisations abroad. Trips this year include:

• Mohammed Ali Musawi accompanied a British Muslim

delegation to Algeria in March 2010, meeting with

the Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs, members of

the Algerian parliament and other senior officials, as

well as students, to discuss the challenge of extremism

that faces Muslims in the UK and globally.

• Ghaffar Hussain attended roundtable discussions

in Cairo, Egypt, in January 2010 focusing on

radicalisation in a western context.

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Feedback

From discussions I’ve had with people who attended the event,

it seems you really stirred debate — even beyond those in the

room, to their friends — which is great.

UCL student

It is efforts of people like you who might make the difference in

the long run.

British Muslim

As a British born Muslim, I am very grateful that we have such a

responsible and sensible voice to educate and rectify such issues.

British Muslim

I would like to pay my respects to Mr. Nawaz for his courage

and openness in speaking about his experiences. I was taken by

his arguments which made me realise that there is a way out of

biased racial and religious discussions.

Major in the Royal Netherlands Army

Washington DCBerlin

Pakistan

Syria

AlgeriaMorocco

BrusselsThe Hague

The mixture of everyone’s backgrounds, life experiences, and different religious and political points of views makes working at Quilliam incredibly interesting, fun and different.

Cassandra Hamblett, Personal Assistant to the Directors

Working with Quilliam has given me the opportunity to meet with and speak to people from around the world about being British and being Muslim. This has reiterated to me that the array of interpretations within Islam must be utilized as the first line of defence against narrow-minded extremism.

Mohammed Ali Musawi, Research Fellow

Muslim propaganda. These sessions aimed to highlight

key arguments used by far-right ideologues and provide

ideological rebuttals to them. Sessions delivered include

several held with members of the Equality, Diversity and

Human Rights Unit of the Association of Chief Police

Officers.

More information is available on the above training

sessions at www.quilliamfoundation.org/quilliam-

outreach-and-training-unit.html

To register interest in training contact Ghaffar Hussain,

Head of Outreach and Training, at

ghaffar.hussain@quilliamfoundation.org.

Feedback

Genuinely the best course I have attended in the time

I have been on the PVE agenda.

Police officer, West Midlands Police

Excellent delivery of the day’s training. This is a

“must-see” presentation to police officers.

Police officer, Staffordshire Police

Thought provoking and interesting. Both presenters

had a relaxed style and were very knowledgeable and

professional.

Police officer, Sussex Police

Excellent course – extremely academically rigorous and

conducted in a professional and engaging manner.

Public sector worker, Westminster City Council

I cannot begin to describe how beneficial the training

provided by Quilliam was. It should be mandatory

training for all JTTF [Joint Terrorism Task Force] agents.

It provides a background necessary to work terrorism

cases.

Member of the US Department of Homeland Security

15

Training

Radicalisation Awareness Programme

During 2009, Quilliam’s dedicated Outreach and

Training Unit delivered training to over 1000 British

public sector workers, and have continued to roll out

training during 2010. The training programme, known

as the Radicalisation Awareness Programme (RAP) is

unique in being the only programme of its kind that is

purely dedicated to educating people about the modern

phenomenon of Islamism, its distinction from the religion

of Islam and its ideological role in modern terrorist

violence. RAP sessions are available at a beginner or

intermediate level and are Excel-accredited.

Over the past year RAP training has been delivered to a

variety of public sector workers in the UK ranging from

police forces to government offices and local councils.

Training sessions have been held during 2009-2010 with:

• Camden Council

• Coventry Police

• Government Office for East Midlands

• Hounslow Council

• Islington Council

• Staffordshire Police

• West Mercia Police

• Westminster Council

• Woking Police

Quilliam also delivers bespoke training sessions that are

tailored to the needs of our client. To date, bespoke

training workshops have been delivered to:

• Al Khoei Foundation

• The Charity Commission

• The Holocaust Memorial Centre

• Suffolk Police

• UK Border Agency

• Woking Police

RAP training sessions have also been delivered outside

of the UK to the US Department of Homeland Security

in Washington DC, colonels and lieutenants in the Iraqi

Army in Florida as well as four day sessions with students

across Pakistan. Further information on the latter is

available on the Pakistan Project pages.

