Radical Islam:
Its beliefs and operations
9/11 and Its Impact
• Deaths: 2,996
• Insured losses: $32 billion
• Estimated monetary
value of lives, property
damage and lost
production of goods and
services: $100 billion.
• Estimated total losses
including stock market
losses: $2 trillion
World Trade Center, 9/11/01
See http://www.iags.org/costof911.html
9/11 and Its Political Impact
• Emotional scarring
• US invasion of Afghanistan
and then Iraq
• High military budgets
• From Government budget
surplus to record budget deficit
• Reelection of President Bush
on security agenda
• USA Patriot Act
• Expansion of Executive power.
• The analysis of public policy in
light of its impact on the war on
terrorism, ie, immigration, oil
drilling and energy policy,
foreign aid, and transportation
policies.
Why Study Terrorism?
• Understanding of the enemy is necessary
for preventing future attacks.
• The quest to understand the enemy does
not necessarily mean agreement.
• To be patriotic, you don’t have to agree
with the analysis and recommendations for
fighting it put forth by our government
and/or President Bush.
Islam
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Muslims: 1.2-1.5 billion (2nd largest religion)
Originated in Arabia by Muhammad in 6th
Century
During the prophets life, Islam gained
control over the Arabian peninsula.
After Muhammad died, the religion spread
by trade and conquest.
During the European Middle Ages, Muslim
libraries preserved earlier Greek and Roman
knowledge and made advances in Math,
astronomy, medicine, and other areas.
Until its gradual decline beginning in the 17th
Century, the Muslim world was one of the
richest, advanced and cosmopolitan
societies in the world.
Until 1924, the Muslim world was mostly
united under a Caliph, or religious and
political leader.
Because of its size of membership and
geographic breadth, Islam is diverse in its
beliefs, practices and politics
Estimates of 1-5% of Muslims participate in
or support terrorism.
Terms To Know
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Islam: Religion
Muslim: Person who believes in Islam
Fundamentalist: Person who believes in the fundamentals of
religion and the primacy and strict interpretation of the Koran as
authentic from God. Many religions have fundamentalist groups.
Reformist: Person who wants to reform or change Islamic
practices
Revivalist: Person who wants to recreate past glories of Islam
Salafism/Wahhab: Person who wants to create a society based
life on Mohammed’s time.
Islamist: Person who wants to create of a pure Islamic society by
taking control of the government.
Jihadi: Those who believe that it is an individual duty for all
Muslims to use violent means to recreate the caliphate.
Definition of Terrorism
• Difficult to define. The
United Nations could not
agree on a definition.
• The use or threat of
violence purposely
directed primarily towards
noncombatants to
advance a cause.
• Terrorism is a tactic.
• Terrorism aims to achieve
political goals, even
though it may use
religious language.
“America and our friends and
allies join with all those who want
peace and security in the world,
and we stand together to win the
war against terrorism.”
President Bush, 9/11/01
Osama Bin Laden
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Born in 1957 in Saudi Arabia as the 17th (of 52)
child of Mohammed Bin Laden, a very wealthy
construction company owner who completed
projects for the King of Saudi Arabia. His mother
is a Syrian or Palestinian by birth.
He graduated from a Saudi Arabian University
with an engineering degree in 1979.
In the 1980’s, Bin Laden became involved with
the Afghan struggle against the soviet invasion.
In Afghanistan, he made contacts with many
radical Islamists who would become the inner
core of a terror network called al-Qaeda.
In the early 1991 his citizenship was revoked for
opposing US troops in Saudi Arabia. He goes to
Sudan.
It is believed that he is involved in the first attack
on the World Trade Center in 1993.
In 1995, he is expelled from Sudan under US
pressure. He sets up terrorist training camps in
Afghanistan.
In 2001, the US invades Afghanistan in response
to 9/11. He evacuates toward the Pakistani
border in the caves of Bora Bora.
He was found and killed by US Navy Seals on
May 2, 2011
What is al-Qaeda?
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Al-Qaeda in Arabic means “the
base” as in a foundation
It is composed of 100 hard core
supporters with personal ties to
Bin Laden. His top adviser is Dr.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, from Egypt.
There are many Islamist groups
around the world with their own
agenda and only have loose or no
ties to Al-Qaeda.
Breaking up al-Qaeda will not end
Islamic terrorism.
It is a “loose network of a network
of terrorists.”
Religious Viewpoints of Radical
Islam
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Cosmic struggle between good and evil
Evil forces exist in the world which make it
difficult to live a true Islamic life, but through
struggle, true Islam will eventually prevail,
god willing.
The struggle may take a long time.
God will favor justice and true Muslims
Jihad (defined as “Holy War”)- internal v.
external struggle. Radicals favor armed
external interpretation
Jihad is a personal obligation of true
Muslims (not led by Islamic states)
Islam is under attack by a “Zionist-crusader”
alliance. This war has been going on for
1,000 years, but especially since 1924,
Islam has been humiliated. True Islamic
reform is impossible because of corrupt
regimes supported by the West.
Radical Muslims favor the creation of an
Islamic state with the restoration of the
Caliphate. Others would like to return to the
principles of the perfect just society that
existed during the time of the prophet
Muhammad.
Dark Green: Muslim lands by 700 AD
Light Green: Muslim lands acquired
after 700 AD
Yellow: Land that was once Muslim
but no remains under Muslim control
Suicide Bombers
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Shaheed: Islamic term for martyr.
Dying for a cause v. killing for a cause.
Traditionally, a martyr is an innocent person
who dies from persecution or in battle or a
soldier dying justly defending his home,
land, or religion.
Cult of Shaheed- monetary payments
Reasons:
1) One of the Pillars of Islam is that all
Muslims testify or bear witness that Allah is
the only god and Mohammed is his prophet.
To be a suicide bomber is the ultimate
testament of faith in God and the right to
belong to the Muslim community.
2) Confirmation that true Islam will prevail
3) Sends fear into the attacked and attempts
to equalize the power.
4) Shames other Muslims to join in the
struggle.
Remember that the suicide bomber is a
dramatic symbol, but it is still considered by
many Muslims to be a perversion of Islam to
most Muslims.
Reem al-Riyashi, the first Palestinian mother
suicide bomber. She proclaimed that she
"always wanted to be the first woman to carry
out a martyr attack, where parts of my body
can fly all over. That is the only wish I can ask
G-d for." Her act was sponsored jointly by
Hamas and the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade
Stated Reasons for 9/11
• In May 2005, Al Qaeda military commander Sayf Al Adl described 3
goals for these specific attacks.
1) They were retaliation for US aggression in the Islamic world.
2) They were aimed to signal the “emergence of a new virtuous
leadership” dedicated to opposing “the Zionist-Anglo-SaxonProtestant coalition.” They hoped that the attacks would inspire
Muslims around the world to join their cause.
3) They were aimed “to prompt [the United States] to come out of its
hole.”
• It is important to note that killing Americans or hating Americans for
their freedom do not appear to be an objective in themselves. There
is a political agenda underlying the attacks.
Terrorist Profile
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Articulate
relatively worldly
upper middle class-outside of capital city.
Mid- 20’s.
above average education, especially engineers.; Professional
backgrounds, but underemployed
No criminal record
No mental problems
Married
Not more oppressed or victimized than others
Leadership is Egyptian and Saudi Arabian. Many are 2nd generation
European, as well as Pakistani, Moroccan, Yemenite.
Discriminated against abroad; Inability to make change at home.
Most joined while living abroad. (68% because of friend, 20% b/of
kinship)
Connected to a very small number of mosques. 50% from just 12
mosques.
Arc of expectation, disappointment, and perceived injustice.