I was a translator in Iraq during the invasion. I interviewed detainees & translated at Review Boards at GTMO. I worked for 3 Secretaries of Defense at the Pentagon. Now I work on countering extremism. Let me be clear: 9/11 didn’t change the world. America’s response to it did
Follow
Jasmine M. El-Gamal
@jasmineelgamal
I've worked in some of the most high-stress environments in the world & I'm on a mission to transform workplaces into healthier spaces. Host .
Jasmine M. El-Gamal’s posts
Hi guys. Will you say a prayer for my dad Mohamed today? It’s his birthday & the day he passed. He was a proud Egyptian feminist who loved his adopted home in America as well. He raised a daughter to believe she can do anything & to help others above all. I love and miss you papa
Friend just forwarded me this video of the explosion, not sure who is filming but this this is awful #Beirut
Replying to
And now I see us entering a whole new cycle except that we are more divided, more tired, more angry. Which will likely mean more bad decisions, more terrorism, more innocent people dead. If we don’t recognise why & how we got here, we’ll never leave. We will remain right here.
Remembering this beautiful boy today. Aylan Kurdi. A bright future cut short. A victim of a cruel war on one end and cruel apathy on the other. And still today, the West continues to block little kids like Aylan from entering—or returning—their countries. We have to do better.
Replying to
I have seen the last twenty years from every angle at every moment. I’ve been through all the mistakes, the fear-based decisions, the bungled attempts at trying to remake proud, ancient cultures in our image & then leaving without undoing the damage (or worse, blaming them after)
So, going out on a limb here and sharing something very personal. Discovering that I have severe mental health challenges that can’t be solved with yoga or a long walk. A relief to finally admit I need help & to have a partner who is there for it. Will be writing more about this.
If nothing else comes out of this, let it be known that Syrians have been fighting against Russian aggression for years with not a word of support from all those celebrities standing with Ukrainians (and rightly so) at the moment. Think of them. Respect them.
This tweet should be deleted for so many reasons. Here’s just two:
1-Muslim women—shocker—wear shorts and tank tops too.
2-Muslims & Christians doing stuff together is not new in #Lebanon.
Let’s not propagate needless stereotypes. It’s literally just two Lebanese women. 3adi. twitter.com/KhaledBeydoun/
This Tweet is unavailable.
If you are a lawmaker and you’re not publicly denouncing for outright Islamophobia by now, you’re on the wrong side of history. Just as you stand up for every other minority, stand up for Muslims. Be brave. Take a stand. We deserve it.
1. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be joining al-Jazeera Arabic as an election analyst covering American foreign policy issues, particularly as they pertain to the Middle East.
So troubling how many people, (especially but not limited to early-career) won’t comment publicly on Israel’s actions against Palestinians b/c of fear it’ll be held against them: won’t get senate confirmed in the future, won’t be hired for tops jobs at universities or companies)
Ladies, I'm doing research for a piece on how Muslim women's voices are absent from conversations about them. If you are a Muslim woman & feel like your voice is not represented in the media please reach out to me. DMs open. Outlets interested in publishing such a piece pls lmk.
That time when Donald Trump called up my brother Sharif El-Gamal & offered to buy him out of Park 51 for multiple times it’s worth if Sharif promised to stop trying to build a Muslim Community Center in Manhattan. My brother said, thanks but no thanks you can’t buy out my faith.
This is why I'm furious every time I hear anyone deride the Middle East or its people. If they walked one day in the shoes of someone there, they would have nothing but awe respect & the deepest admiration for ppl who rise again every time & do it while still helping a stranger.
Quote
Whether it's Beirut, Baghdad, Aleppo, Mosul, Gaza, Basra...this constant recovery mode we have to accommodate to so often is exhausting and so hurtful. We're always fixing, starting over, building things up, only to get knocked down again.
Wow. Just wow. This response from who has worked tirelessly for years to bring Afghan wartime allies to safety. You guys have to watch this. Matt's organization, No One Left Behind, has been doing amazing work for years to resettle wartime allies. Follow this guy!
Quote
MSNBC's Brian Williams on Biden's speech: "He didn’t run from it, he owned it. He owned this decision. He owned the fact that, as he put it, the buck stops with him."
Afghan vet @mattczeller: "I feel like I watched a different speech than the rest of you guys. I was appalled!"
