Stranger: Talking to Jihadists () is a six-part documentary series on Islamic terrorism in Europe produced by Chinese journalist Chai Jing. Released between 17 August and 21 September 2023, the series marked the sixth anniversary of the 2017 Barcelona terrorist attack, which had inspired Chai's investigation into Islamic terrorism in Europe.
Plot In July 2017, Chai Jing moved to Barcelona, Spain, with her husband and daughter. On 17 August that year, she witnessed the terrorist attack on La Rambla, an experience that inspired her to investigate Islamic terrorism in Europe. After several years of research and production, she released the six-part documentary series Stranger: Chai Jing Talking to Jihadists (陌生人：柴静对话圣战分子) on her personal YouTube channel, beginning on 17 August 2023, with one episode published each week. A trailer released on WeChat on 13 August was quickly censored.
The documentary, which centers conversations with former Islamic extremists as an attempt to understand the zeal and motivations of violent political ideologues, quickly garnered over 200,000 views when it released.
Interviewees Farid Benyettou, former jihadist recruiter David Vallat (1971-2024), former jihadist Sohail Ahmed, former Islamist extremist Abdelghani Merah, brother of terrorist Mohammed Merah Usama Hasan, former jihadist fighter and counter-extremism researcher Manwar Ali, former jihadist and recruiter , father of former foreign fighter Jejoen Bontinck Géraldine Henneghien, mother of jihadist Anis Véronique Roy, mother of jihadist Quentin Roy , political scientist specializing in European jihadism Amélie Chelly, sociologist and research associate at CADIS (EHESS-CNRS) (1952-2023), Belgian counterterrorism officer Fernando Reinares, director of the Program on Violent Radicalization and Global Terrorism at the Elcano Royal Institute Nils Duquet, director of the (Flemish Peace Institute) Françoise Schepmans, former mayor of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (2013-2018) Ivan Humble, former organizer of English Defence League (EDL), a far-right and Islamophobic organization Ahmed Aboutaleb, then mayor of Rotterdam (2009-2024) Latifa Ibn Ziaten, mother of terrorism victim Imad Ibn Ziaten , widower of Brussels bombing victim Loubna Lafquiri
See also Terrorism Islamic State 1995 France bombings Charlie Hebdo shooting 2016 Brussels bombings 2017 Westminster attack 2017 Barcelona attacks
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