Sohail Ahmed - A Former Extremist's Story

Episode #015 - Sohail Ahmed - A Former Extremist's StorySohail Ahmed is a former Islamist who was radicalised as a child. In his late teens he considered engaging in an act of violence in London. He subsequently underwent an intellectual journey which culminated in his self-deradicalisation. Sohail now works in the counter-extremism space and advocates for Islamic reform. He has appeared on multiple media outlets and has had his testimony presented in parliament.In this episode, we speak to Sohail about his radicalisation journey, from his upbringing in East London to the point at which he considered carrying out a terrorist attack in the very same city. We also explore how Sohail went on to deradicalize, and his own thoughts on the current state of Islamist terrorism and extremism in the UK.Listeners may find some language and themes discussed in this episode upsetting.For regular insightful terrorism threat and risk information, as well as other Pool Re updates, please sign up to receive our emails at https://www.poolre.co.uk/signup/. If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on your streaming app of choice, and share so we can help build a better understanding of the terrorism threat to the UK.Disclaimer: The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Pool Re employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of Pool Re.