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The Messenger

By: Shiv Malik
Narrated by: Shiv Malik
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  • Summary

  • When investigative journalist Shiv Malik was betrayed by a source he considered a friend, he spent almost fifteen years tracking down the truth about what happened. The Messenger is an extraordinary audio tale of friendship, lies, betrayal, terrorism, the destruction of a marriage, and the insidiousness of fake news long before it went viral. In the wake of the 7/7 London bombings, Shiv Malik began working for the BBC to discover how young South Asian men like him had turned into suicide bombers. That's when he met notorious Islamist spokesman Hassan Butt, who told Shiv that he'd repented and left al-Qaeda. Hassan wanted Shiv to write his biography, and Shiv thought he'd found the biggest story of his life—a story that would help to change the world for the better. Little did he know that Hassan Butt would almost destroy his life. Over the next three years, Shiv and Hassan became friends, until one day there was a knock on the door from police investigators and everything fell apart. In eight revealing episodes, featuring Shiv's own audio recordings of his conversations with Hassan, Shiv searches for where he can place his trust: in the reams of evidence, in the cops, in a terrorist who swears he's changed, or in a friend who has no one else to turn to? Produced by Topic Studios.
    ©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC
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Episodes
  • Episode 1: The Charming Jihadist

    Episode 1: The Charming Jihadist
    Nov 5 2020
    In the aftermath of 9/11 and the 7/7 London bombings, journalists were desperate to explain why young British Asian men were apparently turning against the country of their birth. Ambitious young reporter Shiv Malik prided himself on being able to persuade them to open up to him. Then he met Hassan Butt, one of the most notorious spokesman for Islamic terrorism in the UK. Hassan told Shiv he now denounced violence and asked Shiv to help him write a book to help others leave the terrorist network.
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    28 mins
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  • Episode 2: How to Make A Terrorist

    Episode 2: How to Make A Terrorist
    Nov 5 2020
    Shiv spends hundreds of hours recording conversations with Hassan in his small house near Manchester in the north of England to try and find out what it was that made Hassan the voice of violent Islamist idealogy. Hassan shares personal secrets and Shiv discovers they have more in common than he thought.
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    26 mins
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  • Episode 3: How to Be A Terrorist

    Episode 3: How to Be A Terrorist
    Nov 5 2020
    Hassan tells Shiv about how he moved to Pakistan and got deeper into the terrorist network. After 9/11, Hassan starts to meet some of America’s most wanted men and glories at being at the center of global attention. Then he gets involved in a bomb plot in Pakistan and tells Shiv that that’s when everything changed.
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    21 mins
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True Crime
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What listeners say about The Messenger

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Roisin

A Great Listen!

Really enjoyed this audio, its rather a gripping story and nicely read. Takes you into an altogether other world.

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1 person found this helpful

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Profile Image for Roshan Salih

Don't believe anything you hear in the media

Engaging podcast about how one man conned the mainstream media. Tip of the iceberg in my view. The whole Iraq war was based on journos spewing lies too.

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Profile Image for mrs samantha l craig

Gripped from start to end.

excellent, highly recommend. Compelling story and well narrated by the writer who gives an incredibly honest, meaningful and soul bearing account of his journey into this investigation of twists and turns. Couldn't break away once I had started. Good job its Saturday.

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7 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for C. Carruthers

Yes its good

But i feel like the author all the way through is making it seem like he never did anything wrong and the whole world and his wife were all to blame. I just don't have so much sympathy for him . but its an interesting story

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Profile Image for S.Birkinshaw

The messenger DELIVERS

As an audio book the storyteller is all important this is very well read and knowing it to be a true story keeps your interest all the way through the dramatic music running through at times makes all the difference give it a go well worth your time!

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Profile Image for Ms. Vanessa W

Unwinding

Got to love an unwind story with unwind expected twists and turns. Would love more podcasts like this.

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Profile Image for Robert Jenkinson

Amazing story.

Really good. I feel so much sympathy for Mr Malik. Gripped from start to finish.

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Profile Image for Sherry Malik

Reads like a top notch spy thriller

Gripping listen! Page turner - I mean episode turner!!
Based on the book by the same name this is a must for anyone who liked a good story!!

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Profile Image for Lashlover

fascinating, infuriating and gripping

gripping podcast that I binge listened to (it's 2.28 am and I've got to be up at 6am) but Shiv deserves this. a beautifully crafted tale of intrigue, manipulation, narcissism and attention seeking. the toll it appears to have taken was too great a price for the character portrayed to us, who's nothing more than a loser in every regard. wishing you and your loved ones all the best shiv. highly recommended listening. off to buy the book now 👌🏻

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Profile Image for james

A gripping investigation into the role of truth

A real global terror, real personal tragedies. In a world where everything we feel safe about is based on the stories we want to believe. The Messenger is a must read for anyone interested in what truth is when it walks beside global terror and everyone seeks to exploit it. Utterly engrossing.

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