Biography:

Scott’s research interests revolve around modern Islamist thought as it is manifested by both resurgence and revivalist thinkers operating in Egypt and the Gulf. While Scott’s central focus lies in the study of Qutbian thought, with particular interest in the works of Muhammad Qutb (1919-2014), his work is more generally concerned with the theological underpinning within jihadist culture, especially relating to miracles, martyrdom and, mysticism within battlefield contexts.  

Scott completed his undergraduate education at the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in History, with a minor in political science with a focus on Middle Eastern History (2015). Following that, Scott completed his Master of Arts and Simon Fraser University in History (2017). The topic of Scott’s Masters thesis was to recognize Muhammad Qutb (1919-2014), the younger brother of famed Islamist scholar Sayyid Qutb, as a scholar in his own right, with a body of extant work that remains ignored by western scholars. Currently, Scott is working toward a Doctorate in Philosophy in Religion at Florida State University.

Scott also has an extensive background in the Information Technology industry, working for giants such as Apple, Dell, and IBM in junior to senior roles. Scott also has experience in white glove VIP tech support for the City of Edmonton. In the context of service delivery/management, Scott has extensive experience in managing large teams involved in many contracts and concurrent projects (managing up to 40 people at one time). In the context of project management, Scott has more than 7 years of project management experience and is currently working toward his Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. Finally, Scott has a proven track record in account management for large and medium public sector clients in Western Canada, with proven year over year sales growth in a range of business verticals.

Scotts’ Master Thesis: Finding Muhammad Qutb: Praising ghosts online, a different Qutbian legacy and Islamic revivalism in the Gulf, can be found at the following URL.  

Current Areas of Research: 

Qutbian thought, Transnational Salafism, Islamic Revival in Saudi Arabia, the Social History of Monarchy in Saudi Arabia, Intellectual History of the Ulama in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian Education System, Third-Worldism, Arab Socialism, Non-aligned Movement, Remembering the Future, Islamist "Nostalgia", Libyan Jamahiriya, Irish Republicanism, IRA, The Nation of Islam, Terrorism, History of Violence, Transcendental Subjectivity, Jihadi Mysticism, and New Left Thought.

Education:
PhD (Religion), Florida State University (2021-) (Supervisor Dr. John Kelsay)
MA (History), Simon Fraser University (2015-2017) (Supervisor Paul Sedra)
BA (History), University of Alberta (2011-2015)