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

September 8, 2020

Click reveals ISD discovery of huge pro-ISIS online cache

ISD deputy director Moustafa Ayad discovered one of the largest collections of material belonging to the so-called Islamic State group ever found.

Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

July 13, 2020

The Propaganda Pipeline: The ISIS Fuouaris Upload Network on Facebook

This new investigation delves into the inner workings of a pro-ISIS account network on Facebook.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

July 12, 2020

Extremists use BBC theme to trick Facebook into showing vile clips

ISD Deputy Director for Technology, Communications, and Education, is quoted in The Times on how IS circumvents moderation on social media.

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

November 2, 2019

Women, Girls and Islamist Extremism

This toolkit helps practitioners engage with women and girls linked to Islamist extremism, offering guidance for community groups in Europe.

Islamist Extremism, Resources, Terrorism and Extremism

November 1, 2019

‘The Baghdadi Net’: How A Network of ISIL-Supporting Accounts Spread Across Twitter

ISD monitoring following Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death when ISIL supporters flooded Twitter with Arabic content showing automated behavior.

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

July 24, 2019

The Management of Terrorist Content: How Al Qaeda Texts Continue to Evade Facebook and YouTube Detection

This briefing paper highlights Al Qaeda content available on YouTube and Facebook and the companies’ inability to remove content the content.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

June 27, 2019

Briefing Note: ‘El Rubio’ Lives: The Challenge Of Arabic Language Extremist Content On Social Media Platforms’

This briefing outlines research uncovering thousands of users viewing extremist content in Arabic language across mainstream social platforms.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

October 23, 2018

Becoming Mulan? Female Western Migrants to ISIS

This report focuses on those women that have travelled from the West to ISIS held territory in support of the terrorist organisation.

Islamist Extremism

October 23, 2018

Blasphemy, Charlie Hebdo, and the Freedom of Belief and Expression

This briefing paper discusses the reactions to the horrific events that saw a group of people be murdered by Islamist's in the Charlie Hebdo offices.

Freedom of Expression, Islamist Extremism

October 23, 2018

‘Till Martyrdom Do Us Part’ Gender and the ISIS Phenomenon

This report explores the phenomenon of Western females travelling to Syria and Iraq in support of ISIS.

Islamist Extremism

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