Recruiting for Jihad

Filmmakers Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen and Adel Khan Farooq make contact with the well-known Norwegian Muslim extremist and jihadi recruiter Ubaydullah Hussain. He gives them permission to make a film and they follow him closely over the course of three years. They visit gatherings of Muslim Brothers and are on the streets with Hussain as he tries to get young people enthusiastic about jihad. We see an 18-year-old Norwegian headed to the airport on his way to Syria. Farooq occasionally argues with Hussain, especially when the latter expresses his support for the terrible attacks elsewhere in Europe. Later, police raid Rolfsen’s home and confiscate their footage for evidence. The ensuing trial lasts for months, and Recruiting for Jihad becomes less about how Muslim extremists exploit the media—including, potentially, this film. Now, press freedom is also at stake.