FWI Opinion & Interview

Who is Saeed Shehabi? A self-described human rights activist and longtime critic of Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy or a friend to the oppressive regime in Iran?
FWI Opinion & Interview
Will U.K. Law Enforcement Act on Support for Hezbollah?
Bahraini Activist Group Eulogized Hassan Nasrallah in Now-Deleted Newsletter
November 5, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
FWI Opinion & Interview
Mohamed Fahmy Puts the Brotherhood Question to Ottawa
October 23, 2026
FWI Opinion & Interview
Baroness Warsi: Unable—or Unwilling—to Defend Civil Society in U.K.
September 18, 2026
FWI Opinion & Interview
Massachusetts Lawmakers Push Special Privileges for Muslims
August 4, 2026
FWI Opinion & Interview
Workings of Muslim Charity a Matter of State Concern After All
July 6, 2026
The May 7 election in Tower Hamlets, a borough of London, delivered adecisive victory for Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s Aspire party, underscoring its enduring support despite years of investigations, scandals, and political controversy.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Tower Hamlets Votes to Forget
Rahman’s Supporters Deny and Ignore His History
June 10, 2026
 · 
Hannah Baldock
The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, Mass.
FWI Opinion & Interview
True to Form, Boston Mosque Hosts Islamist Troublemaker
Will Local Religious and Political Leaders Respond?
May 14, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Not every member of the Hijabi Brigade is an Islamist, but the movement does provides cover for Islamist violence against women and non-Muslims throughout the world.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Hijabi Brigade Silences Critics of Jihadist Violence
Veiled Women Shield Islamist Politics From Scrutiny, Recast Critics as Bigots and Misogynists
April 16, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Supporters linked to Muqtada al-Sadr—whose militia targeted U.S. troops during the Iraq War—have organized food distribution events in Washington, D.C., and Dearborn, Michigan, presenting them as charitable outreach while promoting a movement with a long record of anti-American militancy. These activities, framed as religious service, raise concerns that they function as influence operations aimed at embedding a foreign-aligned network within U.S. communities and testing the limits of American oversight and tolerance.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Supporters of Shia Army that Killed Hundreds of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Distribute Food in Nation’s Capital
Are Al-Sadri ‘Guest Houses’ Recruiting Grounds for Foreign Militia?
April 7, 2026
 · 
Ali Almrayatee
Following historical precedent, U.S. citizenship application forms should require immigrants to disclose any affiliation with or support for a clearly defined list of prohibited Islamist organizations, just as applicants are currently asked about ties to Communist movements. Immigrants connected to specific Islamist groups that promote violence, anti-constitutional activity, or the erosion of liberal democratic norms should be barred from entry or stripped of citizenship under these standards.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Time to List Islamist Organizations on Applications for U.S. Citizenship
April 3, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
In 2018, four years before he became Mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, Abdullah Hammoud condemned U.S. President Donald Trump immigration policies at a rally in the city. In this photo, taken when the future mayor was serving in the Michigan House of Representatives, Hammoud stands next to Mohammad Elahi, the imam at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights with close ties to the Iranian regime.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Dearborn Leaders Share Responsibility for Attack on Nearby Synagogue
March 13, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
The Islamic Center of America, a shia mosque in Michigan.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Politicians and Anti-Muslim Activists Keep Getting Michigan Wrong
February 24, 2026
 · 
Ali Almrayatee
Two Baptist writers who claim to champion religious freedom have gone on tour promoting a book about “Islamophobia” in the Christian church. Yet their book and public statements normalize Islamism—a movement that undermines the very freedoms they purport to defend.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Baptist Islamophobiacs Submit to Islamism in the Name of Peace
January 30, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Aside from a brief seven-minute video (screenshot above), the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America have yet to post footage or audio of MASCON, a convention that took place in Chicago in December. Numerous extremists were listed on the event program.
FWI Opinion & Interview
MAS-ICNA Conference Headlined by Antisemites, Extremists
January 29, 2026
 · 
Nathaniel Miller
U.K. officials face growing scrutiny for allowing American Islamist cleric Mohamad Baajour to tour Britain despite his record of praising Hamas, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, and endorsing violent sharia punishments.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Why Is the U.K. Allowing an American Extremist into Country?
January 9, 2026
 · 
Potkin Azarmehr
Past statements by Amir Ghalib disqualified the former mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, from serving as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Mr. President, Don’t Renominate Amer Ghalib
January 6, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Nelson, a former mill town once defined by looms, pubs, and labor militancy, Nelson has emerged as a recurring source of jihadist violence in the United Kingdom.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Nelson, A Hotbed of Jihadism in Northwest England
December 16, 2025
 · 
Potkin Azarmehr
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud appeals for unity at a city council meeting on November 18, 2025—just weeks after telling a Christian pastor he was not welcome in the city he governs. He has yet to apologize.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Dearborn Mayor’s Attack on Christian Invites Far-Right Chaos
November 23, 2025
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Imam Husham Al-Husainy, photographed at the Karbala Islamic Center in Dearborn, Michigan in September. Despite his long record of controversial statements, including open support for Hezbollah, Al-Husainy displayed an affable and friendly demeanor and spoke with genuine gratitude for the safety and freedom he has found in the United States. Nevertheless, in his interview with Focus on Western Islamism, he revealed himself to be more inclined to excuse Islamist excesses than to challenge them.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Interview with Dearborn Imam Who Loves Trump—And Lost His Moment
November 3, 2025
 · 
Dexter Van Zile