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• Muslims: 1.2-1.5 billion (2nd largest religion)• Originated in Arabia by Muhammad in 6 th

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 17 th 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• 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• 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?

• 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

• 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• 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 prevail3) 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-Saxon-Protestant 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– 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.