Fault Lines in Global Jihad: Organizational, Strategic, and Ideological Fissures

Assaf Moghadam, Brian Fishman

Taylor & Francis, May 10, 2011 - History - 288 pages

This book deals with the causes, nature, and impact of the divisions within the jihadi movement, and the splits between jihadis and other Islamic groups.

Fault Lines in Global Jihad offers a systematic and comprehensive examination of the broad range of divisions that contribute to the weakening of the jihadi movement. It separates these divisions into two broad categories, namely fissures dividing jihadis themselves, and divisions separating jihadis from other Muslim and Islamist groups. The first part of the book covers intra-jihadi divisions, highlighting tensions and divisions over strategic, tactical, and organizational issues. The second part of the book addresses several important case studies of jihadi altercations with other Muslim and Islamist groups of non-jihadi persuasion, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and the Shii community. More than simply an enumeration of problems and cracks within al-Qa’ida and its cohorts, this book addresses critical policy issues of relevance to the broader struggle against the global jihadi movement. The editors conclude that these divisions have and continue to weaken al-Qa’ida, but neither in an automatic nor in an exclusive fashion—for these divisions render the global jihadi movement simultaneously vulnerable and more resilient.

This book will be of much interest to students of jihadism, terrorism and political violence, Islamism, security studies and IR in general.

Contents

• jihadi endogenous problems: 1
• I Intrajihadi fault lines: 23
• 1 Takfir and violence against Muslims: 25
• 2 The near and far enemy debate: 47
• 3 Jihadis divided between strategists and doctrinarians: 69
• AlQaidas franchising frustrations: 88
• 5 Arab and nonArab jihadis: 117
• the case of Dr Fadl: 138
• II Fault lines dividing jihadis and other Muslims: 159
• 7 Islam divided between jihad and the Muslim Brotherhood: 161
• 8 AlQaida and Shiism: 184
• AlQaida and Hamas: 203
• 10 Fault lines in cyberspace: 220
• jihadi fault lines and counterterrorism policy: 232
• Selected bibliography: 256
• Index: 258

Bibliographic information

• Title: Fault Lines in Global Jihad: Organizational, Strategic, and Ideological Fissures; Political Violence
• Editors: Assaf Moghadam, Brian Fishman
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 2011
• ISBN: 1136710582, 9781136710582
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: History / Military / General; Political Science / Political Freedom; Political Science / Security (National & International); Political Science / Terrorism; Political Science / World / General; Religion / Fundamentalism; Religion / Religion, Politics & State; Religion / Religious Intolerance, Persecution & Conflict