PHILADELPHIA – The Middle East Forum is pleased to announce the appointment of David J. Rusin as director of Islamist Watch.
Mr. Rusin has worked as a research associate for the past two years at Islamist Watch—the Forum’s project to expose and combat lawful Islamism in the West (a.k.a. stealth jihad)—conducting in-depth analysis and contributing regularly to the project’s blog. In his new role, he is tasked to make Islamist Watch the preeminent hub of research and activism opposing non-violent forms of radical Islam.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Rusin worked as an astrophysicist, earning a bachelor’s degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to hold postdoctoral positions at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California at Davis.
Sparked by 9/11, Mr. Rusin’s interest turned to Islamic topics. He completed his transition from science to foreign affairs by joining the Middle East Forum in 2007. Until early this year, he also served as an editor for Pajamas Media, a leading website of news and opinion.
“Whereas violent Islamists seek to subjugate the West through bloodshed, non-violent Islamists pursue the same ends through lobbying, media manipulation, and predatory lawsuits,” explained Mr. Rusin. “They exploit the freedoms of our liberal democratic system to promote a decidedly illiberal and anti-democratic agenda, one which culminates by insinuating aspects of Shari’a law into our lives. My goal is to help stop this process.”
Daniel Pipes, the MEF’s director, noted that “David’s two years at the Forum working on lawful Islamism make him particularly well positioned to lead Islamist Watch. I have already observed how his background in the sciences adds an impassioned objectivity most useful for the delicate work of differentiating non-violent Islamists from truly moderate Muslims.”
Immediate release
For more information, contact Amy Shargel at
215-546-5406, ex. 22Shargel@MEForum.org
