Dr Mariam Farida is a Lecturer in Terrorism Studies in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie university. She has also served as researcher and consultant for Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) programs in CSNSW and has become a point of reference for several News channels in matters pertaining the Middle East in general and terrorist networks in particular such as SBS, ABC, and other media channels. Dr Farida’s research interest includes Middle East politics, non-state groups, terrorism, and political violence. Her research has been published in journals such as International Review for Social Research, Journal for Policing, Intelligence, and Counter Terrorism, and Handbook of Terrorist and Insurgent Groups: A Global Survey of Threats, Tactics, and Characteristics.  She is also the author of  Religion and Hezbollah: Political Ideology and Legitimacy (Routledge 2020).