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Islamic extremist terrorism is terrorism done to further Islam as believed by its supporters and practitioners. Fred Halliday, a British academic specialist on the Middle East, argues that most Muslims consider these acts to be egregious violations of Islam's ethics.

Where such terrorists seek to establish an Islamic theocracy and impose religious law (Sharia), it is sometimes termed 'Islamist. Other widely used terms are Islamic terrorism and Islamic extremism.

According to statistics of the National Counterterrorism Center, a national government organization of the United States, Islamic extremism was responsible for approximately 57% of terrorist fatalities and 61% of woundings in 2004 and early 2005, where a terrorist perpetrator could be specified. Extremist acts have included airline hijacking, beheading, kidnapping, assassination, and suicide bombing. Terrorist threats have included fatwas and death threats. Both Muslims and non-Muslims have been among the targets and victims.

Some terrorist activities committed by Muslims may be confused with Islamic extremist terrorism and do not properly fall under that category. These include acts committed by nationalist and separatist organizations which derive inspiration from secular ideologies rather than Islamic beliefs.

Organizations

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda is Islamic extremist group. Formed in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, it has committed a number of terrorist acts in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. It orchestrated the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States. The group, under its leader Osama bin Laden, is opposed to the monarchy in Saudi Arabia, which it sees as insufficiently Islamic and too closely tied to America. Al-Qaeda claims it is engaged in a struggle against Zionism, Christianity, the secular West, and secular Muslim countries.

Hamas

The charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel, although its public spokespeople do not, and its "military wing" has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Israel. Hamas justifies these attacks as necessary in fighting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, and as responses to Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets. The wider movement also serves as a charity organization and provides services to Palestinians. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the European Union, Canada, the United States, Israel, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and Human Rights Watch.

Lashkar-e-Toiba

Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba is a militant group active in the Kashmiri independence movement. It has committed mass militant actions against Indian troops. The Lashkar leadership describes Indian and Israeli regimes as the main enemies of Islam, claiming India and Israel to be the main enemies of Pakistan.. Lashkar-e-Toiba, along with Jaish-e-Mohammed, another militant group active in Kashmir are on the United States's foreign terrorist organizations list. They are also designated as terrorist groups by the UK, India, Australiaand Pakistan.

Hezbollah

Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party in Lebanon, comprising a militia and extensive programs for social development. There is a wide disagreement about how Hezbollah violent acts, and thus the organization as a whole, should be characterized. Throughout most of the Arab and Muslim worlds Hezbollah is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement; resisting all of Israel. Lebanone government also recognized it as a legitimate resistance against occupation of Lebanese land by Israel. Some countries regard Hezbollah's violent acts to be terrorist attacks, and thus they consider Hezbollah a "terrorist" organization. The United States, Canada, Israel and the Netherlands consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization, while the United Kingdom and Australia consider only Hezbollah's external security organization to be a terrorist organization; for political reasons making a distinction between the organizations terrorist activities and its social activities. Russia, the European Union, and several other countries including the China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, among others, do not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The European Union does not list Hezabollah or its constituent groups in its list of terrorist organizations, but does list Hezbollah's senior intelligence officer Imad Mugniyah..

Tactics

Islamic extremist terrorism is best known for it's highly publicized acts of extreme brutality, often committed against civilians, such as bombings, hijackings, kidnappings, and summary executions. Many times the stated goal of these actions is to coerce governments into changing their domestic or foreign policies or to secure the release of captured militants. Some of these groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, have limited their acts to localized regions of the middle east, while others, notably Al-Qaeda, have committed terrorist acts against targets all over the world.

Bombings

The most widely utilized tactic by Islamic extremist terrorists is suicide bombing. This tactic is used against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes the terrorists oppose. The use of suicide bombers is seen by many Muslims as contradictory to Islam's teachings, however groups who support it's use often refer to such attacks as "martyrdom operations" and the suicide-bombers who commit them as "martyrs" (Arabic: shuhada, plural of "shahid"). The bombers, and their sympathisers often believe that suicide bombers, as martyrs to the cause of jihad against the enemy, will receive the rewards of paradise for their actions. In addition to suicide bombings, several groups have also utilized remote car bombings as well as timed explosions in public or government buildings.

Hijackings

The hijacking of passenger vehicles such as cars, buses, and planes has also become a hallmark of Islamic extremist terrorism, particularly as a result of the simultaneous hijacking of the four passenger jets utilized in the September 11th terrorist attacks as well as the hijacking of a Belgian airlines jet during the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre.

Kidnappings and executions

Along with bombings and hijackings, Islamic extremist terrorists have made extensive use of kidnappings and executions, often circulating video of the killings for use as propaganda via the Internet. The most frequent form of execution by these groups has been decapitations, often committed while shouting the Islamic chant, "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for God is greatest). Some victims of this form of terrorism have been Daniel Pearl, Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr., Eugene Armstrong, Jack Hensley, Kim Sun-il, Kenneth Bigley, Shosei Koda, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, Margaret Hassan, Seif Adnan Kanaan.

Ideology and theology

Islamist extremists sometimes claim they are defending Islam and the Muslim community, or that they are acting in retaliation for what they see as aggression against Muslims by Israel and by various western countries such as the United States.

The members of some groups are more likely to not see themselves as terrorists, as the political origins of such groups in the Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, Chechnya and most recently post-Saddam Iraq are often connected to demands for statehood and nationalist self-determination.

