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Average Mohamed Counter-Extremism Cartoons

United States (targeting global Somali diaspora), North America / Multi-Regional

Average Mohamed is a counter-extremism cartoon series created by Mohamed Ahmed, a Somali-American gas station manager in Minneapolis. The cartoons target youth aged 8-16 with messages of peace, democracy, and anti-extremism, using Islamic theology to rebut extremist interpretations. Ahmed voices the cheerful Average Mohamed character himself, producing low-budget videos (USD 1,000-3,000 each) that directly respond to ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda. The series includes videos like Flames of Hell (rebutting ISISs Flames of War) and has reached hundreds of thousands via YouTube. Ahmed conducts outreach in schools, mosques, and madrasas across Minneapolis - a city that has seen more Americans attempt to join ISIS than any other US location.

Behavior Goal

Counter extremist recruitment of Muslim youth through Islamic theological counter-narratives and positive alternative messaging

Methods & Approaches

Counter-Narrative Campaigns

Implementers & Partners

  • Average Mohamed (Mohamed Ahmed)
  • Community volunteers

Donors & Sponsors

  • Small grants
  • Individual donors
  • US Department of State engagement

Key Takeaways

  • 1Uses Islamic theology to directly rebut extremist interpretations
  • 2Low-budget production (USD 1,000-3,000 per video) demonstrates scalability
  • 3Targets 8-16 year olds - prime recruitment age
  • 4Average Mohamed character represents the 99% of peaceful Muslims
  • 5Direct response videos to ISIS propaganda (e.g., Flames of Hell)
  • 6School/mosque outreach complements online content

Sources

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