For 20 years, ISD has delivered field-leading threat detection, analysis and real-world strategies to combat terrorism, extremism and authoritarianism - in all their ideological forms.

Islamist Extremism

Islamist Extremism presents a politicised supremacist vision of Islam that is antithetical to democracy and human rights. Since the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda’s high water mark a decade ago, Islamist Extremist movements are in a state of flux, spreading across a broad range of violent and political groups globally. We track and respond to these evolving threats using a range of tools and approaches, as well as trying to reach an increasingly young cohort of digital supporters.”

September 28, 2026

Islamic State’s decentralized digital ecosystem

ISD's Moustafa Ayad spoke to CNN about the digital ecosystem IS exists in today.

Islamist Extremism

September 17, 2026

25 years after 9/11, al-Qaeda remains perennially online: The group’s digital ecosystem in 2026

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Threat Analysis and Prevention

September 8, 2026

Generation ‘Slop Jihad:’ The decentralized ‘media jihad’ gets sloppy

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

August 21, 2026

Recent arrest shows Islamic State’s continued relevance

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

August 2, 2026

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate in extremist movements

Anti-LGBTQ+, Islamist Extremism, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse

July 29, 2026

Five lessons from the Islamist extremist attack on Berlin Pride

Anti-LGBTQ+, Islamist Extremism

July 27, 2026

Where Islamist and far-right targeting of queer people meet

Anti-LGBTQ+, Far-Right Extremism, Islamist Extremism, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse, Terrorism and Extremism

July 13, 2026

Extremists are using AI to build propaganda — and plan attacks

Emerging Technologies, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

March 11, 2026

Islamic State group activity in the US in 2025

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism, Threat Analysis and Prevention

Further Reading

February 14, 2022

‘Sophisticated’ tactics by online ISIS groups evade platform policies

Moustafa Ayad spoke to POLITICO about ISD's research into online Islamist networks on mainstream social media.

Islamist Extremism

December 22, 2021

Generation Z & Das Salafistische Online-Ökosystem: Executive Summary

Eine digitale Momentaufnahme des sich schnell verändernden Online-Ökosystems des Salafismus, mit Fokus auf die Schnittstellen zu Generation Z.

Islamist Extremism

December 20, 2021

Islamic extremists troll each other online and manage to stay under Facebook’s radar

Our Moustafa Ayad shared exclusively with POLITICO evidence exposing how several groups supporting the Islamic State and the Taliban managed to go undetected for months on Facebook. 

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

December 20, 2021

Islamic extremists troll each other online and manage to stay under Facebook’s radar

Our Moustafa Ayad shared with POLITICO evidence of extremist groups posting propaganda and hate speech for months.

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 24, 2021

Gen-Z Salafi followers turn to far-right memes further reinforcing dividing lines

ISD's Milo Comerford and Moustafa Ayad spoke with MEL magazine about Gen-Z and the digital Salafi ecosystem.

Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Islamist Extremism

November 23, 2021

Left or right? Islamism at the center of a culture war lacking religious representation

UnHerd cites our report "Islamogram: Salafism and Alt-Right Online Subcultures" to better explain the overlap between Salafi Gen Zers and leftism.

Far-Left Extremism, Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 16, 2021

Islamogram: Salafism and Alt-Right Online Subcultures

This report provides an ethnographic deep dive into an emerging online Salafi ecosystem, referred to by its members as ‘Islamogram’.

Far-Right Extremism, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 16, 2021

Gen-Z & The Digital Salafi Ecosystem: Executive Summary

This is a summary of research into the online Salafi ecosystem, providing a cross-platform snapshot of content across English, Arabic and German

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 16, 2021

Understanding the Salafi Online Ecosystem: A Digital Snapshot

A digital snapshot of the rapidly shifting online Salafi ecosystem across social media and its intersection with Gen-Z identities.

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 16, 2021

Gen-Z and the digital Salafi ecosystem

ISD's research provides a digital snapshot of the evolving Salafi online ecosystem and its impact on Gen-Z identities.

Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Islamist Extremism

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