Amarnath Amarasingam

Amarnath Amarasingam is an Assistant Professor in the School of Religion at Queen's University, Canada, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Political Studies and affiliation with the Centre for International and Defence Policy. His research focuses on radicalization, terrorism, diaspora politics, and the sociology of religion, with expertise in Sri Lankan Tamil activism, foreign fighter dynamics, and far-right extremism.

He holds a dual appointment in Political Studies and is affiliated with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (Senior Research Fellow) and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (Associate Fellow). His work bridges academia and public discourse, with contributions to The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and media outlets like CNN and BBC.

Research interests include online extremism, conspiracy theories, post-conflict reconstruction, and the intersection of religion and politics. His recent studies analyze far-right movements in Canada and Sweden during the pandemic, foreign fighter motivations, and extremist narratives in gaming communities. He has conducted fieldwork in conflict zones like Syria, Iraq, and Sri Lanka, and led studies on ISIS recruitment and QAnon conspiracy networks.

Publications span peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes (e.g., Sri Lanka: The Struggle for Peace), and timely analyses of geopolitical issues. His work emphasizes methodological rigor, including interviews with former combatants and extremist groups, while addressing ethical challenges in extremism research.