Noorhaidi Hasan
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
Using the backdrop of the bloody communal warfare between Muslims and Christians that erupted in the islands of the Moluccas in the eastern part of Indonesia in January 1999, this chapter examines ...
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Using the backdrop of the bloody communal warfare between Muslims and Christians that erupted in the islands of the Moluccas in the eastern part of Indonesia in January 1999, this chapter examines why thousands of young men, roughly half of whom were university students and graduates between 20 and 35 years old, were so eager to welcome the call for jihad and to risk their lives by venturing to the front lines to fight against Christians. In what way does their collective activism reflect a process of cultural interactions between the local and the global, the hegemonic and the subaltern, and the center and the periphery? It is argued that the determination of Salafi youths to join Laskar Jihad to fight in the Moluccas is more a form of rational choice in their attempt to negotiate identity, and thus claim dignity. Their acts can be conceptualized as drama, a sort of performative practice of youths to demonstrate, in the face of powerful opponents, a hitherto marginalized power and to challenge the hegemonic global order.Less
Using the backdrop of the bloody communal warfare between Muslims and Christians that erupted in the islands of the Moluccas in the eastern part of Indonesia in January 1999, this chapter examines why thousands of young men, roughly half of whom were university students and graduates between 20 and 35 years old, were so eager to welcome the call for jihad and to risk their lives by venturing to the front lines to fight against Christians. In what way does their collective activism reflect a process of cultural interactions between the local and the global, the hegemonic and the subaltern, and the center and the periphery? It is argued that the determination of Salafi youths to join Laskar Jihad to fight in the Moluccas is more a form of rational choice in their attempt to negotiate identity, and thus claim dignity. Their acts can be conceptualized as drama, a sort of performative practice of youths to demonstrate, in the face of powerful opponents, a hitherto marginalized power and to challenge the hegemonic global order.
Yezid Sayigh
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296430
- eISBN:
- 9780191685224
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296430.003.0026
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
There had been numerous demonstrations and confrontations during the year 1987, the latest in response to the death of four members of the little-known Islamic Jihad. The occupied territories were ...
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There had been numerous demonstrations and confrontations during the year 1987, the latest in response to the death of four members of the little-known Islamic Jihad. The occupied territories were again electrified on 25 November, when a lone PF-GC guerrilla flew over the Lebanese-Israeli border in a motorized hang-glider and killed six soldiers, and wounded seven at an IDF camp near Kiryat Shmona before being killed himself. To the highly visible threat of Israeli encroachment was added the effect of Israeli policies since 1967 on the local economy. In short, the patterns and skills of revolt were already in place by the start of the intifada. Although the spread of education and unemployment were necessary conditions for rising nationalism in the occupied territories, they did not predetermine political leadership, organizational structure, or ideological preference.Less
There had been numerous demonstrations and confrontations during the year 1987, the latest in response to the death of four members of the little-known Islamic Jihad. The occupied territories were again electrified on 25 November, when a lone PF-GC guerrilla flew over the Lebanese-Israeli border in a motorized hang-glider and killed six soldiers, and wounded seven at an IDF camp near Kiryat Shmona before being killed himself. To the highly visible threat of Israeli encroachment was added the effect of Israeli policies since 1967 on the local economy. In short, the patterns and skills of revolt were already in place by the start of the intifada. Although the spread of education and unemployment were necessary conditions for rising nationalism in the occupied territories, they did not predetermine political leadership, organizational structure, or ideological preference.
Abdulaziz Sachedina
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195139914
- eISBN:
- 9780199848935
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195139914.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
In Muslim culture, the restoration of relationships has traditionally required some measure of retribution, tempered with pardon. The Koran and the Tradition have treated retribution as a ...
