Agent of change : my life fighting terrorists, spies, and institutional racism

A spy’s struggle for belonging – foiled by workplace misogyny and Islamophobia – and her ultimate success as a whistleblower, pushing the envelope on culture change. Huda Mukbil shares her experiences as a Black Arab-Canadian Muslim intelligence officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Her dazzling account reveals how racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia undermine not only individuals, but institutions and the national interest – and how addressing this can tackle populism and misinformation. In Agent of Change Huda Mukbil takes us behind the curtain of a leading spy agency during a fraught time, recounting her experiences as an intelligence officer for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Mukbil was the first Black Arab-Canadian Muslim woman to join CSIS and was at the forefront of the fight against terrorism after 9/11. Mukbil's mastery of four languages quickly made her a counterterrorism expert and a uniquely valuable asset to the organization. But as she worked with colleagues to confront new international threats, she also struggled for acceptance and recognition at the agency. Following the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the rise of homegrown extremism, Mukbil was framed as an inside threat. Determined to prove her loyalty, while equally concerned about the surveillance and profiling of Muslims and revelations of Western agencies' torture and torture by proxy, Mukbil started to question CSIS's fluctuating ethical stance in relation to its mandate. Her stellar work on a secondment to MI5, the British Security Service, earned commendation; this shielded her, but only temporarily, from the hostile workplace culture at CSIS. Ultimately, Mukbil and a group of colleagues went public about the pervasive institutional discrimination undermining CSIS and national security from within. Mukbil's expertise in international security and her commitment to workplace transparency drove important changes at CSIS. Dazzlingly written, her account is an eye-opener for anyone wanting to understand how racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia undermine not only individuals, but institutions and the national interest – and how addressing this openly can tackle populism and misinformation. "In Agent of Change, Huda Mukbil, a Black Arab-Canadian Muslim, chronicles her life as an intelligence officer in Canada's lead spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Mukbil was at forefront of the fight against terrorism after 9/11, and the first such woman to join CSIS. Her mastery of five languages, to say nothing of her subject position, quickly made her a counterrorism expert and a unique and valuable contributor to the organization. She provides a riveting account of her struggle for belonging and acceptance in an agency dominated by former RCMP and police officers, and her confrontation of the new international terrorist threat. In July 2005, she was given a chance to prove her worth when she was called upon by the British Security Service, MI5, to contribute, at the highest level, to its investigations of the terrorist attacks in London. Dazzlingly written, her is an eye-opener for anyone wanting to understand how racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia undermine not only individuals, but institutions and the national interest."-- Provided by publisher Cover AGENT OF CHANGE Title Copyright Dedication Contents Abbreviations Prologue 1 Exile 2 A Thousand Minarets 3 Remembrance Day 4 Rebel Girl 5 The Pitch 6 Recruitment 7 Raison d’être 8 Officer in Training 9 Sunni Islamic Extremism 10 First through the Door 11 Operation Crevice 12 Loyalty 13 London 14 The Canadian Spy 15 Toronto Region 16 Marital Status 17 Common Ground 18 Official Complaints and Repercussions 19 Lean In 20 Security Screening 21 Fight-or-Flight 22 Don’t Be a Martyr Afterword Acknowledgments Notes