Clarion Podcasts

Jeff Schoep is the former commander of the largest Nazi party in the United States. In a one hour conversation, Schoep and Qudosi cover the rise of the Proud Boys and delve into the culture of violence that supports extreme polarity pivoting groups of people against each other. What can heal the polarity and how can the media better approach these issues.

"In the war of ideas, people become the terrain." Psychological operations (PSYOP) are operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. In episode 10, I speak with Derek Goeriz, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier trained in insurgency, and intelligence community professional. We cover the psyop against American identity. Why are we seeing a spike in antagonism against the law enforcement community and the American rule of law with such orchestrated precision? Where is it coming from and how do we counter it? About Derek Goeriz: Derek holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MA in International Affairs from UCSD’s School of Global Policy & Strategy. Derek is active in helping transitioning veterans and military families through participation in various charitable organizations and resides in San Diego with his daughter enjoying politics, philosophy, & the arts. Currently works in the defense tech sector.

Episode 9 of Endeavor Against Extremism is particularly special for two reasons. First, we speak with former extremist Arno Michaelis on how becoming a father pulled him out of extremism. The preventing/countering violent extremism sector often enough looks at the role of gender in extremism, but only through the lens of motherhood. When it discusses masculinity, the focus is on how toxic masculinity concepts pull men in, but rarely is the a conversation on how authentic masculinity pulls men out of the ideology and into their power as men. We discuss that with Arno, but somewhere in there something quite incredible happens: a realization that the other is speaking a language that often isn't understood ...the language of compassion, kindness, love and vulnerability. I threw away any other question I had lined up and decided to move this conversation into a figurative open field. About Arno Michaelis: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis was a leader of a worldwide racist skinhead organization, a reverend of a self-declared Racial Holy War, and lead singer of the hate-metal band Centurion, which sold 20,000 CDs by the mid-nineties and is still popular with racists today. Single parenthood, love for his daughter, and the forgiveness shown by people he once hated all helped to turn Arno's life around, bringing him to embrace diversity and practice gratitude for all life. After spending over a decade as a successful information technology consultant and entrepreneur, Arno is now a speaker, author of My Life After Hate, co-author of The Gift of Our Wounds, and very fortunate to be able to share his ongoing process of character development as an educator working with Serve 2 Unite. Founded as an ongoing peaceful response to the August 5th 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, WI, S2U engages students creatively with a global network of peacemakers and mentors in partnership with Against Violent Extremism, The Forgiveness Project, Search For Common Ground, and Parents for Peace. Visit: www.parents4peace.org www.lifeafterhate.org

Episode 8 features a clip of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) educator Shireen Qudosi on Hill TV, speaking to the issue of childhood/youth extremism, and how to help parents understand the challenges their children might be facing

The Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) sectors long abandoned the conveyor belt theory -- that there is a straight pathway on which an individual becomes radicalized. However, when that story was discarded it wasn't replaced with anything that captured the communities we need fighting on the frontlines. In an episode on the power of storytelling in PVE, Shireen Qudosi shares the story she created for workshop trainings to help communities understand the allure of extremists recruiters.

It's not everyday you get a person in counter-terrorism speaking up in support of Muslim Reformers. The two niches rarely every intersect, which is why I was delighted to connect with Liam Duffy in an hour-long conversation on jihadis and Islamists. We covered: - ISIS hopscotching from China and it’s abuse of Muslim population, Iran for being Shia, and the West for its imperialism. How do you counter a strategy that adapts to the events of the ground so rapidly? - Is blaming Western adventurism for jihad essentially an anglocentric view? - How abuse against Muslim Reformers gave Liam the courage to speak openly against the ideology of violent jihad. - The fetishizing of minority communities is an obstacle to overcoming some of the issues revolving around Islamism and jihadism. - How are people who’ve grown up in in democratic ideals adopting an 8th century ideology? - The romanticization of 9/11 by Islamists. - Beyond identity politics: A look at what bonds people in a secular state. - How to counter public denial and naivety about Islamist extremism? - Is it possible to fight for PVE without fighting Islamism? - The problem with pigeon-holing radicalization as a vulnerability problem. - Managing expectations in deradicalization. - Tell the better story: Storytelling as a response to the ideological challenge of Islamism and other challenges posed by Islamist groups to liberal democracy. Counter narratives and counter messaging About Liam: Liam Duffy is an independent researcher, trainer and adviser on extremism and counterterrorism. Liam designs and delivers extensive professional training programs for law enforcement, government and civil society in both the UK and overseas. He previously worked in the prevention strand of the UK government's counterterrorism strategy

