I am a sociologist, policy researcher, and scholar-practitioner whose work bridges critical sociological inquiry with applied policy analysis. I currently serve as Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University (GMU). I earned my PhD in Sociology from GMU, where my dissertation, The Paradox of Legalism, investigates how political regimes have strategically instrumentalized legal frameworks to consolidate authoritarian rule under the façade of legality. Grounded in historical sociology and legal-political analysis, my research shows how law often functions less as a constraint on sovereign authority and more as a mechanism for legitimizing repression, centralizing power, and institutionalizing executive hegemony across political and economic domains.

My interdisciplinary scholarship combines sociological analysis with regional expertise, including extensive work on social movements and contentious politics. My M.A. thesis, The Ultras and the Revolution in Egypt, examines the politicization of soccer fan groups in the wake of the 2011 uprising, using ethnographic fieldwork and media analysis to trace their transformation from apolitical communities into political actors.

In addition to my work on authoritarianism and legal governance, I research militant group propaganda, radicalization narratives, and information warfare. As the former manager of the Arabic Propaganda Analysis Team at the University of Chicago’s Chicago Project on Security and Threats, I led research on jihadist messaging strategies, recruitment tactics, and the role of digital platforms in extremist communication. My work examines how militant groups, such as ISIS, construct ideological narratives to mobilize supporters and sustain their movements. I engage with policymakers, think tanks, and security institutions to provide insights into extremist discourse, propaganda trends, and counter-radicalization strategies.

I have published in peer-reviewed outlets such as Arab Law Quarterly and authored policy briefs and analytical reports cited in Foreign Affairs, CNN, and U.S. congressional testimony. With over a decade of experience in academic and policy institutions—including the University of Chicago, Democracy for the Arab World Now, the Atlantic Council, and Freedom House—I have led projects at the intersection of political analysis and security research. At the University of Chicago’s Project on Security and Threats, I directed the Arabic-language analysis team, developing methodologies to study how violent non-state actors use media to mobilize support and sustain insurgencies.

I earned an M.A. in Comparative Politics from New York University in 2013, where I focused on Middle Eastern politics, democracy, social movements, and political theory. I also hold a B.Sc. in Political Science from Cairo University in 2006, where I studied international relations, Arab political systems, foreign policy analysis, and quantitative methods. My academic work bridges sociology, political science, and law, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on authoritarian governance, legal frameworks, and political movements in the MENA region.

Through my research and professional expertise, I aim to contribute to scholarly and policy discussions on law and authoritarianism while shaping debates on governance, civil liberties, and resistance in the Middle East.

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