Following on from Quilliam’s paper In Defence of British

Muslims: A response to BNP racist propaganda, the

Quilliam Outreach and Training Unit delivered a number

of training sessions that explored the nature of BNP anti-

14

Travelling around the UK I have met a whole range of inspiring individuals from different Muslim communities. We must rise above the clamour of extremist voices by amplifying those of the majority mainstream, who motivate me in my job every day.

Talal Rajab, Trainer & Research Fellow

Contributing to the debate on the future of British society has been the most rewarding part of my work by far. Be it discussing the economic integration of Muslim women on BBC Radio 4 or the future of religious guidance with respected imams, my work has sought to tackle key issues head on.

Anya Hart Dyke, Senior Research Fellow

I am driven in my role by the belief that our training and outreach efforts are genuinely having a positive impact. National cohesion, security and religious freedoms are important ideals and require a collective effort. I hope our work can make a difference in this regard.

Ghaffar Hussain, Head of Outreach & Training Unit

In the media – a selection

Quilliam’s public messaging has generated a wealth

of output across a wide range of media, including

broadcast, online and print. Here is a selection of some of

the year’s highlights in national and international media.

For a comprehensive list of our media activity please visit

www.quilliamfoundation.org/media.html.

Documentary on Quilliam and our work, 60 Minutes,

CBS News, April 2010

‘Lent Talks’, BBC Radio 4, 10 March 2010

‘UK Jews and Muslims can co-exist’, Jewish Chronicle,

11 March 2010

‘Muslim leader to condemn terrorists’, Press Association,

2 March 2010

‘Radical departure’, New Statesman, 11 February 2010

Airport profiling, BBC Breakfast News, 2 February 2010

‘Interview: Ed Husain’, Pi Newspaper (UCL student

newspaper), February 2010

Maajid Nawaz challenges Anjum Choudary on Islam4UK

ban, BBC Newsnight, 12 January 2010

‘Attacking Christians in Egypt and Malaysia: In the name

of Islam?’ IslamOnline, 10 January 2010

‘Let’s all celebrate Christmas, I will’, The Sun,

23 December 2009

‘The Danger of Prison Radicalization in the West’,

CTC Sentinel, December 2009

‘Al-Qaeda runs jihad from British prisons’,

The Sunday Times, 15 November 2009

‘Any Questions with Maajid Nawaz, Jacqui Smith MP,

Nadine Dorries MP & Billy Hayes’, BBC Radio 4,

23 October 2009

‘An Ed Husain v Geert Wilders debate would be great for

democracy’, The Telegraph, 15 October 2009

‘The BNP’s arguments should be used against them’,

The Telegraph, 9 September 2009

Airline plot coverage, BBC World, 8 September 2009

‘Ban hate meetings’, East London Advertiser,

3 September 2009

‘Why don’t South Asian Muslim women work outside the

home?’ Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4,

19 August 2009

‘Where is the Muslim anger over Darfur?’

The Independent, 10 August 2009

‘Islamic Supremacist Group Holds First U.S. Conference’,

Fox News, 17 July 2009

UK-based group plots coup in Pakistan, The News

International, 6 July 2009

‘Islamist radicalization – a Swedish problem denied’,

Stockholm News, 3 July 2009

Documentary on Quilliam’s Pakistan university tour,

BBC Newsnight, 23 June 2009

‘Former militant renounces extremism’, Dawn,

7 June 2009

‘Liberal Paralysis: Progressives must assist moderate

Muslims in their efforts to counter extremist ideology’,

Progress, 1 May 2009

17

Public Messaging and CommunicationsQuilliam has shaped and contributed extensively to the

debate around Islamist extremism and the underlying

causes of radicalisation among British Muslims. Quilliam

believes in working with the media in order to speak

directly to the public about the issues of terrorism and

extremism that are of significant concern to ordinary

people. Through the media, Quilliam has provided

a robust articulation of moderate Muslim concerns,

publicly challenging extremists and sidelining the Islamist

groups that for too long have dominated the public’s

perception of British Muslims. Separately, Quilliam has

injected much-needed balance into debates about the

relationship between Islam and extremism as well as

providing expert analysis for news programmes and

documentaries. Where possible, the communications

team has also tried to put the media in contact with

other moderate Muslim voices in order to further diversify

the debate.