“Syrian First Lady doesn’t give a F-:k that her family is responsible for the murder and displacement of millions and the dissolution of an entire country. Instead, she waters flowers that her victims will never get to smell or touch again.”
Fixed the headline for you, twitter.com/aciltab/status
This Tweet is unavailable.
Chatting with a grad school friend tonight. He told me ppl have reached out to him asking abt me after I’ve posted stuff in distress. Not all have been concerned. Some mocking, derisive. Let me tell you something with absolute confidence: ppl who mock you when you’re down..
Replying to
Look around you when you’re at your worst and weakest. Those are your people. Embrace them and invest in them and let them help you be your best self.
Signing off with this absolute gem. Also, “Yalla, sarra3 el talab ba2a ya brince.” 😂😂😂😂 God, I love Egypt and Egyptians and the accent!!! ❤️ For everyone working out to GOTV, I’m cheering you on and grateful for you! Good night, you guys, and see you on here tomorrow/bokra!
Some personal news! I just submitted my memoir proposal to a real live book agent! Even if nothing comes out of this one, I have now fulfilled a lifelong dream. I am so proud of myself for believing I have something to say and then saying it! After lows of 2020, I’m so grateful.
I hate how every American publication that hasnt given a shit about #Afghanistan suddenly wakes up & tries to fill their pages w/analysis by Western ppl who haven’t set foot in Afghanistan. FFS. Amplify AFGHANS. No one cares what you think, Western man in a think tank on Mass Ave
One more thread about Michele Flournoy: I first started working at the pentagon during the transition between G W Bush and Obama. I didn’t have much to do but I stayed until 9 pm every night because everyone else did. My boss was a woman who made me feel shitty & called me stupid
Another quick 🧵 from me, this time on the “Mosque at Ground Zero”. My brother Sharif El-Gamal was the developer of that project. He put his heart and soul in it and is rarely mentioned or acknowledged. This hurts me bc it minimises the work he did 1/x
Quote
Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the ADL, says he and his organization are sorry for opposing the Park 51 Cordoba center, infamously labeled the “Ground Zero mosque.” cnn.com/2021/09/04/opi
شط اسكندرية
To see this is to understand why Fairouz devoted an entire song to the Alexandrian shore.
Was blessed to spend my childhood in this very special place.
Absolutely thrilled to join the incredibly talented & visionary team at as Senior Manager for AMEA (Africa, Middle East & Asia) where I'll be managing & expanding programming & research to counter hate, polarization and extremism. Reach out for collabs + conversation!
1. I don't know so this isn't a personal attack. But to state that things "could have been worse" and that yay, it was a great time to go on a cheap vacation is stunningly offensive, hurtful, & incredibly tone deaf to Muslim Americans whose lives were forever changed
Quote
Replying to @paulkrugman
Daily behavior wasn't drastically affected. True, for a while people were afraid to fly: my wife and I took a lovely trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands a couple of months later, because air fares and hotel rooms were so cheap. But life returned to normal fairly fast 3/
Replying to
Hi Hen! Did I miss the announcement about the results of the democratic, worldwide poll to appoint you representative of “The Jews”? So Curious!!!
Hey guys. I'm mulling a "mental health in national security" podcast. Is this something you would listen to? Would you like to hear from ppl in this field talking about personal struggles & how they overcame them? Would you like to BE that person to talk about your struggles? LMK
As the daughter of immigrants, nothing gave me greater, more genuine pleasure today than being asked by my mom to update her resume. What would have taken her ages took me under 30 mins and every word I wrote felt like a giant "thank you" to my mom & all her sacrifices for us.
Oh,but we have mastered this with just one simple word.
#inshallah
Quote
Phrases that mean nothing will happen:
Leave it with me
I’ll have a word
I’ll see what I can find
Consider it done
I’ll make some calls
I’ll think about it
Certainly a possibility
Let’s come back to that
Good idea
Maybe
It’s on my list
Might see you down there
I’ll look into it
Replying to
..are not ppl you need in your life. Everything that has happened to me in the last year has been a blessing. I have never been more sure of what I want to do or who is important to me…
Using Kayla Meuller in a debate to score political points is the most disgusting thing said in any debate I’ve watched in recent history. Shame on Mike Pence. Disgraceful.