Episode 5 in a conversation with former NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind on the types of anti-semitism we're seeing during the coronavirus pandemic.

As Ramadan 2020 kicks off, so has the first controversy of the season. In Minneapolis Minnesota, CAIR backed a recently passed public ordinance allowing a 5 daily Muslim calls to prayer which start from sunrise and continue through sunset. Catch my conversation with Dalia Al-Aqidi, the woman challenging Ilhan Omar's congressional seat for Minnesota's 5th district. Dalia breaks down CAIR's agenda and unveils the problematic past of the mosque behind this call to prayer.

Set to the backdrop of a warm Georgia summer night, we bring you an intimate conversation with forensic psychologist Rachel Bell. We cover: - Rachael's experience working in Rotterdam, offering therapy to Muslims extremists classified as "honor killers." What did she do to "test" them? - Genetic predispositions to psychosis, exploring the evergreen question of nature vs. nurture. - How do we use science to dissuade people from joining extremist organizations? A look at tangible solutions that lead with psychology. - What are the red flags for parents, teachers and counselors should watch out for? - How can you treat people with extremist behavior? Does that change if it's a cult or gang? - Acculturation vs. Assimilation: programs that can create pathways for belonging. - Why the West needs to educate itself on what's coming in from vulnerable migrant communities just as much as they might expect those communities to understand Western law and culture. - Why did a popular liberal media outlet look the other way on female militants and child militants? - How do we build programs to empower youth and deal with some of these issues from the bottom up? The evening was generously hosted by Georgene Brazer. Rachael Bell has worked as a forensic psychologist for over 25 years. She owns a private counseling practice and a podcast series called True Crimes Podcast. She's taught in the U.S. and in two universities in the Netherlands, covering a range of subjects from forensic psychology, personality theories, research, and criminal psychology. Rachael has a double Masters in health psychology and clinical psychology, with a focus in forensics.

Jeff Schoep, former commander of the largest Nazi party in the United States, joins us for an hour-long conversation on his experience, deradicalization, and the parallels he sees between Islamists and neo-Nazis, along with the alarming trend toward extremism in American politics right now in a post-coronavirus world. We also cover: - Conspiracy theories in the time of a virus pandemic. Will the coronavirus bring on the "boogaloo"? - Is America headed toward the climactic war that extremists want? Are we becoming radicalized and cult-minded? - I question whether psychological violence is the connective tissue between radicalization and violent extremism. And on that note, is the coronavirus stimulus package a form of economic violence? - Are extremists prophets of social breakdowns? - How propagandists find marketing opportunities in crisis and violence - What needs to change within our culture and society in order to dissolve the lure of extremist ideologies? - How the "grey space" between black and white is an opportunity to create something new. - Identity markers prime us for extremism. - A desire for glory and remembering what it means to be a hero. - How legacy got Jeff into...and out of...the Nazi movement. - Fascination as a gateway to hate? - The alarming behavior parallels between Nazis and Islamists. - What is made up of the wall that extremists put up to block out human dignity and empathy? - The skepticism and challenges of renouncing Nazism. - The Silent Audience. - What does peace mean to Jeff?