Press releases and strategic briefings

Quilliam’s communications team issue regular press

releases and briefings to target audiences on topics that

are significant in shaping, or have a particular impact on,

the counter-extremism debate. This year’s highlights have

included:

• ‘Anti-terrorism fatwa launch in London tomorrow’,

1 March 2010

• ‘Saudi extremism continues to influence British

Muslims’, 17 December 2009

• ‘Quilliam calls on British mosques to open doors

to the public’, 18 September 2009

• ‘Welcome change of lexicon away from

‘the Muslim world’’, 4 June 2009

To view a comprehensive list visit

www.quilliamfoundation.org/media.html.

Mosque messaging

Quilliam’s communications team has also sent several

letters to over 800 mosques in the UK on key issues of

concern. This year, these have included a letter urging

imams to remind their congregations to vote in the

European elections to minimize the impact of the British

National Party, a letter providing ideas to mosques on

how to undermine far-right extremism, and a letter

calling on mosques to remind their congregations of the

importance of Remembrance Sunday in recognising the

sacrifices made by British troops in defending freedom

and democracy.

Media monitoring

In addition to our public messaging, behind the scenes

the communications team actively monitors coverage on

Islam-related issues to ensure fair and accurate content is

being produced. Where particular or repeated problems

arise, Quilliam has contacted the relevant journalists

and editors in order to influence the future content of

their output. This has had a significant effect on how

a number of media outlets have covered Islam and

extremism.

16

Quilliam has helped to create a space in which people feel able to address the issue of Islamist extremism from an informed perspective without fear of being called racist or Islamophobic. The result is that the British political class is really starting to understand the nature of Islamist extremism and has begun to talk seriously about tackling it. The UK is a stronger, safer place as a result.

James Brandon, Head of Research & Communications

Co-Director Ed Husain gave a presentation on the

history and evolution of Islamist movements while

Maajid chaired a lively debate in which students

discussed the motion ‘Does the primary responsibility in

countering extremism lie with Pakistanis?’

• November 2009: Quilliam hosted a one day training

seminar in Lahore for the senior directors of over 40

Pakistan-based NGOs from the Punjab and NWFP

regions. Maajid led a discussion which resulted in

the construction of an action plan for collaboration

on future areas of counter-extremism work. Through

uniting influential NGO figures, the seminar constituted

an initial step in building a network of civil society

actors to enhance counter-extremism initiatives within

Pakistan.

• July 2009/January - February 2010: Quilliam held a

series of workshops with university students across key

cities in Pakistan. These day-long sessions provided an

opportunity for in-depth discussion on numerous issues

surrounding extremism, sectarianism, foreign policy and

the state of democracy within the country.

• February 2010: Maajid addressed delegates at the

Pakistan Young Leaders’ Conference in Islamabad,

an event hosted by the National Union of Pakistani

Students and Alumni. The conference, which was held

jointly in Oxford and Islamabad, brought together

a diverse array of Pakistani youth to promote youth

participation and national leadership, and to discuss

possible solutions to Pakistan’s current problems. In his

address, Maajid highlighted the potential role Pakistani

youth could play in resolving national problems,

particularly extremism, through collective action.

Through sustained engagement, Quilliam has amassed a

large body of student volunteers who continue to support

and popularize our counter-extremism message across

Pakistan. Over the upcoming year, our focus will turn

to seeding a sustainable student-led social movement

that will popularize critiques of Islamist ideologies and

promote a secular democratic framework in an effort to

secure Pakistan’s future from the plight of extremism and

terrorism.

Media

Over the last year Quilliam’s work in Pakistan has featured

widely in print, broadcast and web media including

Dawn, Daily Jang, Progress, VOA News, Geo TV, The News

International, Reuters, BBC Newsnight, The Observer,

Aaj TV, and The Guardian. For a comprehensive list see the

Pakistani media section available on our website at

www.quilliamfoundation/media.

