In the Skin of a Jihadist

A Young Journalist Enters the ISIS Recruitment Network

By: Anna Erelle, Erin Potter

Narrated by: uncredited

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.

CAPTIVATING, Addicting !!!

This story was introduced to me bc of the movie “profile” I just had to learn more and I am so glad I bought this book. I binged the entire thing in one day because I couldn’t put it down. The writer of this story is not only an amazingly intelligent women, but also fascinating to listen too. She give you her inner monologue when she is inside the mind of “Melody.” Plus learning more about ISIS and their insane beliefs was fascinating. I loved how she pointed out how some of the quotes the mentioned were from Karl Marx and had a super good understanding of communism, Marxism, socialism, capitalism etc. Her knowledge captivated me. We need more journalists like her in this world. Thank you for putting your life on line to expose what those awful men were doing.

I loved this book

This book was so good I really enjoyed it. I decided to get this book after seeing the movie, and it was so worth it. This book was so detailed and really answered the a lot of the questions that the movie left me with. I could not stop reading.

Great Listen

Left me wanting more. Fortunately, there was no negative outcome.

A link analysis chart would add much to all the characters.

So creepy.

Very vivid picture, and description of how these monsters are trained to be master manipulaters. And in reading this I thought it read like a novel, but the tragic part is that it is a true story. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Riveting. Couldn’t put it down

Got this book after I watched the movie The Profile. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this book. I can’t imagine the stress she went through.