Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council is one of the most visible Washington think tanks specializing in foreign policy and transatlantic cooperation. Since its founding during the Cold War, the Council has expanded into a global policy institution engaging across security, geopolitics, energy, digital governance, and regional studies. Its work increasingly spans regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, including research on Islam, Islamic law, and Muslim-majority societies.

1. Identification & Metadata

The Atlantic Council of the United States, commonly known as the Atlantic Council, was founded in 1961 as a nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening transatlantic relations (Atlantic Council, n.d.-a). The organization is legally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Internal Revenue Service, 2024). Its headquarters is located at 1030 15th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. (Atlantic Council, 2023a).

According to its 2023/Form 990 filings, the Council reported approximately USD 63.6 million in revenue (ProPublica, 2024). Staff numbers vary yearly, but the Council maintains a large team of full-time staff, resident fellows, and nonresident senior fellows across its centers.

Governance includes a Board of Directors chaired by John F. W. Rogers; other key positions include Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, and Executive Vice Chairs Adrienne Arsht and Stephen J. Hadley (Atlantic Council, n.d.-b). Former staff and fellows frequently move into government roles, including former National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones Jr. (Jones, 2011).

2. Mission, Vision & Organizational Structure

The Atlantic Council’s mission is “shaping the global future together”, and its vision emphasizes sustaining U.S. leadership in partnership with allies to address global challenges (Atlantic Council, 2023a, p. 4).

Its organizational structure (Atlantic Council, 2024) includes 16 programs and centers, such as:

• Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
• Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs
• Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)
• GeoEconomics Center
• Europe Center
• South Asia Center
• Africa Center

Funding model. The 2023 donor “Honor Roll” lists major funders contributing over USD 1 million, including Meta, Goldman Sachs, UAE Embassy, Rockefeller Foundation, Bahaa Hariri, and U.S. government departments such as State and Defense (Atlantic Council, 2023b). The Council states that it does not accept funding from the governments of Russia or China and maintains donor-vetting procedures (Atlantic Council, 2020).

3. Thematic & Methodological Profile

The Atlantic Council conducts policy-oriented research across:

• Transatlantic security
• Geoeconomics and sanctions
• Cybersecurity and disinformation (DFRLab)
• Global energy
• Regional politics, including MENA and South Asia

Work on Islam and Muslim-majority societies is conducted primarily through the Rafik Hariri Center and focuses on Islamic law, human rights, governance, and political Islam (Atlantic Council, 2014). Methodologically, the Council relies on:

• Policy analysis and strategic forecasting
• Expert interviews and convenings
• Data-driven trackers (e.g., sanctions trackers)
• Digital investigative methods (DFRLab) (DFRLab, 2022)

Peer review is limited: outputs are not academic articles but policy briefs and reports vetted internally.

4. Publication & Output Review (Islam/Muslim Affairs)

I. Islam and Sharia Law (Auf, 2013)

A policy brief analyzing how Sharia operates in governance, legal reform, and political discourse, using Egypt as a case study.

• Method: Historical and legal analysis.
• Claim: Ambiguity of Sharia allows political actors to mobilize but complicates governance.
• Peer review: No.
• Access: Public; no dataset.

II. Islamic Law and Human Rights Initiative (Atlantic Council, 2014) A multi-year project bringing Islamic legal scholars and social scientists together to examine human rights violations conducted “in the name of Islam.”

• Method: Expert committees and convenings.
• Peer review: Limited.
• Claim: Accurate assessment of Islamic law requires scholarly—not political—interpretation.

III. Rethinking Human Rights and Islam (Atlantic Council, 2018) Event and publication summarizing a discussion between Islamic legal scholars and human rights experts.

• Method: Panel dialogue.
• Claim: Human rights norms and Islamic traditions require deeper dialogue.
• Access: Public.

IV. Middle East Strategy Papers (various) Hariri Center strategy reports often address Islamist governance, political Islam, and rights debates.