Instead of a Summit for Democracy, the Biden Administration should host an international Refugee Response Summit. Mobilize. Distribute responsibility. Pledge funds for travel + integration. Formulate response to inevitable uptick in anti-refugee sentiment. Learn frm Syria tragedy
Wonder if Pence would defend “the dogma of their faith” if a Muslim judge was nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States....
Who wants to tell Ghanem....?
Quote
Biden using the term “inshallah” to mean “never” shows deep Arabphobia and Islamophobia. This man is not fit for office. twitter.com/TheNationalNew…
Some personal news: Exactly 24 hours ago, I arrived back in London…..as an official UK resident!
Time to put away my much overused suitcases and put down roots.
May this year be one of stability, exploration and personal and professional growth.
Finally, home❤️
I was 23 years old and it was a few years after 9/11. I didn't know who I was anymore, or where I fit in. I had read that people at Gitmo were "the worst of the worst". I needed to see for myself what that looked like. So I went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This is what I saw.
Quote
Inside Guantanamo Bay, the most notorious detention facility in the world, @jasmineelgamal discovered the shortfalls of the US War on Terror. newlinesmag.com/first-person/l via @newlinesmag
Some UK #mentalhealth stats:
-40% of employees take time off as a result of MH issues
-Only 1 in 5 employees suffering from MH condition confide in their employer
->50% of employees don’t feel that their MH is a big enough priority for their employer
Can you relate? #dutyandcare
- Yes, its affected me.79%
- No.18.1%
- Other (explain)2.9%
618 votesFinal results
Replying to
That’s it for now. Relieved to be able to speak about this at last and looking forward to doing the hard work to get better. I hope you feel you can share your struggles if you need to. Vulnerability is strength. I know that now.
Bad decision. Bad optics. Bad timing. Bad message. Bad policy. Bad everything.
Quote
BREAKING: The Biden administration approves sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to #Israel, raising red flags for some House Democrats who are part of the shifting debate over the #US government’s support for the Israeli gov’t - WaPo.
Sending love to anyone who is hurting today, especially if you are alone. If you need any words my DMs are open. Remember, be kind to yourself, I know it can be hard. Islam says, "God does not place a burden on us greater than we can bear." Believe that you will get through this.
If I could retweet this every day for the rest of my life, I would. The would do well to hire a columnist from or in the region to write about it, instead of perpetuating the incredible damage Thomas Friedman does with his words to those who don't know better. 1/4
Quote
Good morning to everyone except Tom Friedman, who opens his piece on the one week anniversary of the #BeirutBlast saying that the explosion reminded him of a dinner party, and then goes onto to litter the article with tropes and fails to mention victims and/or the human impact.
I’ll be taking a 30-day social media break starting tomorrow to continue working on my mental & physical health. Been a lapse in progress lately with Afg + 9/11 news. Only announcing bc I won’t be on DMs either so pls use my email if you need to get me. Be kind to each other 🙂
What if I had told this little girl that she would:
-One day be offered a job by the VP of the US?
-A racist bureaucrat would crush her dreams because she were Muslim?
-She would rise again & help ppl struggling w/ mental health & be paid to talk about the ME in print & tv?
God bless Arab moms. Every time I come home, I think about how I'm going to take care of my mama: cook for her, do the laundry, clean the house...things I do every day on my own. Then I come home, promptly revert to a child & forget I've learned any life skills whatsoever.
Replying to
People make up government and people’s happiness is what makes us great. Michele makes us great. And so she makes government great. She would be the best SecDef. It would be our honour to have her. We need more like her to lead us.
Replying to
She said if you are working past 9
Pm you are not working smart, just hard. And she didn’t reward hard, she rewarded smart. She was kind and empathetic and she hired people who were the same. Her first hire was my best and most valued mentor the most wonderful person
Libya was US-supported, very reluctantly, not led. There was no US-led intervention in Syria against "the leader." The DoD Train and Equip program prohibited Syrians from using those weapons against Assad. Kills me when ppl who weren't there opine on what "really happened."