Shireen Qudosi speaks with former Al-Qaeda propagandist Jesse Morton on: - The Jihadi response to America's panic over coronavirus - Divergent narratives between the East and the West - How extremists will use a global pandemic to demonize the enemy, and how this ties in with conspiracy theories and end-times rhetoric. - Why secularism is broken and whether it can be salvaged. - Every crisis is an opportunity. In the West that means breaking away from broken models of polarized leadership, and why safe centrism doesn't work either. Qudosi: "America is a story and this is a time to reconnect with that story." Morton: "If you walk 19 years into a forest, it'll take 19 years to talk back out. This is the long hard haul of redefining who we are as a people." About Jesse: Jesse Morton is founder and head of Parallel Networks, an organization combating hate and extremism, and research coordinator for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s Against Violent Extremism Network in North America. Once a prominent radicalizer in the West, Morton co-founded and was chief propagandist of Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based group active in the 2000s, where he helped insert the narrative of Al-Qaeda and Salafi-jihadist ideology into the American ambit. He has lectured at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University (Saudi Arabia) and Sunderland University (Morocco), and worked at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, focused on issues such as jihadist propaganda. Morton was named one of Foreign Policy’s 2017 Global Thinkers.

Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirksy talks to Chai FM about the recent beheadings in France. Is there a way for France to solve its Islamist problem?

Listen to Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky talk to CHAI FM 101.9 radio in South Africa for an update about Islamist terror in the time of COVID.

Clarion Editor Meira Svirsky discusses cancel culture and the case of a Michigan teacher fired for tweeting about opening schools in the fall. Do a person's First Amendment rights supersede an employer's right to fire an an employee for an "offending" social media post?

Listen to Clarion Project's editor Meira Svirsky try to make sense of the May 2020 riots in America and offer suggestions of what each of us can to try to turn the situation around.

An exclusive interview with Soheil Raza on how the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime have a foothold in the Candian government and educational system. Soheil Raza is married to Razell Raza, one of Clarion's spokepersons. Raheel and Soheil run Muslims Facing Tomorrow, an organization that fight extremism and radicalization.

Between mismanagement, religious fanaticism and the exportation of  terror, the Corona virus appears to have found it's best ally in Iran. Listen to Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Clarion's Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir explain why Corona is out of control in the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. signed an historic agreement with the Taliban, paving the way for an American and NATO troop withdrawal from the longest-standing war in U.S. history. The agreement spans 14 months, over which time peace markers must be met by the extremist and brutal group. Listen to Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Clarion's Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir discuss those markers and assess the real prospects for peace.

Despite the recent support for Turkey's policies in northern Syria by the U.S., Russian Today (RT) is reporting that Turkey is giving American anti-aircraft weapons to the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra). Listen to Clarion Project's Editor Meira Svirsky and Clarion's Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir discuss these and other developments having to do with the U.S. in the Middle East.

An exclusive Clarion interview with Springs of Hope founder and director Lisa Miara. Springs of Hope is the only organization rehabilitating the Yazidi people -- mainly women and children -- from the trauma of ISIS. Lisa will both warm and break your heart as you listen to her describe her life-saving work.

The Trump administration just released $105 million American tax dollars to the Lebanese army. Given the power the Iranian-proxy terror group Hezbollah has over the Lebanese government, Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir discuss how likely it is that this money will end up in the hands of Hezbollah.

Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir discuss the implications of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri for America, Hezbollah and Iran.

There are signs that the Saudi maybe spurning the US for Russia after the US failed to retaliate for Saudi Arabia after Iran staged a major attack their state-owned oil company Aramco. Listen to this podcast from Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir.

The U.S. agreed to retreat from the Syrian-Turkish border, making way for a planned invasion by Turkey. The result will most certainly mean slaughter for the Kurdish forces there, the most faithful U.S. ally in the region and the most effective force to date against ISIS. Clarion Project analyzes ...

After the massive attack on the Saudi's national oil company Amarco, which the United States says Iran was behind, President Trump tweeted the U.S. was "locked and loaded" -- presumably on Iranian targets. Listen to Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir put this attack in context.

Against U.S. sanctions, and after it was already detained in Gibraltar, the UK cut loose an Iranian oil tanker. Why? Listen to the story about the intrigues of fighting the wily Iran in the Middle East with Clarion's Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir and Clarion Editor Meira Svirsky.

Do NOTHING? Gone are the days of the great British naval as an extension of the British Empire. Listen to Clarion project editors analyze this latest shocking development in the Gulf as well as many other items that happened in the last few days may change US foreign policy.