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In Muslim culture, the restoration of relationships has traditionally required some measure of retribution, tempered with pardon. The Koran and the Tradition have treated retribution as a prerequisite for restoration. In creating and maintaining relationships that would lead to a just society, the principle of coexistence among individuals and communities requires Muslims to rediscover and implement a missing dimension in a political society: restoration through forgiveness and compassion. In spite of its emphasis on forbearance and forgiveness, the Koran permits the use of force under specific circumstance in keeping with pre-Islamic Arab tribal culture, which had institutionalized the military to defend tribal security. In introducing the injunction legitimizing the limited use of force through the instrumentality of jihad, the Koran was thus responding to moral-religious and political conditions prevalent in 7th-century Arabia.Less
In Muslim culture, the restoration of relationships has traditionally required some measure of retribution, tempered with pardon. The Koran and the Tradition have treated retribution as a prerequisite for restoration. In creating and maintaining relationships that would lead to a just society, the principle of coexistence among individuals and communities requires Muslims to rediscover and implement a missing dimension in a political society: restoration through forgiveness and compassion. In spite of its emphasis on forbearance and forgiveness, the Koran permits the use of force under specific circumstance in keeping with pre-Islamic Arab tribal culture, which had institutionalized the military to defend tribal security. In introducing the injunction legitimizing the limited use of force through the instrumentality of jihad, the Koran was thus responding to moral-religious and political conditions prevalent in 7th-century Arabia.
John France
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199693627
- eISBN:
- 9780191741258
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693627.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The great age of crusading in the Middle East, from 1095 to 1291, witnessed a collision between peoples inspired by rival religions, each of which had its own conception of Holy War. Crusading was ...
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The great age of crusading in the Middle East, from 1095 to 1291, witnessed a collision between peoples inspired by rival religions, each of which had its own conception of Holy War. Crusading was the sole reason the Latins had arrived in the East. For the Muslims, Jihad was a sacred duty which their alien elite used to bond the diverse peoples of the area to their rule. Contemporaries correctly noted that there was a special asperity in such warfare. In the great contest in the Middle East from 1095 to 1291 terrible things happened, but they happened in all wars, and even in the crusades surrender and capitulation were possible, albeit beset with difficulties. This was because neither side had the means to conduct unremitting warfare. Moreover members of the ruling classes on both sides wanted to be spared in the event of defeat or capture.Less
The great age of crusading in the Middle East, from 1095 to 1291, witnessed a collision between peoples inspired by rival religions, each of which had its own conception of Holy War. Crusading was the sole reason the Latins had arrived in the East. For the Muslims, Jihad was a sacred duty which their alien elite used to bond the diverse peoples of the area to their rule. Contemporaries correctly noted that there was a special asperity in such warfare. In the great contest in the Middle East from 1095 to 1291 terrible things happened, but they happened in all wars, and even in the crusades surrender and capitulation were possible, albeit beset with difficulties. This was because neither side had the means to conduct unremitting warfare. Moreover members of the ruling classes on both sides wanted to be spared in the event of defeat or capture.
Carole Hillenbrand
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748625727
- eISBN:
- 9780748671359
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748625727.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter gives translations of Muslim accounts of the battle of Manzikert dating from the thirteenth century. All these narratives are in Arabic; some of them are written in ornate style. The ...
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This chapter gives translations of Muslim accounts of the battle of Manzikert dating from the thirteenth century. All these narratives are in Arabic; some of them are written in ornate style. The authors come from Central Asia, Iraq and Syria. Their accounts of the battle are presented in roughly chronological order. Each of these translations is accompanied by a detailed commentary, analysing their content, style and the specific context in which the author is writing.Less
This chapter gives translations of Muslim accounts of the battle of Manzikert dating from the thirteenth century. All these narratives are in Arabic; some of them are written in ornate style. The authors come from Central Asia, Iraq and Syria. Their accounts of the battle are presented in roughly chronological order. Each of these translations is accompanied by a detailed commentary, analysing their content, style and the specific context in which the author is writing.
Sherman A. Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780300196771
- eISBN:
- 9780300211061
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300196771.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter places the Gamā‘ah’s renunciation of political violence in historical context, including the evolution of the group itself, its key members, its ideological profile and organizational ...