Feedback

Mr Nawaz... is an authentic voice of moderation and is

one of the few who is able to construct and deliver an

alternative narrative to that offered by those currently

battling our forces in NWFP and elsewhere.

The News International

Nawaz’s message is one rarely heard in Pakistan, where the

response to extremism has been overwhelmingly military,

with little attempt to try to rehabilitate insurgents or keep

young people from turning to militancy in the first place.

Dawn News

Discussion like today is needed on campuses.

Student, Quaid -e- Azam University

I was extremely impressed and really appreciate it; [the

event] gave me a lot of courage.

Student, University of Malakand

I felt I could open up to issues we usually keep quiet to.

Student, IQRA University

You people are doing a great job educating the youth of

Pakistan, so that together we may eradicate the menace of

fundamentalism and radicalism.

Student, Islamabad

I deeply extol the efforts of the Quilliam team for the

services they are rendering to our nation.

Student, Quetta

19

The Pakistan Project

Over the last year, Pakistan has continued to face

alarming levels of Islamist-inspired terrorism. Violence

across the country has killed thousands and terrorized

millions more. Whilst the Pakistan army continues to

engage in military operations, Quilliam believes that

military solutions can only ever be a stop-gap; they must

be complemented with a long-term strategy which

challenges Islamist ideologies and provides a credible

counter-narrative.

Over the last two years, Quilliam’s Global Affairs Unit

(GAU) has served to bolster such counter-extremism

efforts on the ground in Pakistan by focusing on

youth populations, who are often attractive targets for

recruitment to the extremist cause. Our efforts have

focused on challenging Islamist ideologies and promoting

values of democracy and pluralism through intellectual

discussion, debate and dialogue.

Key objectives

• Capacity building events for students to discuss key

issues and de-construct narratives widely used by

Islamist groups

• Strategic messaging within national and international

media to amplify non-Islamist voices within Pakistan

• Partnerships with engaged members of civil society

and local organisations to draw upon local expertise

and knowledge

• Harnessing support from active youth groups to

popularize Quilliam’s message and increase in-country

ownership for our work

Pakistan trips 2009-2010

Influencing ideas and changing trends requires a

sustained level of engagement. To this end, GAU have

organised a series of events in several cities across

Pakistan, from training workshops with students to

debates and conferences with civil society.

• April - May 2009: GAU conducted a nationwide tour

of university campuses, reaching a total of over 5000

students from public and private institutions. As well

as discussing the threats that Islamist extremism poses

to the country, Quilliam Co-Founder & Co-Director

Maajid Nawaz highlighted the difference between the

faith of Islam and the ideology of Islamism.

• July 2009: Quilliam partnered with Bargad — a local

youth development NGO — to host a five day national

conference for student leaders from various political

parties across Pakistan. Quilliam Co-Founder &

18

The Pakistan project is a job as exciting as it is important. There is a real sense of urgency but, at the same time, an exhilaration that comes from seeing the potential, the support, and the enthusiasm displayed by people who wish to reclaim their country and their faith, often at great personal risk, from those who have hijacked them.

Fatima Mullick, GAU Project Manager

Finances

Directors’ Report and Accounts

The summarised accounts on this page have been

extracted from the audited accounts of the charity

which were approved by Directors on 27 October 2009.

These summarized accounts may not contain sufficient

information to allow a full understanding of the

financial affairs of the organisation.

Further financial information requests can be submitted

to Ed Jagger, the Head of Operations and Finance for

The Quilliam Foundation.

Signed on behalf of the board of directors

Maajid Nawaz

Co-Director

23 March 2010

Report of the Auditors

to the Members of The Quilliam Foundation Limited

We have examined the summarised accounts set out

on this page.

Respective Responsibilities of the Directors and the

Auditors

You are responsible as Directors for the preparation of

the summarised accounts. We have agreed to report

to you our opinion on the summarised accounts’

consistency with the full accounts, on which we

reported to you on 27 October 2009.

Basis of Opinion

We have carried out the procedures we consider

necessary to ascertain whether the summarised

accounts are consistent with the full accounts from

which they have been prepared.