The base, which is 143 miles off the coast of Iran, and covers six percent of Qatar, is designed to cover all the sea-faring security needs of the country. It's also a great place for America to use to counter the recent Iranian provocations in the Gulf. Listen to Clarion Project discuss this new development.

Did Iran just flex its muscle for the world to see and snatch an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf? A few days ago, an oil tanker flying the flag of Panama and sailing near the Strait of Hormuz simply disappeared. Clarion looks at the evidence.

Lisa Miara has dedicated her life to saving the Yazidi children and women who were victims of the ISIS genocide of their people beginning five years ago in Iraq. A witness to both destruction and hope, Lisa Miara's strength, commitment and dedication will melt your heart. Clarion Project was honored to have the privilege to catch up with Lisa for this fascinating interview.

An exclusive interview by Clarion Editor Meira Svirsky with Yazidi survivor of ISIS captivity, Shireen, who was in Israel attending a post-trauma course at Bar Ilan University.

Join Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir relate the events that culminated in Bahrain's foreign minister giving interviews to Israeli journalists at the unveiling of the economic plan of President Trump's peace deal for the Middle East in Bahrain Jun 25-26, 2019. Plus a Hebrew-speaking Saudi official!

Just how far will Iran go to provoke the America bear in the Gulf? Right now, Iranian attacks on American ally Saudi Arabia (carried out through Iran's proxies in Yemen, the Houthis) are escalating at an alarming pace. Yesterday, the Houthis fired a cruise missile, hitting the Abha Airport, a Saudi civilian facility. They are vowing to hit every airport in Saudi Arabia. What are the implications for the U.S. in the Gulf?

First the military overthrew the dictator. Now the people are trying to overthrow the military. It's a scenario ripe for jihadis to get a foothold in the country. Iran used to have great influence in Sudan, a strategic country located on the oil route of the Red Sea. Will they make a play now amid the chaos? Listen to Clarion Project's Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir and Clarion's Editor Meira Svirsky discuss the possibility.

What we are now witnessing is what can be called "Phase II" of how President Trump's sanctions against Iran and its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah are working. In a surprising (and welcome) move, Hezbollah is pulling out of Syria. Is this at the behest of Iran to appease the U.S.? Or possibly the move was ordered by Russia, who appears to be putting the squeeze on Iran as well. Get more details on these latest developments from Clarion Project's Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir and Clarion Project's Editor Meira Svirsky.

As American mulls sending 120,000 troops to counter the recent threats made by Iran, Clarion Project Editor Meira Svirsky and Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir discuss the background and implications of such a move in light of significant current events in the region.

There is a high school in Columbus, Ohio that offers a political radicalism class where actual radicals present to the students. We asked our clarion readers to vote on whether this is a good idea... (Photo: Radomir Jordanovic / Pexels

In this week's media review we ask if Iran is spying on the USS Eisenhower. We also take a look at the possible knock-on effects of President Donald Trump's designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terror organization. David Harris hosts Clarion's Shillman Fellow and Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir. (Photo: TV screenshot)

Clarion National Correspondent Shireen Qudosi speaks with One American News Network where she gets asked the provocative question, "Is Ilhan Omar practicing taqiyya?" Taqiyya is branded as the stealth art of lying for Muslims. It is an often misunderstood and used as an attempt to smear all Muslims. Discover how Qudosi pivots the answer to focus on the real issue that all Americans can relate to. (Photo: Paris Malone / flickr - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/?ref=ccsearch&atype=rich)

As the Sri Lanka terror attack fades into distant memory for most of us, Clarion's Shireen Qudosi suggests our conversation in the West is serving the terrorists' interests. (Photo: David Pacey / Flickr - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Jeffrey Imm, the founder of the volunteer human rights activist group, REAL – Responsible for Equality and Liberty and Clarion's Shireen Qudosi debate the recent controversy surrounding Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and her comments regarding 9/11. There's also a chance to win $100 as Jeffrey explains in the interview! (Photo: Another photo angle of the 9/11 tragedy that rocked Manhattan. Michael Foran - Flickr - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)

