As the US-led full NATO withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan gets underway, severe security considerations remain largely unanswered. The Taliban are likely set to seize more control in the imminent and inevitable power vacuum. A growing Islamic State in Khorasan Province, in addition to a resurgent Al-Qaeda, are also taking root across the country. Weekly … Continued

The Henry Jackson Society is delighted to play host to a conversation between Ed Husain and Dr Alan Mendoza on “Among the Mosques: A journey across Muslim Britain” – Ed Husain’s latest book. Having travelled the length and breadth of the country and explored the full extent of the diversity of Britain’s Muslim population and … Continued

Since August 2020, the ceaseless courage of the people of Belarus has gripped the world. Following rigged presidential elections, mass protests against Aleksyandr Lukashenka have grown into a wider democratic movement, despite the disproportionate and terrifying use of force against protesters. Tragically, the plight of those imprisoned in Belarus, sometimes for the flimsiest of connections … Continued

In the aftermath of Iran’s recent “election”, ultraconservative President-elect Ebrahim Raisi is due to take over from President Rouhani in August. This comes at a crucial time for the Islamic Republic, as the country grapples with the ongoing pandemic, growing social discontent with the regime, and ongoing nuclear proliferation and violations of the Joint Comprehensive … Continued

There has been growing concern about an increasingly assertive China’s ability to reshape the existing international order - which has been compounded by worries that a disunited liberal democratic world lacks the will to push back. The notion of ‘Westlessness’ was formally aired at the 2020 Munich Security Council, drawing to attention the idea that … Continued

As the broader crackdown on democratic freedoms in Hong Kong has gathered pace, the erosion of press freedom in the territory has been a particular focus of international and domestic concern. The 2021 World Press Freedom Index, released in May, offers a clear indication of the negative trajectory of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant news media. It … Continued

Online platforms have been co-opted for nefarious purposes in recent years by malign actors. They are a breeding ground for spreading hateful and offensive views, including racism, xenophobia, misogyny, Anti-Muslim hatred, homophobia, and of course Antisemitism. Tech companies such as Twitter and Facebook have been publicly reprimanded for not doing enough to prevent the spread … Continued

This discussion will aim to gauge the continuing appeal to young British Muslims of ‘caliphism’, a mindset where Islam is no longer a spiritual pathway to God but an expansionist imperial project that stands against the West, against the nation state and against secular Muslim and non-Muslim populations. The ‘caliphist’ narrative of groups like Hibz … Continued

The European continent is currently facing a distressing rise in Antisemitism. Often linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and entangled with Antizionist views, the European Jewish population is increasingly under attack. From vandalism of Jewish cemeteries in Ukraine to attacks on Jews on the streets of London, from Antisemitic caricatures at a parade in Belgium to … Continued

He has been poisoned, harassed, and demonised, but even behind bars Aleksei Navalny remains Russia’s most prominent opposition figure. There is no doubting his bravery and, yet, both inside and outside Russia, he provokes a range of divergent reactions. To discuss Navalny’s political evolution, the Kremlin’s responses to him, and the future of his anti-corruption … Continued

On 19th September, Russia goes to the polls for parliamentary elections. A resounding win for the ruling United Russia party, with some seats allotted to the pre-approved systemic ‘opposition’, is a foregone conclusion. Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s stranglehold on Russian politics, and Russian political life, appears to be growing ever more constrictive. It is easy, and … Continued

75 years after The Nuremberg Trials, crimes against humanity and genocide continue to be a persistent stain on global society. We promised ‘Never Again’, and yet human rights abuses from Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory) and Rwanda to the former Yugoslavia and China indicate that the rule of law and justice remain elusive. Professor Philippe … Continued

80 years after the extermination of almost 34,000 Jews at Babyn Yar, this tragic part of history is becoming increasingly politicised, part of a broader trend of instrumentalization of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. To commemorate this anniversary, this panel will address Antisemitism in the region, including its politicisation of the Holocaust and the region’s failures … Continued

In recent weeks we have seen the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan and return to a rigid enforcement of sharia law - a system of Islamic jurisprudence which many believe structurally disadvantages women. Could it ever be accepted as a legally valid basis in a country like the UK, where our law embodies the equal … Continued

Shanghai’s Qingpu Prison was at the centre of a forced labour scandal which came to light after revelatory reports in the press worldwide at Christmas in 2019, when it was discovered that foreign prisoners there were subjected to forced labour and had been packaging Tesco Christmas cards and Quaker oats. Efforts to investigate business arrangements and … Continued