Steven Stalinsky is an American political commentator[citation needed] whose writings focus on the interplay between Islamic terrorism and technology, and especially terrorism and social media. He has served as executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) since 1999[citation needed].

Commentary

On terrorism and social media

Stalinsky has published analysis on the use of social media by Al-Qaeda and ISIS.[1][2] He has been interviewed by media outlets about terrorist use of social media, especially about terrorist use of Telegram, VK, and encryption.[3][4]

Stalinsky's writing on Al-Qaeda's online magazine Inspire was cited in a U.S. Department of Justice terrorism case.[5] In 2013 and 2014, several media organizations used Stalinsky's research describing the indoctrination and exploitation of young children by Al-Qaeda and other Jihadist groups.[6][7]

Stalinsky also spent years pressing Twitter to take action about Jihadis' use of their social networking service – efforts which culminated in a 2013 Congressional letter to the FBI urging them to take action.[8]

On terrorism and drone use

Stalinsky co-authored a study for MEMRI on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s and other Jihadi organizations use of drones that has been cited by many media outlets. The Washington Post subsequently interviewed Stalinsky for an article on how ISIS [Islamic State] uses Unmanned aerial vehicle.[9]

On Muslim communities in the US

On February 2, 2024, Stalinsky published an opinion piece on The Wall Street Journal titled "Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital".[10] The article criticized the Dearborn, Michigan community for perceived "enthusiasm for jihad against Israel and the West" stemming from the Hamas led terror attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud described Stalinsky's article as being "inflammatory" and linked it with "an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn".[11] President Joe Biden and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined the chorus of condemnation. [12]

References

  1. ^ "Commentary: Online jihad". Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  2. ^ "Orlando Shows the Limits of Facebook's Terror Policing". Wired. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  3. ^ Kirkos, Bill (17 March 2016). "Minnesota police officers appear on kill list". CNN. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  4. ^ Purnell, Newley; Yuniar, Resty Woro (2016-01-19). "Islamic State Eludes Southeast Asian Authorities With Telegram App". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  5. ^ "AL-AULAQI v. OBAMA et al". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  6. ^ "Syrian Jihadists Target Children for Indoctrination, Training". 23 February 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  7. ^ "Al-Qaeda-linked Syrian faction touts training camp for boys". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  8. ^ "Feds take little action against U.S. Web companies hosting sites linked to terror". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  9. ^ "Use of weaponized drones by ISIS spurs terrorism fears". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ "Welcome to Dearborn, America's Jihad Capital". Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  11. ^ "Michigan mayor ramps up police force near places of worship, citing 'inflammatory' WSJ op-ed". Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  12. ^ "Biden, Whitmer join in condemnation of Wall Street Journal column on Dearborn". Retrieved 2024-02-05.

External links

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