Opinion

In our opinion, the summarised accounts are

consistent with the full accounts for the period ended

31 March 2009.

H.W Fisher & Company

Registered Auditor

Acre House

11-15 William Road

London, NW1 3ER

Period ended 31 March 2009 (£)

Income

Grants and donations 879,245

Training, consultancy and publications

36,211

Income Total 915,456

Expenditure

Staff Costs 422,597

Publications, Events and PR 110,134

Overseas projects 117,238

Premises costs 104,469

IT and Website 34,143

Office administration and communications

27,772

Professional Services 52,748

Audit and Accountancy fees 32,747

Sundry expenses 13,755

Depreciation of tangible assets 13,290

Expenditure Total 928,893

Please note this is the first audited period from

Nov 2007 ending 31 Mar 2009

21

People

Quilliam Staff

Maajid NawazCo-Founder and Co-Director

Ed Husain Co-Founder and Co-Director

Cassandra Hamblett Personal Assistant to the Directors

Senior Management Team

Ed JaggerHead of Operations and Finance

James Brandon Head of Research and Communications

Ghaffar Hussain Head of Outreach and Training Unit

Anya Hart Dyke Senior Research Fellow

Lucy James Research Fellow

Mohammed Ali Musawi Research Fellow

George Readings Communications Officer & Research Fellow

Talal Rajab Trainer & Research Fellow

Sophie Thompson Research Fellow

Fatima Mullick Global Affairs Unit Project Manager

Imran Khan Global Affairs Unit Project Officer

Salma Butt Pakistan Coordinator

2009-2010 interns

Skye Blythe-Whitelock

Conor Roarty

Natalie Stanton

20

The Quilliam Foundation LimitedFinancial summary for the period ended 31 March 2009

Quilliam Non-Executive Advisory Board

Chair: Iqbal Wahhab OBE Founder of Roast Restaurant

Dr Catherine Fieschi Director of Counterpoint, think tank of the British Council

The Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral

Professor Timothy Garton Ash St Anthony’s College, Oxford

David Goodhart Editor of Prospect Magazine

Michael Gove MP Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Dr David Green Director of CIVITAS

Dr Musharraf Hussain OBE Director of the Karimia Institute

Sheikh Dr Ali al-Saleh al Najafi Imam of the Ahlul Bayt Islamic Centre, Dublin

Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui Director of the Muslim Institute

Meeting with the entire editorial board of a major national newspaper to point out where their coverage of Islamism has been misleading and damaging was a great example of what Quilliam does best – helping to foster a level of nuance and understanding in public discourse about Muslims that has been lacking.

George Readings Communications Officer & Research Fellow

Quilliam would like to thank several American charitable foundations, several private individuals, the UK Home Office and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for making Quilliam’s work possible.

Interning at Quilliam has been an invaluable experience as it has shown me how to put my theoretical knowledge to use through practical action, which has the potential to affect real change to the benefit of all of society.

Conor Roarty, Intern

Whether exposing the modus operandi of Islamist groups in Britain or encouraging students across Pakistan to unite against extremism, Quilliam’s work this year has ensured we are one step closer to a cohesive society that boldly challenges Islamist extremism and unashamedly champions our shared values.

Sophie Thompson, Research Fellow

General enquiries

Email: information@quilliamfoundation.org

Tel: Mon - Fri 09:00 - 17:00 +44 (0) 207 182 7280

Press enquiries

Email: media@quilliamfoundation.org

Tel: Mon - Fri 09:00 - 17:00 +44 (0) 207 182 7286

Out of office hours, including weekends: +44 (0) 7590 229 917

Mailing address

Quilliam

PO Box 60380

London

WC1A 9AZ

Compiled by Lucy James

“Throughout my life I have read the Qu’ran, hundreds of Qu’ranic exegeses, I am an author of one hundred books of Hadith...... and I have not gone through a single commandment of the Qu’ran, a single commandment of the Hadith of the holy Prophet where he has stated that the Muslim ummah is bound to establish one khilafah [caliphate] for the whole world. I have been listening to this nonsense for the last 20 years.”

Shaikh ul-Islam Dr Tahir ul-Qadri,

Founder, Minhaj-ul-Quran International, March 2010, London

www.quilliamfoundation.org

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Challenging Extremism Promoting Pluralism Inspiring Change