Quote
Yeah, can’t understand what Iraq, Libya & Syria have in common except that in each case US-led intervention against the leader exacerbated both the suffering of the local population & international terrorism threat. Al Qaeda consistently benefited in all three countries, fact. twitter.com/joshrogin/stat…
Replying to
Sharing this because I know others are struggling as well and we don’t always know what it is. Wine o’clock culture doesn’t help. If anyone else has been struggling please know you’re not the only one. It’s a relief to not have to pretend to have it all together all the time.
منذ هجمات الحادي عشر من سبتمبر على مدينتي ، نيويورك ، كرست حياتي المهنية لإضفاء الطابع الإنساني على الشرق الأوسط والغرب لبعضهما البعض. لطالما فكرت ، إذا كان هذان العالمان يمكن أن يتعايشا بداخلي ، فلماذا لا يتعايشان بشكل عام؟
Here’s hoping that one day I’ll read a list like this of Muslim, Arab and Iranian Americans, who still make up a painfully tiny sliver of high-ranking political appointees. We remain vastly under-represented and overlooked. I hope to see and remedy this.
Quote
Tracking Biden's Jewish senior staff so you don't have to:
Chief of Staff
Sec State
Sec Treasury
Director of National Intelligence
Homeland Security
Attorney General
Council of Economic Advisors
Deputy Directors: State, CIA, NSA
Assistant Secretary of Health & Human Services
So proud of our team & our partners . We have been working on this deep dive into disinformation in #Syria since January. Full report enclosed in this article and we’ll be highlighting the findings and recommendations starting tomorrow. Watch this space.
Quote
Network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified theguardian.com/world/2022/jun
I started this day with a positive tweet but I’m ending with a WTF at seeing ppl (ahem, ) compare DC to Iraq or Afghanistan (ummm, f-ing no), the “Green Zone” comparisons are beyond insulting and self-coddling. Grow up. This is not a war zone. Stop. It.
What a whirlwind 2 weeks! Thrilled to have had the opportunity to connect with viewers and discuss the implications of the US #elections
!Next stop: New York
يسعدني كثيراً أن أتيحت لي الفرصة للتواصل مع مشاهدي الجزيرة ومناقشة الانتخابات الأمريكية.
الان الى نيويورك!
Replying to
…I shudder to think of how many ppl out there, especially young ppl in DC, are suppressing and censoring themselves for approval. My mission is to change that. I wouldn’t be able to focus on that if I were worried about losing my job & for that im thankful. But to be clear:
Replying to
kind to folks with mental health struggles. So after my dad died I couldn’t say anything. When I finally did, it cost me my career in govt. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I did. Speak up and speak early or it will get out of hand.
Well, this was just a great time to move to London, wasn't it.
Replying to
I don’t know when these issues started or whether lockdown has aggravated them. But I’m going to do the work to find out. Maybe saying this out loud is a way to finally confront the demons. For so long my work prevented me from speaking about this. Government positions aren’t
You have to wonder whether a man would be expected to fulfill the (literally impossible) task of being saintly but relatable; ambitious but not TOO much so; human but with flawless-in-hindsight decision making. This is the bar we are setting for our daughters now? #VPPick
<THREAD> I'm incredibly excited to host three wonderful people this coming Friday to address the stigma around mental health + how to build the support systems we need to thrive in the worlds of national security, journalism, research and related fields. 1/
Replying to
All the time. I would go home crying every night because of her. When Michele came on board she changed the entire pentagon culture. All of the sudden it was ok to go home to your family, she was a bright light in my life even though she didn’t know me and then
Remember when people used to judge others on their lives and experiences; on their words and deeds? Never wanted to beef with . Never thought I'd get on her radar. But now that I have I will speak my mind & hold my own. Must be nice to throw shade from the bleachers.
Quote
Remember when Al Jazeera was edgy? Now it hires former national security state officials as “analysts”, just like all the other cable news outlets twitter.com/jasmineelgamal…
My husband took this picture & when I look at it I see my life.
Lines around my eyes etched through years of laughter with people I ❤️ in places I cherish.
My father's shoulders and my mother's 👃
A scar that will forever remind me of the ☕️ my husband makes me.
Grateful 🎂
"Many years would pass before I stopped feeling guilty about my faith being shaped so easily by such brief encounters with two confident, self-assured men – one in a suit, the other in a wheelchair. But I was young and those were strange times."
The vibe emanating from the Capitol is that of a playground where the bully just left and everyone is breathing a sigh of relief and getting ready to play together again.