• Method: Policy analysis.
• Peer review: No.

V. DFRLab Investigations on Islamist Extremism Narratives (DFRLab, 2022) Examines digital propaganda, recruitment, and information operations by extremist groups.

• Method: Open-source intelligence (OSINT).
• Claim: Digital ecosystems play a central role in modern extremist mobilization.

5. Policy Impact & Government Use

The Atlantic Council is widely used by U.S. and allied governments:

• Staff regularly testify before U.S. Congress and other legislatures (Atlantic Council, 2023c).
• Its experts brief NATO, EU institutions, and U.S. federal agencies (Atlantic Council, 2023a).
• DFRLab analysis has been cited by the U.S. State Department, European governments, and major media for counter-disinformation policy (DFRLab, 2022).
• U.S. agencies contract or co-fund research, including via the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (Atlantic Council, 2023b).

These engagements reflect the Council's role as an intermediary between scholarship and policy communities.

6. Stakeholder Engagement & Fieldwork Ethics

Engagement with Muslim communities occurs largely through:

• Islamic legal scholars
• Middle East and North Africa civil society partners
• Regional academic institutions

Ethical protocols are not always described publicly, reflecting the Council’s emphasis on convening rather than ethnographic fieldwork. No major ethical scandals related to Muslim-focused research have been documented.

7. Funding & Conflict of Interest Analysis

The Council relies on a diverse mix of government, corporate, and philanthropic funding. Potential conflicts include:

• Defense and security donors possibly influencing security framing.
• Foreign government donors (e.g., UAE) potentially shaping regional narratives.
• Technology companies (e.g., Meta) funding DFRLab, raising concerns about research independence in digital policy.

The Council asserts donor non-interference and publishes donor lists, but does not disclose project-level funding (Atlantic Council, 2020), placing it at moderate transparency.

8. Editorial Independence & Governance Scrutiny

Board members include former senior government officials, raising questions about independence from policy establishments. The Council’s Intellectual Independence Policy asserts that donors cannot dictate findings (Atlantic Council, 2020), but no formal external peer-review system exists. Retraction policies are not public.

9. Academic Critique

• Epistemic Rigor

The Council excels at rapid policy analysis but lacks academic transparency standards such as open data or peer review.

• Normative Framing

Muslim-related issues are generally framed in terms of governance, human rights, and security, reflecting liberal-internationalist assumptions.

• Bias & Positionality

Its institutional orientation aligns with U.S. and allied strategic perspectives, potentially shaping regional interpretations and policy recommendations.

• Policy vs. Academic Rigor

Speed and influence often take precedence over methodological depth.

• Ethical Considerations

Minimal risk in convening-based work, but limited clarity on data handling.

• Contribution

Its value lies in policy influence, strategic framing, and convenings, not in academic theory-building.

10. Controversies & Responses

Scholars and journalists have criticized the Atlantic Council for heavy reliance on foreign government donors (Lipton & Williams, 2016). The Council responded by strengthening donor-vetting procedures and publishing an Intellectual Independence Policy (Atlantic Council, 2020). No retractions or scandals concerning Muslim-related research were identified.

11. Comparative Positioning

Compared to:

I. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) – More academically oriented via Foreign Affairs, but less data-driven.

II. European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) – Stronger within Europe; less global reach. The Atlantic Council stands out for global footprint, government access, and digital forensics capability.

12. Recommendations

For Researchers and Policymakers

• Require methodological appendices for sensitive religious topics.
• Encourage publication of data/code.
• Strengthen field partnerships with Muslim-majority countries.
• Governments should treat Atlantic Council outputs as one input, not definitive scholarship.

13. Appendices / Evidence Annex (abbreviated)

Includes annual reports (Atlantic Council 2023a, 2024), donor lists (Atlantic Council, 2023b), issue briefs (Auf, 2013), DFRLab investigations (2022), and board listings (Atlantic Council, n.d.-b).