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This chapter places the Gamā‘ah’s renunciation of political violence in historical context, including the evolution of the group itself, its key members, its ideological profile and organizational structure. It goes on to examine the reaction to the announcement to renounce violence, both within and without the Gamā‘ah, and the Gamā‘ah’s efforts to overcome these obstacles, including its exchanges with the blind Shaykh ‘Umar ‘Abd al-Raḥmān. It also includes a detailed analysis of the group’s sharī‘ah-justifications for its new position and some of the implications of that position, including the critique of radical jihadism overall and al-Qā‘idah. The Introduction also discusses the likely impact of the Gamā‘ah’s renunciation and its possible significance for Western observers and analysts.Less
This chapter places the Gamā‘ah’s renunciation of political violence in historical context, including the evolution of the group itself, its key members, its ideological profile and organizational structure. It goes on to examine the reaction to the announcement to renounce violence, both within and without the Gamā‘ah, and the Gamā‘ah’s efforts to overcome these obstacles, including its exchanges with the blind Shaykh ‘Umar ‘Abd al-Raḥmān. It also includes a detailed analysis of the group’s sharī‘ah-justifications for its new position and some of the implications of that position, including the critique of radical jihadism overall and al-Qā‘idah. The Introduction also discusses the likely impact of the Gamā‘ah’s renunciation and its possible significance for Western observers and analysts.
Mustafa Aksakal
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199755042
- eISBN:
- 9780199950508
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199755042.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter examines the role jihad played in Ottoman war- and peace-making from the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774 to the Ottoman entry into World War I in late October 1914. During the “long ...
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This chapter examines the role jihad played in Ottoman war- and peace-making from the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774 to the Ottoman entry into World War I in late October 1914. During the “long nineteenth century” the Ottoman state utilized and developed the principles of jihad in ways that acknowledged new strictures in their relations with Europe. These strictures had put the Ottomans squarely on the defensive, and the call for religious solidarity in times of war became both a tool for mobilization and a mainstay of self-perception. At the same time, European powers beginning to tap into the geostrategic and commercial importance of the Middle East in the age of imperialism viewed jihad as a major threat that could unite Muslims worldwide and undermine Europe’s global reach. Both of these issues came together in a dramatic way in the Jihad Proclamation issued by the Ottoman government in November 1914.Less
This chapter examines the role jihad played in Ottoman war- and peace-making from the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774 to the Ottoman entry into World War I in late October 1914. During the “long nineteenth century” the Ottoman state utilized and developed the principles of jihad in ways that acknowledged new strictures in their relations with Europe. These strictures had put the Ottomans squarely on the defensive, and the call for religious solidarity in times of war became both a tool for mobilization and a mainstay of self-perception. At the same time, European powers beginning to tap into the geostrategic and commercial importance of the Middle East in the age of imperialism viewed jihad as a major threat that could unite Muslims worldwide and undermine Europe’s global reach. Both of these issues came together in a dramatic way in the Jihad Proclamation issued by the Ottoman government in November 1914.
Gary R. Bunt
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781469643168
- eISBN:
- 9781469643182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469643168.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter introduces concepts associated with electronic jihad and their articulation within cyberspace. It draws on explorations of electronic jihad in diverse international settings, and ...
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This chapter introduces concepts associated with electronic jihad and their articulation within cyberspace. It draws on explorations of electronic jihad in diverse international settings, and includes a case study of an al-Qaeda online magazine. The chapter looks at the different ways in which technology has been integrated into campaigns.Less
This chapter introduces concepts associated with electronic jihad and their articulation within cyberspace. It draws on explorations of electronic jihad in diverse international settings, and includes a case study of an al-Qaeda online magazine. The chapter looks at the different ways in which technology has been integrated into campaigns.
Gary R. Bunt
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781469643168
- eISBN:
- 9781469643182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469643168.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter discusses the emergence of ‘Islamic State’ and their application of social media in order to promote their activities. This was integral to the development of IS, which integrated and ...
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This chapter discusses the emergence of ‘Islamic State’ and their application of social media in order to promote their activities. This was integral to the development of IS, which integrated and recorded its message for recruitment and propagation purposes. The chapter also explores how this viewpoint was contested online.Less
This chapter discusses the emergence of ‘Islamic State’ and their application of social media in order to promote their activities. This was integral to the development of IS, which integrated and recorded its message for recruitment and propagation purposes. The chapter also explores how this viewpoint was contested online.
Edward Ziter
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199586196
- eISBN:
- 9780191728754
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586196.003.0016
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The well-known Syrian star of film and television, Jihad Saad, staged Antigone's Emigration in 2006 to a packed audience at the Damascus International Theatre Festival. The play — which literally ...
