The weekly report on the SPI fellows
by Johnny Monsarrat

Several of the SPI fellows specialize in foreign affairs relating to security and warfare. This week we highlight one from Syria and one from Germany.

aymenn-jawad-al-tamimiSPI Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a leading world expert on the Islamic State, a secular Arab from the UK and Iraq who advises governments worldwide on the Middle East, Islam, and terrorism. Based in Syria (in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights), he is a valuable academic resource interpreting enemy documents captured in the Syrian war.

For example, he recently helped British newspaper┬áThe Guardian to verify and analyze Islamic State documents dealing with transportation and migration in Syria near the border with Turkey. He has also published an analysis of an Islamic State document that justifies slavery, especially concubines. He also discovered and leaked to the press an Islamic State “Master Plan”, which outlines how their operations are to be run.

And that’s less than half of the sensational material that you’ll find on his website. He also contributed to the Secular Policy Institute World Future Guide 2016.

holger-meyAnother SPI Fellow who contributed to the World Future Guide is Holger Mey,  the Vice President of Advanced Concepts, Airbus Defence and Space, in Germany. He has published more than 150 articles in major security policy journals, newspapers, and books, including German Security Policy in the 21st Century.

Recently he gave his thoughts on the weapons systems of the future, and you can see his video lecture to the┬áPotsdam Conference of National Cyber ÔÇïÔÇïSecurity in 2014 or his video lecture last summer to a German think tank. The text of his speech,┬áThe Role of Technology in Future Warfare, is printed in a conference report,┬áThe Future of Air Power, from early 2015.

David S. WilsonSPI Fellow David Sloan Wilson┬áis also President of the Evolution Institute, which applies the science of evolution┬áto social and political issues, and promotes acceptance of evolution and its applications to the public. They are proud to announce Evonomics, which builds on the old economic model in which people are assumed to gather all knowledge and make smart choices, to a new model based on evolution and the scientific study of┬áhuman behavior┬áand how social systems work. For example, read Wilson’s┬áreport,┬áDoing Well By Doing Good,┬áAn Evolution Institute Report on Socially Responsible Businesses, which┬áexplains how socially responsible business practices can also be profitable.

Earlier this month we mentioned that David Sloan Wilson will speak in Washington DC on Thursday, February 11th. If you run a local group that would like to gather in support of David, contact Aaron Traywick at aaron@secularpolicyinstitute.net.

Finally,┬áThe Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) published a case study on UK┬ácollege┬áIslamic Societies, focusing on three┬áwhere attempts were made to restrict or bar SPI Advocate and CEMB spokesperson┬áMaryam Namazie from speaking in 2015.┬áIt┬áshows that the Islamic Societies promote Islamist values through hate preachers who condone Sharia Law, Islamic states, and the death penalty for apostasy. Naturally they would be opposed to Maryam Namazie’s┬ábeing ex-Muslim and speaking at their colleges.