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Religion as a Weapon: The Politicization of Islam

Religion as a Weapon: The Politicization of Islam. Average Christian?. Average Muslim?. Non-Middle eastern states Indonesia 215 m Pakistan 160 m India 134 m Bangladesh 123 m Turkey 70 m Nigeria 65 m Sudan 41 m Afghanistan 31 m. Middle Eastern states Egypt 70 m Iran 61 m

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Religion as a Weapon: The Politicization of Islam

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  1. Religion as a Weapon: The Politicization of Islam

  2. Average Christian? Average Muslim?

  3. Non-Middle eastern states Indonesia 215 m Pakistan 160 m India 134 m Bangladesh 123 m Turkey 70 m Nigeria 65 m Sudan 41 m Afghanistan 31 m Middle Eastern states Egypt 70 m Iran 61 m Algeria 32 m Morocco 32 m Iraq 25 m Saudi Arabia 22 m Syria 16.2 m Jordan 4.6 Geography of Islam

  4. AQ is Clear About Goals • 1996 fatwa • 1998 fatwa • Al-Qaeda Training Manual (from Dept. of Justice) • Bin-Laden videos • Militant Ideology Atlas(US Combating Terrorism Center)

  5. 1. Religion and Politics • Iran • Saudi Arabia • Pakistan • India – BJP • Japan – Soka Gokkai • US Religious Right

  6. 2. Expectations-Frustration-Aggression • Davies J-Curve Q U Expectations A L I Expectation Gap T Y O reality F L I F TIME E

  7. The Wealth Doesn’t Spread • From: WTRG Economics, Oil Price History and Analysis, http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm

  8. Iranian Revolution (1978-1979) provides inspiration foreign fighters formation go home, of Afghan mujahadin form new groups or join existing groups, create a global terror Ideological legacyUSSR invades US, China, Pakistan Soviets network of radical Islamic Afghanistan Egypt, Saudi Arabia, withdraw thought 1979 and others funding, 1989 provides ideology supplying, and training and inspiration mujahadin and jihadis OBL and others recruit Saudi funded religious schools volunteers al-Qaeda (global) (madrassas) in Middle East from madrassas Abu Sayyaf (Phil.) and Asia (1970s-1980s) in M. E. and Asia GIA (Algeria) provides recruits with ideology (foreign fighters HAMAS or jihadis) Islamic Jihad IMU Jemaah Islamiah PIJ Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir… Time 3. History and Context:Origins of AQ

  9. 4. A New World? Globalization • Ease of travel • Ease of global finance • Communications revolution States • Ability to communicate lose globally monopoly • Information revolution on • Ability to share large influence amounts of information with and anyone, anywhere, anytime violence • Global spread of technology

  10. 5. Rise of Extremist Islam Why the Middle East? • Ideology • Lack of Democracy • Rising expectations and frustrations • Inequality • Socialist economics (OIL)

  11. Explaining the Growth of Extremist Ideas Political Factors *Technological factors Authoritarian government advances in communication Corrupt government computers for info storage Lack of civil rights; no democracy internet and e-mail Lack of human rights; no individual freedoms ease of travel Liberal and moderate ideas crushed ease of global financial transactions Radical ideas crushed (Egypt) advantages of networks Radical ideas encouraged (Saudi Arabia) globalization Prison torture SOP Controlled press spreads ruling ideology Anti-West and anti-US Social Factors Colonialism in past *Rapid economic change Strong religious traditions *Population growth Pan-Islamic ideas Lack of social and economic mobility Pan-Arab ideas *More university education; lack of jobs *Failures of secular nationalism (Syria, Iraq) *Generation with a lack of identity No outlet for moderate dissent or debate *Expectations of success; lack of success Israeli-Palestinian conflict *Expectations of change; lack of change Economic Factors Poverty Small wealthy elite *Geopolitical Factors *Expectations of wealth through oil Rapid wealth creation in Middle East *Rising population Iranian revolution *Massive underemployment Globalization Socialist economies Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Closed economies Collapse of Cold War *Knowledge of wealth in other societies Instability of shift to post-cold war world *Temporal Factors: These variables explain why events happened when they did. Many people ask why radical Islam developed, but we need to ask why it developed and why it developed when it developed. Growth of extremist ideas

  12. Radical Islamic Ideology I Nationalists and Transnationalists share: • Salafists (pure Islam) • No pluralism in Islam (some Nationalists may allow it) • Anti-American • Anti-western • Anti-colonial (resistance or defense)

  13. Transnationalists Anti-nation-state Rebuild the Caliphate Anti-Democracy Example: AQAM Nationalists Goal of building or taking power in a nation-state Democratic participation if advantageous Example: Hamas and Hezbollah Radical Islamic Ideology IITransnationalists vs. Nationalists

  14. Abu Bakr Naji, The Management of Savagery Current political and create establish gain state religious instability; new order; legitimacy, organization; savagery; religious authority, terrorist chaos order power attacks Time

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