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The well-known Syrian star of film and television, Jihad Saad, staged Antigone's Emigration in 2006 to a packed audience at the Damascus International Theatre Festival. The play — which literally depicts a woman persecuted and forced into flight by war between two brothers — was performed in a city reeling from an influx of Iraqi refugees as the result of violence between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. Using the line ‘who has no homeland has no grave in the earth’, this chapter focuses on the way the production depicted ‘authority's violent displacement of its opponents, systematically erasing any memory of resistance from the homeland and any memory of the homeland from those who resist’. It argues that the production implicitly transforms Antigone into a searing analysis of violence in the Arab world and its effects on women.Less
The well-known Syrian star of film and television, Jihad Saad, staged Antigone's Emigration in 2006 to a packed audience at the Damascus International Theatre Festival. The play — which literally depicts a woman persecuted and forced into flight by war between two brothers — was performed in a city reeling from an influx of Iraqi refugees as the result of violence between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. Using the line ‘who has no homeland has no grave in the earth’, this chapter focuses on the way the production depicted ‘authority's violent displacement of its opponents, systematically erasing any memory of resistance from the homeland and any memory of the homeland from those who resist’. It argues that the production implicitly transforms Antigone into a searing analysis of violence in the Arab world and its effects on women.
James Toth
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199790883
- eISBN:
- 9780199332601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199790883.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
Chapter seven investigates three of Qutb’s most key concepts – the condition of Islamic ignorance, jahiliyya, the vision of God’s dominion, hakimiyya, and the process of going from one to the other, ...
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Chapter seven investigates three of Qutb’s most key concepts – the condition of Islamic ignorance, jahiliyya, the vision of God’s dominion, hakimiyya, and the process of going from one to the other, jihad – viewing them as vital parts of the revitalization approach to social movements introduced in chapter one. Jahiliyya means ignorance of Islam, either from before the Prophet Muhammad or, more recently, caused by secularism. It constitutes a critique of economic, political, social, and cultural modernity. Hakimiyya represents the goals the Islamic movement wishes to achieve. It is also elaborated in the remaining chapters, as the book examines the Islamic system, economy, and state. Jihad, or struggle, moves the umma community from jahiliyya to hakimiyya. There are three standard types, jihad of the heart, tongue, and hand. Qutb added a fourth, a jihad of the sword. Two other abstractions are discussed: the Islamic spirit – the determination of Muslims to achieve perfection – and the Islamic method – a more comprehensive strategic approach in contrast to the quotidian tactics of jihad.Less
Chapter seven investigates three of Qutb’s most key concepts – the condition of Islamic ignorance, jahiliyya, the vision of God’s dominion, hakimiyya, and the process of going from one to the other, jihad – viewing them as vital parts of the revitalization approach to social movements introduced in chapter one. Jahiliyya means ignorance of Islam, either from before the Prophet Muhammad or, more recently, caused by secularism. It constitutes a critique of economic, political, social, and cultural modernity. Hakimiyya represents the goals the Islamic movement wishes to achieve. It is also elaborated in the remaining chapters, as the book examines the Islamic system, economy, and state. Jihad, or struggle, moves the umma community from jahiliyya to hakimiyya. There are three standard types, jihad of the heart, tongue, and hand. Qutb added a fourth, a jihad of the sword. Two other abstractions are discussed: the Islamic spirit – the determination of Muslims to achieve perfection – and the Islamic method – a more comprehensive strategic approach in contrast to the quotidian tactics of jihad.
Dina Al Raffie
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781526105813
- eISBN:
- 9781526135988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526105813.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
The Arab Republic of Egypt has a long history of battling jihadism in the region, and as such presents an interesting case study of counter-terrorism (CT) practices in a non-Western setting. Contrary ...
