Hedieh Mirahmadi, an attorney by profession, serves as legal counsel and consultant for several multinational non-governmental organizations, which cultivate an international network of support and expertise to combat the spread of Islamist extremists and the means by which they advance their goals. She travels extensively on behalf of those organizations [e.g. Indonesia, Malaysia, Lebanon, Africa, Egypt, and UK] in order to learn about the methodology, ideology, infrastructure, and recruiting techniques of Islamist extremist movements. She has interviewed countless individuals around the Muslim world, including here in the US, to understand what ideologically motivates people towards the extreme, as well as the economic, social, and financial incentives used to recruit followers.
Dr. Mirahmadi takes the wealth of knowledge gained from her work to brief law enforcement, government policy makers and counterterrorism experts on how to ultimately succeed in the long term struggle against radicalism and terror. Her expertise earned her an appointment to the US Embassy in Afghanistan as Senior Advisor for civil society infrastructure. Recently, she was also appointed to the “Heritage Council” of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the LAPD Counter Terrorism Community Police Advisory Board.
As President and founder of WORDE, Hedieh has combined her political, social and intellectual resources in the US and Muslim world to create the policy and networks that will transform stifled and oppressed Muslim societies into progressive, self-sustaining, communities that are the cornerstone of a grass roots democracy.
Her current projects include extensive consultations and partnering with British Muslim NGO’s to “rehabilitate” Muslim youth back from radical ideologies and to bolster British Muslim minorities. She is also the Co-Chair of the first ever all female Islamic Law Council that will re-examine the current standing of women’s rights in Muslim societies and provide new verdicts on the most pressing issues.
Her recent briefings on the Islamist threat have been presented to HRH Prince Charles of Wales, England; Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff; Wives of Senior Military Officials Annual Conference; US NORTHCOM/NORAD Senior Leadership Conference; USARMY NORTH Force Protection Conference; US Congressmen Frank Wolf and Peter Roskam; Congresswoman Sue Myrick; former US Vice President, Richard Cheney; and Colonel M. Qaddafi, Leader of Republic of Libya.
She is a contributing writer to the book “The Other Muslims-Moderate and Secular” Palgrave Publications, and the author of several articles including “How Obama Can Split the Taliban”, “Picking and Choosing Enemies in Afghanistan” , “A Lebanon Freedom Foundation” and “Jihadi Tomb Raiders”. She is also the author of “Islam and Civil Society”, an important compilation of Islamic scholarship by Ingram Publications.
Launching of new book "The Other Muslims: Moderate and Secular"
Hudson Institute, Washington, DC To play, pause, or control volume, move your cursor over the bottom of the video to make controls appear.
Audio
Guest Speaker on 'Home-based Terrorism:' Politics and Reality To the Point, KCRW, Public Radio International
Books
Contributing Author, The Other Muslims: Moderate and Secular
Synopsis:
On March 3, Hudson Institute hosted a successful event to launch the new book, "The Other Muslims: Moderate and Secular." This compilation is edited by Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Eurasian Policy Zeyno Baran. "The Other Muslims" is a unique collection of essays by moderate Muslims from Europe and the United States, with varied backgrounds in academia, theology, performing arts, and civic activism. They write convincingly that by ignoring the politico-ideological threat Islamists pose, with their narrow interpretation of Islam, Westerners place democracy and universal human rights at grave risk.
Editor, Islam and Civil Society
Synopsis:
"The struggle for ideological primacy within Islam is a fight that only Muslims themselves can wage, but the moderates are struggling for access to the public square. Muslim societies the world over have been intimidated, oppressed and manipulated by extremist ideologues and financiers for almost a half century. The only surviving civic culture you see today is the corrupt networks of government leaders and/or the Islamist infrastructure. In our quest for "liberty for all", we must level the playing field for mainstream Muslims who have no means to effectively contribute in the "marketplace of ideas." This conference in Jakarta provided leading Muslim voices of change their chance to assert that modern day applications of Islamic doctrine are not incompatible with democracy and the development of vibrant, effective civil society institutions."
An attorney by profession, Hedieh Mirahmadi has spent the past decade assisting moderate Muslim communities around the world to resist the ideological onslaught of Islamic extremism. She advises both government and civic leaders on the threat posed by the extremists, as well as on policies to transform stifled Muslim societies into progressive participants of a free society.
Editor, Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition
Synopsis:
This book is the most detailed and authentic book ever written about a Sufi order in English. It provides a comprehensive history of the Naqshbandi Tradition, tracing the lives of its foremost teachers from Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) to the present. Their life stories are intimately woven with landmark events of history.
However, the book also contains much more. It details the fundamental principles of the Sufi path and the primary teachings of the Naqshbandi Order, exploring the doctrines and philosophy behind this important current in spiritual thinking.
