On Quilliam’s 10th anniversary, and after ten years of combating extremism, Quilliam International will launch in North America to spread its global counter-extremism work of promoting religious freedom, equality, human rights, and democratic principles.

The establishment of Quilliam North America is a timely one, with the current U.S. political climate being one of division and polarisation. A recipe for extremism, which has seen political discourse turn violent in recent months with the rise of Islamist terrorism, far-right violence, as well as violence from far-left groups such as Antifa. This reactionary climate is one that feeds extremism, reinforcing the opposing side’s beliefs and narratives. The triple threat of Islamism, the far-right, and the far-left (or Regressive Left) are not mutually exclusive and share a toxic relationship which we must divorce.

Quilliam North America vision:

Under Quilliam International HQ in the UK, we aim to serve as the premier counter-extremism organisation in the U.S. leading and collaborating with others to produce timely, precise, and evidence-based analysis that is indispensable to policymakers, practitioners, and community partners to combat violent extremism.

We are committed to accomplishing our mission through iterative learning, constant evaluation, and open and honest dialogue across various elements of society.

Quilliam North America will have a three-pronged approach and strategy in our work in this region: Policy & Research; Training; and Programs.

At the launch, Quilliam will also be showcasing a shortened 20-minute version of its 5-star rated play “Deadly Dialogues”, which is longlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. The event will also host artists, celebrities, policymakers, activists, and representatives of religious institutions (including those of over 350 mosques).

Haras Rafiq, Chief Executive of Quilliam International:

“The threat that our civil societies face does not recognise international borders and therefore our response has to be global. The global jihadist insurgency, the regressive-left, and the far-right have to be challenged from an intellectual, ideological, social, emotional, and spiritual perspective. I look forward to working with Muhammad and his team in North America to do so.”

Muhammad Fraser-Rahim, Executive Director North America:

“The decision to join Quilliam and my interest to expand our offices in North America is part of an effort to expand Quilliam’s decade-long experience working on extremist issues and to uniquely tailor it into the American context. With my experience in government, academia, and with the Muslim community, Quilliam North America will present a balanced and nuanced perspective to address the wide spectrum of violent extremism and its issues, which is more important than ever. I look forward to being part of this institution that we are building in America and to building coalitions across various communities.”

The launch event will take place in New York on the 18th of September and will begin with a press conference at 16:00 EST, followed by the main event which will begin at 17:00 EST. Please email [email protected] if you wish to attend.

During this important time, we will be making ourselves as accessible as possible and are therefore open to requests for media appearances, including TV appearances, sit down interviews, Skype interviews, etc.

Quilliam’s Founder Maajid Nawaz is going to be in New York from the 14th to the 23rd of September. CEO Haras Rafiq will be in New York from the 17th to the 21st of September, and Muhammad Fraser-Rahim, the Executive Director for North America will be there from the 17th to the 20th of September.