Politically-charged Congressional meetings won't accomplish anything on the serious issue of White nationalism or any other racism and hate, other than inadvertently "normalizing" and actually empowering it. That's the view of Jeffrey Imm, the founder of the volunteer human rights activist group, REAL – Responsible for Equality and Liberty. He believes the great divide in American political debate, or zero-sum politics, is preventing a major push for human rights in the United States today. In this fascinating interview with Clarion's National Correspondent Shireen Qudosi, Imm looks at what divides and unites us. The pair discuss how we can better tackle radical Islam, White nationalism and other ills as a more cohesive society. (Photo: PX Here)

Rabi'a Keeble is one unique woman. She runs a women's mosque on the West Coast, despite all the abuse hurled in her direction. In this interview with Shireen Qudosi, she talks about race and faith in the United States (Photo PX Here)

Oz Sultan is the founder of Our House NYC. In this interview he explains why ISIS supporters take two and even three oaths as they join the organization - even today. He also looks at the role of communities in the U.S. and Europe. Clarion’s National Correspondent Shireen Qudosi poses the questions. (Photo: Oz Sultan - courtesy)

We're seeking ISIS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi in this week's media review. We also say hello to the new U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia and bid farewell to one of the Middle East's longest-serving leaders. We also dish up the latest installment in the Cold War in the company of Clarion's David Harris and our Shillman Fellow Ran Meir. (Photo: Abu-Bakr-al-Baghdadi - Thierry Ehrmann / Flickr - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

There are two ways to deal with radicalization - the older approach is countering violent extremism (CVE), whose success is somewhat questionable - once you're on the conveyor belt it's hard to get off. The other is preventing violent extremism (PVE) BEFORE radicalization ever takes place. Clarion is among those pioneering PVE with our unique training program (https://clarionproject.org/pve/). Hear from our National Correspondent Shireen Qudosi in conversation with Oz Sultan, the founder of Our House NYC. (Photo: Radomir Jordanovic Pexels)

The Sudanese military has reportedly placed the country's veteran President Omar al-Bashir under house arrest along with some of his closest confidants. The arrest follows weeks of public protests and condemnation of the al-Bashir regime from the United States. Clarion's Shillman Fellow and Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir brings you all the latest details on this breaking story. (Photo: Omar al-Bashir - Mokhsen el-Faqi / Wiki Commons - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

It's amazing to think that despite ISIS' military demise in Syria, the organization still draws in new supporters. In this podcast, Our House NYC. founder Oz Sultan tells Clarion's Shireen Qudosi how ISIS recruits in the same way that marketers target American moms. (Photo: PX Here - CC0)

Damian was a regular Canadian teenager who became radicalized and eventually went to Syria where his life ended fighting as a jihadist. Rather than burying this episode, his mom, Christianne, founded Mothers for Life to look out for families in a similar position. The organization is now truly international. Many of the initial recipients of the wisdom of Christianne and co-founder Daniel Koehler are now running branches in their own countries. Christianne is one of the main interviewees in Clarion's new film Kids: Chasing Paradise. She spoke to Clarion's David Harris about the film and her groundbreaking work. (Photo: Christianne Boudreau - Clarion Project)

The Middle East media spent the last week wondering who is winning in the battle between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Iranian-funded terror organization Hezbollah.  The discussion follows Pompeo's trip to Hezbollah's home country Lebanon a week ago.  Clarion's Shillman Fellow and Arab Affairs Analyst Ran Meir has all the details in this edition of of media review. (Photo: Mike Pompeo - State Department)

Why did Secretary of state Mike Pompeo really visit Lebanon over the last few days?  Washington is very unhappy with Hezbollah's increased role in Beirut's government, especially given that State designated the Iranian-backed Hezbollah as a terror organization.  But as we hear from Clarion's Arab Affairs Analyst and Shillman Fellow Ran Meir, at least one newspaper is suggesting a very different agenda for Pompeo's visit. Here he is in conversation with Clarion's David Harris: (Photo: State Department)