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The Arab Republic of Egypt has a long history of battling jihadism in the region, and as such presents an interesting case study of counter-terrorism (CT) practices in a non-Western setting. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that reduces the Egyptian state's response to the indiscriminate use of repressive measures, the current case study offers a more nuanced analysis of Egyptian state responses to terrorism that spans the country's history since its independence. Despite repressive measures constituting the backbone of Egyptian state responses to terrorism, their use is much more strategic than is often implied in the literature. As this chapter will demonstrate, a comprehensive CT approach including select soft measures does exist in Egypt, albeit with the goal of maintaining regime interests, as opposed to necessarily eliminating the phenomenon. On the contrary, the analysis that follows suggests that regime longevity is highly dependent on the existence of an extremist opposition, and that a strategy of extremism in moderation is perhaps the most prominent, underlying strategic trend that has emerged from Egyptian CT state practices over the past six decades.Less
The Arab Republic of Egypt has a long history of battling jihadism in the region, and as such presents an interesting case study of counter-terrorism (CT) practices in a non-Western setting. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that reduces the Egyptian state's response to the indiscriminate use of repressive measures, the current case study offers a more nuanced analysis of Egyptian state responses to terrorism that spans the country's history since its independence. Despite repressive measures constituting the backbone of Egyptian state responses to terrorism, their use is much more strategic than is often implied in the literature. As this chapter will demonstrate, a comprehensive CT approach including select soft measures does exist in Egypt, albeit with the goal of maintaining regime interests, as opposed to necessarily eliminating the phenomenon. On the contrary, the analysis that follows suggests that regime longevity is highly dependent on the existence of an extremist opposition, and that a strategy of extremism in moderation is perhaps the most prominent, underlying strategic trend that has emerged from Egyptian CT state practices over the past six decades.
Roel Meijer
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781526105813
- eISBN:
- 9781526135988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526105813.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism strategy of the first decade on the twenty first century has been widely acclaimed as highly successful and presented as an example for other Muslim countries. The ...
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Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism strategy of the first decade on the twenty first century has been widely acclaimed as highly successful and presented as an example for other Muslim countries. The strategy was developed after the bomb attacks of AlQaida on the Arabian Peninsula in 2003. The program is however deeply religious and is based on the reconversion of terrorists from a Jihadi-Salafism to a quietist and law abiding version of Salafism. The chapter goes into the religious terminology Saudi counter-terrorism program by labelling terrorism as religious “deviation,” radicals as people who have been led by their “passions” and are no longer rational and have diverted form the “middle way”. The article also shows how prominent religious scholars have become deeply involved in the state counter-terrorism program of “intellectual security”.Less
Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism strategy of the first decade on the twenty first century has been widely acclaimed as highly successful and presented as an example for other Muslim countries. The strategy was developed after the bomb attacks of AlQaida on the Arabian Peninsula in 2003. The program is however deeply religious and is based on the reconversion of terrorists from a Jihadi-Salafism to a quietist and law abiding version of Salafism. The chapter goes into the religious terminology Saudi counter-terrorism program by labelling terrorism as religious “deviation,” radicals as people who have been led by their “passions” and are no longer rational and have diverted form the “middle way”. The article also shows how prominent religious scholars have become deeply involved in the state counter-terrorism program of “intellectual security”.
Eugene Rogan
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780197266045
- eISBN:
- 9780191851452
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266045.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
The Ottoman Empire, under pressure from its ally Germany, declared a jihad shortly after entering the First World War. The move was calculated to rouse Muslims in the British, French and Russian ...
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The Ottoman Empire, under pressure from its ally Germany, declared a jihad shortly after entering the First World War. The move was calculated to rouse Muslims in the British, French and Russian empires to rebellion. Dismissed at the time and since as a ‘jihad made in Germany’, the Ottoman attempt to turn the Great War into a holy war failed to provoke mass revolt in any part of the Muslim world. Yet, as German Orientalists predicted, the mere threat of such a rebellion, particularly in British India, was enough to force Britain and its allies to divert scarce manpower and materiel away from the main theatre of operations in the Western Front to the Ottoman front. The deepening of Britain’s engagement in the Middle Eastern theatre of war across the four years of World War I can be attributed in large part to combating the threat of jihad.Less
The Ottoman Empire, under pressure from its ally Germany, declared a jihad shortly after entering the First World War. The move was calculated to rouse Muslims in the British, French and Russian empires to rebellion. Dismissed at the time and since as a ‘jihad made in Germany’, the Ottoman attempt to turn the Great War into a holy war failed to provoke mass revolt in any part of the Muslim world. Yet, as German Orientalists predicted, the mere threat of such a rebellion, particularly in British India, was enough to force Britain and its allies to divert scarce manpower and materiel away from the main theatre of operations in the Western Front to the Ottoman front. The deepening of Britain’s engagement in the Middle Eastern theatre of war across the four years of World War I can be attributed in large part to combating the threat of jihad.
Manlio Graziano
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780231174626
- eISBN:
- 9780231543910
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231174626.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter presents some of the more common misunderstandings about Islam
This chapter presents some of the more common misunderstandings about Islam
Donald Holbrook
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190856441
- eISBN:
- 9780190942939
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190856441.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Conflict Politics and Policy
On 16 June 2011, three days before his sixtieth birthday, Ayman al-Zawahiri was declared the new leader of Al-Qaeda, replacing the fallen Osama bin Laden. The veteran Egyptian jihadist had little of ...
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On 16 June 2011, three days before his sixtieth birthday, Ayman al-Zawahiri was declared the new leader of Al-Qaeda, replacing the fallen Osama bin Laden. The veteran Egyptian jihadist had little of his predecessor's charisma and enjoyed much less popularity, respect and celebrity. Yet, as scores of jihadi commanders from different organizations have succumbed to their enemies' missiles, bombs and bullets, Zawahiri has soldiered on. His tenure as Al-Qaeda's leader has been marked by some of its darkest and most challenging moments, which have threatened the viability and future of Al-Qaeda's central leadership. The gravest such development has been the emergence of Islamic State as a separate and rival jihadist entity. The best way to gauge Zawahiri's response to these threats is by studying the official statements and public communiqués that he has issued since taking the reins. This book provides the reader with professional translations of Zawahiri's key statements during his first five years as leader of Al-Qaeda. These official communications are introduced and contextualized to provide the reader with a comprehensive sourcebook, outlining the Al-Qaeda leadership's stance on the challenges to its existence since the death of bin Laden.Less
On 16 June 2011, three days before his sixtieth birthday, Ayman al-Zawahiri was declared the new leader of Al-Qaeda, replacing the fallen Osama bin Laden. The veteran Egyptian jihadist had little of his predecessor's charisma and enjoyed much less popularity, respect and celebrity. Yet, as scores of jihadi commanders from different organizations have succumbed to their enemies' missiles, bombs and bullets, Zawahiri has soldiered on. His tenure as Al-Qaeda's leader has been marked by some of its darkest and most challenging moments, which have threatened the viability and future of Al-Qaeda's central leadership. The gravest such development has been the emergence of Islamic State as a separate and rival jihadist entity. The best way to gauge Zawahiri's response to these threats is by studying the official statements and public communiqués that he has issued since taking the reins. This book provides the reader with professional translations of Zawahiri's key statements during his first five years as leader of Al-Qaeda. These official communications are introduced and contextualized to provide the reader with a comprehensive sourcebook, outlining the Al-Qaeda leadership's stance on the challenges to its existence since the death of bin Laden.
Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- February 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190908744
- eISBN:
- 9780190943264
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190908744.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Conflict Politics and Policy
Who are the Taliban? Are they a militant movement? Are they religious scholars? The fact that these and other questions are still raised with frequency is testimony to the way the movement has been ...
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Who are the Taliban? Are they a militant movement? Are they religious scholars? The fact that these and other questions are still raised with frequency is testimony to the way the movement has been studied, often at arm’s length and with scant use of primary sources. The Taliban Reader forges a new path, bringing together an extensive range of largely unseen sources in a guide to the Afghan Islamist movement from a unique insider perspective. Ideal for students, journalists and scholars alike, this book is the result of an unprecedented, decade-long effort to encourage the emergence of participant-centered accounts of Afghan history. This ground-breaking collection, ranging from news articles and opinion pieces to online publications and poems transcribed by hand in the field, sets the stage for a recalibration of how we understand and study the Afghan Taliban. It challenges researchers to forge new norms in the documentation of conflict and provides insight into the future trajectory of political Islamism in South Asia and the Middle East.Less
Who are the Taliban? Are they a militant movement? Are they religious scholars? The fact that these and other questions are still raised with frequency is testimony to the way the movement has been studied, often at arm’s length and with scant use of primary sources. The Taliban Reader forges a new path, bringing together an extensive range of largely unseen sources in a guide to the Afghan Islamist movement from a unique insider perspective. Ideal for students, journalists and scholars alike, this book is the result of an unprecedented, decade-long effort to encourage the emergence of participant-centered accounts of Afghan history. This ground-breaking collection, ranging from news articles and opinion pieces to online publications and poems transcribed by hand in the field, sets the stage for a recalibration of how we understand and study the Afghan Taliban. It challenges researchers to forge new norms in the documentation of conflict and provides insight into the future trajectory of political Islamism in South Asia and the Middle East.
