Episode #015 - Sohail Ahmed - A Former Extremist's Story

Sohail 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, and it was only when he contemplated upon the potential moral repercussions of his planned actions that he first began to seriously question his ideological belief system. 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.

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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.