Mag. Dr. Dr. habil. Hüseyin Cicek

Studies in Law, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at the Universities of Innsbruck, New Orleans, and Erlangen-Nuremberg. Early specialisation in terrorism, antisemitism, authoritarian rule, religious mobilisation, and geopolitical transformation processes. An academic career with a focus on the political development of Turkey after the Cold War and the dynamics of political Islam. The doctoral dissertation examined martyrdom, national identity, religion, and violence in the context of Christianity, Islam, and the history of political ideas. The habilitation expanded this focus to include religion, violence, and migration, with particular attention to contemporary antisemitic discourses and digital propaganda strategies.
Research Experience and Current Projects (Selection):
•Analysis of antisemitic propaganda networks in the Turkish-Muslim discourse following the events of 7 October 2023.
•Powers of Faith in Geopolitics: A comparative study of the religious foreign policy strategies of Turkey and Russia.
•Transformation of Islamism: Research on the ideological realignment of Islamist movements and their integration into nation-state narratives.
Teaching:
Lectureship and research at the University of Vienna, the Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, and Fellow at the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. Integration of legal and political science, ideological critique, sociology of religion, and international relations.
Research:
•Political authoritarianism and legitimacy
•Antisemitism in Islamic and post-secular contexts
•Religion and statehood in the Middle East and Europe
•Political communication, social media, and extremism
Thematic Areas:
•Antisemitic discursive strategies in digital spaces
•Islamist movements and state co-optation
•Religion as a resource of geopolitical projection
•Politics of memory, identity discourses, and the rule of law
Member of several international academic networks.