The Middle East Forum seeks a full-time director for its Islamist Watch project.
Countering Lawful Islamism
While violent jihad gets the headlines, lawful Islamism gets results. It exploits the freedoms of Western society incrementally to undermine it from within. Sophisticated and often well-funded, Islamists use political, educational, and legal means to eat away at the foundations of Western society, including religious pluralism, freedom of speech, and equality under the law.
Islamist Watch engages in research, dissemination, and activism to combat lawful Islamism in the West, plus it protects critics of Islamism and promotes anti-Islamist Muslims. See http://www.Islamist-Watch.org for details.
Responsibilities:
- Research lawful Islamist activities.
- Write, commission, and edit articles, with an emphasis on finding common themes in disparate events.
- Give public talks and appear in the media; engage in social media; meet with government and corporate officials.
- Track (1) campaign donations from Islamists and (2) corporate and governmental support for Islamists.
- Manage campaigns to expose, embarrass, and pressure Islamist-tainted individuals, non-profit organizations, corporations, and politicians.
- Seek out and assist critics of Islamism targeted with libel suits, indictments, or other legal problems.
- Help law enforcement identify Islamist symbols.
- Provide regular, written updates on activities to management.
Candidate qualifications:
- Knowledge and interest of Islamism in the West.
- Agreement with the outlook of the Middle East Forum.
- Ability to present arguments in writing and in person.
- Accomplishments in public writing and speaking.
- Willingness to help fundraise.
- Ability to take initiative, meet deadlines, show attention to details, and work simultaneously on multiple projects.
Location:
- The successful candidate is invited to work from the Forum’s office in Philadelphia but may work from anywhere in North America. Location in the Boston-to-Washington corridor is a plus.
Employment status:
- The Islamist Watch director is a full-time employee of the Middle East Forum.
Compensation:
- Non-profit competitive, including a travel allowance for project-related expenses.
To apply:
Prepare an application that includes:
- A cover letter indicating your interests, qualifications, and goals.
- A résumé or curriculum vitae.
- Names of three references.
When the application is completed:
- Bundle the entire application as a single document, preferably in Adobe Acrobat (Word is also acceptable).
- Title it with your name in reverse order, without spacing, as in “ChurchillWinston.”
- Submit the application online by clicking here by February 12, 2016, at 5 p.m. EST.
About the Middle East Forum:
The Middle East Forum, founded in 1994 and headed by Daniel Pipes, is a research institute based in Philadelphia with an annual budget of $4 million; it promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values from Middle Eastern threats. It accomplishes its mission in three ways:
- Intellectually, by providing information, context, and policy advice through its publications, websites, and lectures;
- Operationally, by exerting direct influence through its projects (such as Islamist Watch), each addressing a specific problem; and
- Philanthropically, by annually distributing $2 million of dedicated Education Fund monies.
