Former Jihadist leader joins Quilliam

On 31st August 2010, Quilliam issued the following press release:

Quilliam is pleased to announce that Noman Benotman, a former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and a one-time associate of al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, has joined Quilliam, the world’s first counter-extremism think tank.
 
Noman Benotman has been appointed as Senior Analyst (Strategic Communications) at Quilliam. He will lead Quilliam’s work on de-radicalisation processes in the UK and abroad, work to raise international awareness of Jihadist recantations, co-ordinate Quilliam’s outreach to current and former extremists and use Quilliam as a platform to share his inside knowledge of Jihadist groups and al-Qaeda with a wider audience.
 
Maajid Nawaz, co-Director of Quilliam, said:
 
“Noman’s decision to join Quilliam is a great honour for us. He brings an enormous wealth of experience to Quilliam along with a unique inside knowledge of Jihadist groups. In particular, Noman will help us raise awareness of the ‘refutations’ issued by former Jihadist groups and extend our ability to help governments worldwide to establish successful de-radicalisation processes for both Jihadist extremists and convicted terrorists.”
 
Noman Benotman, Senior Analyst at Quilliam, said:
 
“For the last year I have been in touch with Quilliam and I have followed their work closely. I believe that the world, and especially Muslim communities in the West, needs an organisation like Quilliam to struggle against extremism and I am very pleased to be joining them. With the support of Quilliam, I look forward to showing people how Jihadist groups can be encouraged to re-think their ideas and that even committed extremists can renounce terrorist violence in favour of peaceful political participation.”
 
Bio: Noman Benotman
 
Born in Libya in 1967, Noman Benotman first adopted radical Islamism in the mid-1980s after reading the books of Sayyid Qutb. In 1989 he travelled to Afghanistan where he fought as a Jihadist against the Soviet Union, taking part in battles around Khost, Gardez and elsewhere. After the Soviet withdrawal, he helped set up the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group which aimed to violently overthrow General Gaddafi and establish an ‘Islamic state’ in Libya. In 1994, he moved to Sudan where he forged close links with Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and other key members of al-Qaeda. Since 1995 he has lived in London where he was initially part of the ‘Londonistan’ scene alongside other senior extremists such as Abu Qatada and Abu Musab al-Suri before gradually distancing himself from Islamism. During the last few years, he has played a key role in the disbanding of the LIFG and the issuing of its ‘refutations’. He is also well known as one of the most public critics of al-Qaeda, appearing widely on international media such as CNN and al-Jazeera as well as taking part in a range of international conferences. He has a degree in Human Development Studies from Birkbeck University and speaks English and Arabic.

Noman’s role in the de-radicalisation of the LIFG has been extensively covered by CNN. See here: New Jihad code threatens al-Qaeda.
 
Noman will be available for media interviews and speaking events. For further information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or call 020 7182 7286.

Notes:

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