Replying to
I may have some regrets abt how I chose to express certain things. But I am not ashamed of a single tweet. It’s what I needed to do at the time and it’s how I’ve grown. This journey has brought me to where I need to be, and that is to be helpful to you.
I still remember my male Marine supervisor’s words when I was 28 at the Pentagon: “don’t smile too much, people won’t take you seriously.”
41 yrs old & still smiling—as my own boss. And I’m *very* serious about mental health & the workplace.
📸
And that’s a wrap! Sun sets on the first day of Biden and Harris! And after almost 12 hours in the studio, it’s time to go home, put my feet up, and let this incredible day sink in.
Happy #InaugurationDay 🎉🍾🎊
Who else gets really excited about buying new planners for the new year? 😂
I am living proof that you can pick yourself up after thinking your life was over.
My personal journey inspired me to launch .
And I will always be here anytime you need to talk, need an ear, or just need to hear that everything will be ok.
#strongertogether
I am a 9 on and this is my retirement announcement even though I’m almost done with my mental health podcast launch but this is my life dream so bye.
(Ok ok I’m lying, super excited about mental health podcast stay tuned!)
Quote
Well composed. Love the shelves. Books. Typewriter. Telescopes are points. Add interesting wall art above it for ten. 9/10 @jasmineelgamal
Another year around the sun. 40 feels better than I thought it would. Made it this far and so grateful for this life…tough parts and all.
Replying to
I ever met at the time. He told me I was good and I believed him. He was just passing on the lessons that Michele taught him. Point is, leadership is about people. And Michele believed in people...
In my first Arabic-language interview(!) I talk to 's program Al Mustashar about why this year's US elections matter more than any other, what the biggest foreign policy differences are between the candidates, and why people in the region should care about the outcome.
Quote
#المستشار | سباق ترمب-بايدن نحو البيت الأبيض.. الأهم في تاريخ الولايات المتحدة؟
#الجزيرة_أمريكا20
@jasmineelgamal
I am appalled by the level of vitriol being aimed at the for putting faces of CHILDREN killed by senseless violence on the front page. Is it really that hard for you to stomach Palestinians being portrayed as human? Is it SUCH a zero-sum game?
This is madness.
I want to highlight the incredibly diverse, strong Muslim women out there who walk out their door every day & deal w so many misconceptions about them. Who continue to demand their voice is heard in conversations abt them. Thank you ladies. You inspire me. #InternationalWomensDay
Just got to the Al Jazeera studio in downtown DC. Elevator opens up and I found myself face to face with 😳 Wanted to remind him that DC was not Iraq but decided against it. Kind of kicking myself now. 😤
2012. 30 years old. An Arab American Muslim woman representing the Department of Defense at the US-Islamic World Forum.
I was so humbled, proud to represent my country esp as a minority.
But being an inadvertent trailblazer came at a personal cost.
5 things I wish I knew 🧵
Seven years and it still feels like yesterday. I miss him so. The best man I ever met. The pain never goes away.
When I first started in the USG, Arab & Iranian Americans working MENA issues were a rarity. Today, I am thrilled to see, and be among, this list of wonderful, talented, hardworking people. #NextGenNatSec. Kudos & thanks to & 1/3 newamerica.org/better-life-la
Caffeine ✅
Respectful debate with @RJBrodsky - with a smile! ✅
Panel with the one and only ✅
5 hours in at the studios, 5 hours to go!
#ElectionDay #Election2020 #Vote2020
As a former pentagon person I can tell that this request should have come WEEKS ago, as any 19-year old IR student could have told you ISIS would strike US assets at this time of chaos. Hope to God this is wrong and that this request is not new.
Quote
Biden has told the Pentagon to develop plans to strike ISIS-K assets.
Good morning with this reminder that if you’re upset about women forced to cover up by the Taliban, you should be just as upset that women are forced to uncover in some Western countries to go about their daily lives. Women’s rights are women’s rights everywhere. twitter.com/bintmxico/stat
This Tweet is unavailable.
After 5 years with , I’m excited (& nervous!) to announce I’m starting a new chapter to coincide with the new year. I’m taking a leap in goals from “big deal in DC” (ie someone ppl what to have coffee with to get close to their boss) to...