In the Skin of a Jihadist

A Young Journalist Enters the ISIS Recruitment Network

Anna Erelle, Erin Potter

• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9780062417077
• eBook ISBN: 9780062417091
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies

The inspiration for the new film PROFILE, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, with a screenplay by Britt Poulton, Timur Bekmambetov, and Olga Kharina.

A young French journalist’s riveting and unprecedented look at how today’s most ruthless terrorists use social media and technology to reach disaffected youth—witnessed through the undercover investigation that led to her deep involvement with a key member of ISIS.

On Facebook, “Melodie”—a twenty-year-old-convert to Islam living with her mother and sister in Toulouse—meets Bilel, a French-born, high-ranking militant for the Islamic State in Syria. Within days, Bilel falls in love with Melodie, Skypes her repeatedly, and adamantly urges her to come to Syria, marry him, and do jihad. The honey-tongued suitor promises the innocent, fatherless young girl a life of material comfort and spiritual purpose. 

But “Melodie” is actually Anna Erelle, a Parisian based journalist investigating the recruitment channels of the Islamic state, whose digital propaganda—Jihad 2.0—constitutes one of its most formidable and frightening weapons, successfully mobilizing increasing numbers of young Europeans.

In this taut and riveting true story, Erelle chronicles her intense, month-long relationship with Bilel—who turns out to be none other than the right hand man of Abou Bakr al-Baghadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of ISIS. Impatient for Melodie to join him, Bilel tells her that, according to an imam, they are already all but married, and will be officially when she arrives in Syria. As she embarks on the final, most dangerous stage of her investigation, Melodie leaves for Amsterdam to begin her journey to the Middle East. But things go terribly wrong.

A gripping and often harrowing inquiry into the factors that motivate young people to join extremist causes, and a shocking exploration of how technology and social media are spreading radicalism, In the Skin of a Jihadist is a riveting page-turner that helps us better understand the appeal of extremism—and how an Islamic militant attempts to brainwash, seduce, and manipulate a vulnerable young woman.

Contents

1. Dedication
2. Epigraph
3. Paris, ten days earlier
4. The same night
5. Saturday morning
6. That night
7. Sunday night
8. Monday
9. Monday, 8 p.m.
10. Monday, 9:30 p.m.
11. Mélodie
12. Thursday
13. Thursday, 10 p.m.
14. A few days later
15. In the afternoon
16. The same day, 5:30 p.m.
17. Monday, 7:30 p.m.
18. Monday, 8 p.m.
19. Two days later
20. The next day
21. Thursday
22. Friday
23. Four days later
24. Wednesday night
25. Early the next morning
26. Friday the 25th
27. Amsterdam, Friday, 6 p.m.
28. Friday, 9 p.m.
29. Friday, 10 p.m.
30. Saturday morning
31. Paris, Sunday afternoon
32. Two days later, at the magazine
33. The same day, in the evening
34. Five days later
35. Tuesday
36. Eight months later
37. About the Author
38. Copyright
39. About the Publisher

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Contents
• Paris, ten days earlier
• The same night
• Saturday morning
• That night
• Sunday night
• Monday
• Monday, 8 p.m.
• Monday, 9:30 p.m.
• Mélodie
• Thursday
• Thursday, 10 p.m.
• A few days later
• In the afternoon
• The same day, 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, 8 p.m.
• Two days later
• The next day
• Thursday
• Friday
• Four days later
• Wednesday night
• Early the next morning
• Friday the 25th
• Amsterdam, Friday, 6 p.m.
• Friday, 9 p.m.
• Friday, 10 p.m.
• Saturday morning
• Paris, Sunday afternoon
• Two days later, at the magazine
• The same day, in the evening
• Five days later
• Tuesday
• Eight months later
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher