Journal Article•
Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dangers of Loose Use of an Important Term
TL;DR: This article looked at the derivation and use of Jihadism and related terms, at definitions provided by a number of leading scholars, and at media usage, and showed that even these scholarly definitions actually make important distinctions between jihadism and associated ideology.
Abstract: The term “jihadism” is popular, but difficult. It has narrow senses, which are generally valuable, and wide senses, which may be misleading. This article looks at the derivation and use of “jihadism” and of related terms, at definitions provided by a number of leading scholars, and at media usage. It distinguishes two main groups of scholarly definitions, some careful and narrow, and some appearing to match loose media usage. However, it shows that even these scholarly definitions actually make important distinctions between jihadism and associated ideology. The article closes with a warning against the risks of loose and wide understandings of such important, but difficult, terms.
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Book•
05 Mar 2020TL;DR: Abdallah Azzam, the Palestinian cleric who led the mobilization of Arab fighters to Afghanistan in the 1980s, played a crucial role in the internationalization of the jihadi movement as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Abdallah Azzam, the Palestinian cleric who led the mobilization of Arab fighters to Afghanistan in the 1980s, played a crucial role in the internationalization of the jihadi movement. Killed in mysterious circumstances in 1989 in Peshawar, Pakistan, he remains one of the most influential jihadi ideologues of all time. Here, in the first in-depth biography of Azzam, Thomas Hegghammer explains how Azzam came to play this role and why jihadism went global at this particular time. It traces Azzam's extraordinary life journey from a West Bank village to the battlefields of Afghanistan, telling the story of a man who knew all the leading Islamists of his time and frequented presidents, CIA agents, and Cat Stevens the pop star. It is, however, also a story of displacement, exclusion, and repression that suggests that jihadism went global for fundamentally local reasons.
48 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a survey of the state of the art in the field of bioinformatics: http://www.biomedical-information-engineering.org/
Abstract: ........................................................................................................... xvii
44 citations
TL;DR: This article explored the implications of this labeling for Muslim communities and explored the interpretations Muslims themselves accord to the dichotomy of moderate and extremist and consider whether the use of such binary terms is at all helpful as a way of rallying Muslims to the cause of tackling terrorism and radicalisation.
Abstract: The rhetorical use of labels in the war on terror has become an important tactic post 9/11. One such example is the deployment of the categories of “moderate” and “extremist” within counterterrorism discourse, with Muslims distinguished as either friend or foe based on this dichotomy. The moderate Muslim label is a relational term, only making sense when it is contrasted with what is seen as non-moderate (i.e., extremism). Such binary constructs carry a range of implicit assumptions about what is regarded as an acceptable form of Islam and the risks posed by the Islamic religion and Muslim communities. In this article, we explore the implications of this labelling for Muslim communities. In particular, we explore the interpretations Muslims themselves accord to the dichotomy of moderate and extremist and consider whether the use of such binary terms is at all helpful as a way of rallying Muslims to the cause of tackling terrorism and radicalisation. We draw on focus group data collected from Musli...
33 citations
Cites background from "Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..."
...These scholars argue that debates about Muslim moderation often ignore the wide variety of positions within Islam towards key religious texts and principles (Ashour 2009; Esposito 2005; Esposito and Mogahed 2007; Olsson 2014; Sedgwick 2015)....
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...pinning jihadism and violent extremism (Kepel 2002; Sedgwick 2015; Wiktorowicz 2006)....
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...positions within Islam towards key religious texts and principles (Ashour 2009; Esposito 2005; Esposito and Mogahed 2007; Olsson 2014; Sedgwick 2015)....
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...Salafism is an ultraconservative form of Sunni Islam and has been identified as providing the underlying ideology underpinning jihadism and violent extremism (Kepel 2002; Sedgwick 2015; Wiktorowicz 2006)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, Jihadist tactical technical communication persuades individuals to act by creating identification between individuals and audiences, and by associating terrorist tactics with everyday practices such as cooking, which is known as tactical technical communications.
Abstract: Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Jihadist organizations such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have focused increasingly on motivating unaffiliated individuals in the United States and Western countries to carry out lone-wolf attacks in their home countries. To this end, many Jihadist organizations produce what is known as tactical technical communication. Jihadist tactical technical communication persuades individuals to act by creating identification between individuals and audiences, and by associating terrorist tactics with everyday practices such as cooking.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that the contents of the Friday sermons, that reach at least 50 percent of the country's adult males every week, have moved from Turkish nationalist understanding of militarism and martyrdom to more radical, Islamist and pro-violence interpretations that actively promote dying for the nation, homeland, religion and God.
Abstract: The literature on martyrdom has not, so far, systematically analysed a constitutionally secular state’s extensive use of religion in propagating martyrdom narratives by using state-controlled religious institutions. This paper addresses this gap in martyrdom literature. In addition, even though some studies have analysed how martyrdom narratives have been used for political purposes in Turkey for mythmaking and building a collective memory, a religious institution’s active use by the state for the purposes of mythmaking and collective memory building has not been studied. This paper shows that the contents of the Friday sermons, that reach at least 50 percent of the country’s adult males every week, have moved from Turkish nationalist understanding of militarism and martyrdom to more radical, Islamist and pro-violence interpretations that actively promote dying for the nation, homeland, religion and God. The sermons also emphasise that new generations must be raised with this pro-violence religious spirit, which is also novel.
19 citations
References
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TL;DR: The authors pointed out that the inability of a Muslim Community in disarray to transform da¯r al-ḥarb into da¯ r al-Isla¯;m-a doctrinal obligation fundamental to Muslim ideology since the death of the Prophet Muḥammad can be partially explained by the inability to meet the challenge of the West by restating the basic principles of Islam in the light of contemporary situation.
Abstract: The recurrence of revivalist movements in Islamic history can be partially explained by the inability of a Muslim Community in disarray to transform da¯r al-ḥarb into da¯r al-Isla¯;m—a doctrinal obligation fundamental to Muslim ideology since the death of the Prophet Muḥammad. Attitudes towards the problems of Islam in nineteenth-century West Africa were decidedly revivalist. While Middle Eastern reformists of the same period were attempting to meet the challenge of the West by restating the basic principles of Islam in the light of the contemporary situation, West African revivalists sought a return to the same basic principles—but not in order to accommodate or adjust, but rather to rediscover and revive; not so much to face the challenge of the West, but rather to confront the incursions of syncretism and polytheism. Recourse was made to the classic technique of the jiha¯d fī sabīl Alla¯h—a three-stage process of revival beginning with the spiritual jiha¯d and culminating with the temporal jiha¯d. The popular expectations that the final triumph of Islam over infidelity would be accomplished by a messianic figure in the thirteenth century of the Hijra helped to create a favourable climate for the emergence of several would-be revivalists. But the success of their movements was contingent upon their reputations for sanctity, their abilities as preachers and teachers, and their capabilities as political organizers. The jihads of ‘Uthma¯n b. Fūdī and al- Ḥa¯jj ‘Umar b. Sa'īd were both characterized by a conscious and deliberate effort to reproduce the career of the Prophet in a West African environment. If the Prophet had sought at first to bring about the implementation of the new Islamic dispensation by non-violent means, so also did Shaykh ‘Uthma¯n and Ḥa¯jj ‘Umar initially seek to reimplement that dispensation by aggressive but peaceful exhortations; and if the Prophet had received authorization from Allah to take the jiha¯d into a military phase, in imitation of the Prophetic model, Shaykh ‘Uthmān and Ḥājj ‘Umar awaited divine sanction for the more overt phase of their jiha¯ds.
40 citations
"Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..." refers background or methods in this paper
...This is the sense and context in which the word “jihadist” was used for the first time in English, when the American historian John Ralph Willis coined the term in 1967 to describe Dan Fodio [6]....
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...The Mahdists and Dan Fodio are also generally understood as part of the same phenomenon, as are the Cyrenaican Sanusis....
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...[6] John Ralph Willis, “Jihād fī Sabīl Allāh—its Doctrinal Basis in Islam and some Aspects of its Evolution in Nineteenth-Century West Africa,” The Journal of African History, Vol....
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TL;DR: A revisiting of the question of contemporary Islamism in Egypt can be found in this paper, where the main arguments and explanatory frameworks relating to Islamist activism in general and the militant and violent type in particular are revisited.
Abstract: This paper is a revisiting of the question of contemporary Islamism in Egypt. Its purpose is to rethink the main arguments and explanatory frameworks relating to Islamist activism in general and the militant and violent type in particular. It presents some new propositions about the phenomenon and provides elements for a deeper understanding. This revisiting is undertaken in light of certain developments over the last decade or so, which may be summarised as follows: 1) the heightening of Islamist violence, marked by confrontations with the government in and around Cairo and in the provinces of Upper EgyptThe 1990s have seen an intensification of violent clashes between the Islamists and the government, claiming over one thousand lives. The Islamist attacks have been aimed particularly at the tourism sector and the police. More than a hundred police officers and soldiers have been killed. For more details, see the annual reports of al-Taqrir al-Istratiji al-Arabi (The Arab Strategic Report). See also Nabil Abd al-Fatah and Diya' Rashwan, Taqrir al-Hala al-Diniya fi Misr 1995 (Report on the State of Religion in Egypt 1995) (Cairo: Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, 1997).; 2) the emergence of clear socio-spatial dimensions to Islamist activism. For the purposes of this article, my analysis pertains to these developments in the greater Cairo area.The rise of al-Jama‘a al-Islamiya in the Upper Egypt governorates of Qena, Asyut, Suhaj, Minya and Aswan must be examined in relation to the social fabric and spatial organisation of their cities and towns. The complexity of social organisation based on tribe and family and the hierarchies characterising social, economic, and political positions in the various provinces have yet to be studied in a comprehensive manner, and are beyond the scope of this paper. See Nazih Ayubi, Political Islam (London: Routledge, 1991), and Mamun Fandy, “Egypt's Islamic Group: Regional Revenge,” Middle East Journal 48, 4 (1994): 607–25.
40 citations
"Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..." refers background in this paper
...[22] Salwa Ismail, “The Popular Movement Dimensions of Contemporary Militant Islamism: Socio-Spatial Determinants in the Cairo Urban Setting”, Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol....
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...Salwa Ismail, for example, wrote of “‘Jihadist’ ideology” as combining the idea of replacing jahiliyya (society in a state of ignorance) with the hakimiyya (sovereignty) of God, with the use of the concept of jihad to justify the use of violence [22]....
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TL;DR: The Salafi movement in Jordan as discussed by the authors is a social network of early Companions of the Prophet, whose purpose is to institute religious behavior and practices that capture the purity of Islam, as understood by the salaf.
Abstract: Since the 1970s, the Salafi movement in Jordan has grown substantially. Today, Salafis are ubiquitous in every major city in the kingdom, and Salafi bookshops, lessons, and activities are common. The purpose of the movement is to institute religious behavior and practices that capture the purity of Islam, as understood by the salaf (early Companions of the Prophet). Salafis believe that because the salaf learned about Islam directly from the Prophet or those who knew him, they commanded a pure understanding of the religion. All decisions in life must therefore be based upon evidence from the Qur'an and sunna, as recorded in authentic sayings (hadiths) by the salaf In instances where particular actions or behaviors were not sanctioned by the original sources of Islam, they are rejected as "not Muslim." Those who strictly adhere to this religious understanding are considered Salafis.1 The structure of the Salafi movement in Jordan differs from that of many other social movements in the kingdom. Rather than operating through the more common formal, grass-roots organizations, Salafis mobilize through informal social networks based on a shared interpretation of Islam. Social relations and activities form the organizational grid and matrix of the movement, connecting like-minded Muslims through common religious experiences and personal relationships. This informal network serves as an institution and resource for fulfilling the movement's functions and goals. This structure stands in sharp contrast to that of the better-known Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates the literature on the Islamic movement in Jordan.2 The Brotherhood is the most organized social movement in the kingdom and has formed a variety of formal organizations, including an array of grass-roots charitable and cultural organizations that provide the Brotherhood with a familiar public face. This high profile and level of organization have led to successful campaigns in the majority of professional associations and in electoral politics. Because of the organization's success, the Muslim Brotherhood's role (and that of the Islamic Action Front Party, the de facto political wing of the Brotherhood), in the new democracy has been examined in numerous studies. It has been used as a case study to explore the relationship between democracy and Islam and Islamic movements.3 In comparison, the Salafis have received little attention in Jordan or the broader Muslim world, despite the movement's growing prominence in Muslim communities.4 Understanding the Salafi movement in Jordan is important, given its expanding presence and distinct identity. The Brotherhood may be more politically active, but
40 citations
"Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..." refers background in this paper
...These definitions follow on Gilles Kepel’s 2002 identification of the current wave of jihadism as “jihadist-Salafism,” [25] which itself builds on the work of Quintan Wiktorowicz, who in 2000 had identified the split between jihadis and non-jihadis as the most important split in the Salafi movement [26]....
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...[26] Quintan Wiktorowicz, “The Salafi Movement in Jordan,” International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol....
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TL;DR: The authors analyzes the global transformations of jihadist movements towards abandoning and delegitimizing political violence in general and terrorism in particular, focusing on the de-radicalization process of Libya's largest armed Islamist movement: the Islamic Fighting Group.
Abstract: This article analyzes the global transformations of jihadist movements towards abandoning and de-legitimizing political violence in general and terrorism in particular. It focuses on the de-radicalization process of Libya's largest armed Islamist movement: the Islamic Fighting Group. It analyzes the causes behind those transformations and outlines the necessary conditions for, and policy implications of, successful de-radicalization. The article is mainly based on primary sources, field work, and interviews with former jihadist leaders, mid-ranking commanders, grassroots activists, security and intelligence officers, and state officials.
26 citations
"Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..." refers background or methods in this paper
...[1] Omar Ashour, “Post-Jihadism: Libya and the Global Transformations of Armed Islamist Movements,” Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol....
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...Sometimes it is used very narrowly, as by Omar Ashour, who defined jihadism in 2011 as the belief that “armed confrontation with political rivals is a theologically legitimate and instrumentally efficient method for socio-political change” (emphasis MS) [1]....
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Book•
01 Jan 1986
24 citations
"Jihadism, Narrow and Wide: The Dang..." refers background or methods in this paper
...It was in this sense that the word “jihadism” was used in English for the first time, in 1986, when the Israeli historian Haggai Erlich wrote of the threat posed to late-nineteenth-century Ethiopia by what he called “Mahdist jihadism” [9]....
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...[9] Haggai Erlich, Ethiopia and The Challenge of Independence (Boulder: L....
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