Simon Staffell and Akil Awan (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190650292
- eISBN:
- 9780190686499
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190650292.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
Jihadist narratives have evolved dramatically over the past five years, driven by momentous events in the Middle East and beyond; the death of bin Laden; the rise and ultimate failure of the Arab ...
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Jihadist narratives have evolved dramatically over the past five years, driven by momentous events in the Middle East and beyond; the death of bin Laden; the rise and ultimate failure of the Arab Spring; and most notably, the rise of the so-called Islamic State. For many years, Al-Qaeda pointed to an aspirational future Caliphate as their utopian end goal - one which allowed them to justify their violent excesses in the here and now. Islamic State turned that aspiration into a dystopic reality, and in the process hijacked the jihadist narrative, breathing new life into the global Salafi-Jihadi movement. Despite air-strikes from above, and local disillusionment from below, the new caliphate has stubbornly persisted and has been at the heart of ISIS's growing global appeal. This timely collection of essays examines how jihadist narratives have changed globally, adapting to these turbulent circumstances. Area and thematic specialists consider transitions inside the Middle East and North Africa as well as in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. As these analyses demonstrate, the success of the ISIS narrative has been as much about resonance with local contexts, as it has been about the appeal of the global idea of a tangible and realized caliphate.Less
Jihadist narratives have evolved dramatically over the past five years, driven by momentous events in the Middle East and beyond; the death of bin Laden; the rise and ultimate failure of the Arab Spring; and most notably, the rise of the so-called Islamic State. For many years, Al-Qaeda pointed to an aspirational future Caliphate as their utopian end goal - one which allowed them to justify their violent excesses in the here and now. Islamic State turned that aspiration into a dystopic reality, and in the process hijacked the jihadist narrative, breathing new life into the global Salafi-Jihadi movement. Despite air-strikes from above, and local disillusionment from below, the new caliphate has stubbornly persisted and has been at the heart of ISIS's growing global appeal. This timely collection of essays examines how jihadist narratives have changed globally, adapting to these turbulent circumstances. Area and thematic specialists consider transitions inside the Middle East and North Africa as well as in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. As these analyses demonstrate, the success of the ISIS narrative has been as much about resonance with local contexts, as it has been about the appeal of the global idea of a tangible and realized caliphate.
Benjamin F. Soares
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748622856
- eISBN:
- 9780748670635
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748622856.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, African Studies
This chapter elucidates the social and cultural foundations for the way in which Islam has historically been practiced in this region of West Africa and the relationship of different understandings ...
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This chapter elucidates the social and cultural foundations for the way in which Islam has historically been practiced in this region of West Africa and the relationship of different understandings of Islam to ideas about power and authority before the onset of French colonial rule. It focuses particularly on notions of hierarchy and charisma and emphasizes the centrality of exceptional charismatic leaders, Muslim saints, and and the relationship of such figures to Sufism.Less
This chapter elucidates the social and cultural foundations for the way in which Islam has historically been practiced in this region of West Africa and the relationship of different understandings of Islam to ideas about power and authority before the onset of French colonial rule. It focuses particularly on notions of hierarchy and charisma and emphasizes the centrality of exceptional charismatic leaders, Muslim saints, and and the relationship of such figures to Sufism.
Benjamin F. Soares
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748622856
- eISBN:
- 9780748670635
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748622856.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, African Studies
This chapter discusses the history of Nioro du Sahel in Mali as a socio-political and religious space in the aftermath of the French colonial conquest, the development of colonial policies toward ...
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This chapter discusses the history of Nioro du Sahel in Mali as a socio-political and religious space in the aftermath of the French colonial conquest, the development of colonial policies toward Islam and Muslims (‘la politique musulmane’), and some of the major political economic changes associated with colonial rule. Changes in understandings of Islam and its practices in this setting can only be understood in relation to some of the complex social transformations that began under colonial rule and have continued in the postcolonial period.Less
This chapter discusses the history of Nioro du Sahel in Mali as a socio-political and religious space in the aftermath of the French colonial conquest, the development of colonial policies toward Islam and Muslims (‘la politique musulmane’), and some of the major political economic changes associated with colonial rule. Changes in understandings of Islam and its practices in this setting can only be understood in relation to some of the complex social transformations that began under colonial rule and have continued in the postcolonial period.