In an interview with The American Conservative magazine, Robert Pape, author of the book Dying to Win, said "The central fact is that overwhelmingly suicide-terrorist attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by a clear strategic objective: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland. From Lebanon to Sri Lanka to Chechnya to Kashmir to the West Bank, every major suicide-terrorist campaign — over 95 percent of all the incidents — has had as its central objective to compel a democratic state to withdraw."

Some supporters of Palestinian political violence have claimed that citizens of Israel are legitimate military targets because Jewish adolescents are required by law to serve in the country's military.

Islamist ideology

Islamist ideology, specifically of the militant breed, often positions itself in opposition to Western society. The United States, specifically, is greatly opposed by most Islamist Jihadis, scholars, and leaders. In addition to criticizing the American Regime for what they see as immoral secularism, many Islamists claim that Western society is actively anti-Islamic. The cultural products of western societies, and specifically of the United States, are often criticized by Islamists for the same reasons.

The lack of authoritarian restrictions on the immoral free speech is a common Islamist criticism of western democracies. Islamists have claimed that such unrestricted free speech has led to the proliferation of pornography, immorality, secularism, homosexuality, feminism, and many other ideas that Islamists often oppose.

Islamists are often opposed to (the practitioners of) Christianity and Judaism. Some Islamists identify what they see as a historical struggle between Christianity and Islam, dating back as far as the Crusades, among other historical conflicts between practitioners of the two respective religions. Many of the existent violent Islamist groups use the name of Jihad to fight against Christians and Jews. An example is Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda, which is also known as 'International Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Zionists and Crusaders'. Most militant Islamists oppose Israel's policies, and often its existence.

Interpretations of the Qur'an

It has been stated by many Muslims that the Qur'an, Islam's sacred text, denounces killing, while others believe that some verses actually encourage it. Militant Islamists sometimes justify terrorism against fellow Muslims, in particular against regimes they consider non-Islamic, on the basis that their enemies are apostates . Islamic law traditionally designates death as the penalty for apostasy (converting) from Islam. Opinions within the Muslim community vary as to the grounds on which an individual may be declared to have apostacised. The most common view among Muslim scholars is that a declaration of takfir (designation of a Muslim as an apostate) can only be made by an established religious authority. Mainstream Muslim scholars usually oppose recourse to takfir, except in rare instances. Takfir was used as justification for the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

Muslim attitudes toward terrorism

Most Muslims, when asked their views on terrorism say that they oppose it. However, many see a distinct difference between actions such as the September 11th attacks on the US, which most denounce, and actions such as Hezbollah's rocket attacks in response to Israeli incursions into Lebanon, which many support and don't even regard as terrorism. Therefore, the fact that many Muslims support certain military actions by Islamic extremist groups that many non-Muslims consider terrorist attacks, has given many in the West the impression that a majority of Muslims support terrorism.

In parliamentary election of January 2006, 57% of Palestinians voted for Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, United States, Canada, and the European Union and responsible for a number of attacks against Israeli civilians. Observers are divided over whether the election results represent support for the organization's militia tactics, support for the organization's social programs, or dissatisfaction with the previous government which was widely seen as corrupt and incompetent. A public opinion survey released following the election, indicated that nearly three quarters of Palestinians believe that Hamas should change its policy regarding the destruction of Israel and 84% of Palestinians support a peace agreement with Israel. Among Hamas voters, 73% of respondents supported a peace agreement with Israel. However Hamas has ruled out removing the clause in its constitution which demands the destruction of Israel.

A 2005 Pew Research study that involved 17,000 people in 17 countries showed support for terrorism was declining in the Muslim world along with a growing belief that Islamic extremism represents a threat to those countries.A Daily Telegraph surveyshowed that 6% of British Muslims fully supported the July 2005 bombings in the London Underground.

A 2004 Pew survey revealed that Osama bin Laden is viewed favorably by large percentages in Pakistan (65%), Jordan (55%) and Morocco (45%). In Turkey as many as 31% say that suicide attacks against Americans and other Westerners in Iraq are justifiable..

The Free Muslims Coalition rallied against terror, stating that they wanted to send "a message to radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism that we reject them and that we will defeat them."

Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, a Muslim and the general manager of Arab news channel, Al-Arabiya has said: "It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims." Statistics compiled by the United States government's Counterterrorism Center present a more complicated picture: of known and specified terrorist incidents from the beginning of 2004 through the first quarter of 2005, slightly more than half of the fatalities were attributed to Islamic extremists but a majority of over-all incidents were considered of either "unknown/unspecified" or a secular political nature. The vast majority of the "unknown/unspecified" terrorism fatalities did however happen in Islamic regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan, or in regions where Islam is otherwise involved in conflicts such as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, southern Thailand and Kashmir.The methodology employed by the Center is sometimes disputed.

Iranian Ayatollah Ozma Seyyed Yousef Sanei issued a fatwa (ruling) that suicide attacks against civilians are legitimate only in the context of war.The ruling did not say whether other types of attacks against civilians are justified outside of the context of war, nor whether Jihad is included in Sanei's definition of war.

On the other hand, Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Turkish Islamic scholar, has claimed that "a real Muslim," who understood Islam in every aspect, could not be a terrorist. There are many other people with similar points of view such as Karen Armstrong , Prof. Ahmet Akgunduz , and Harun Yahya

Examples of attacks

• 7 March 2006 - 2006 Varanasi bombings. An attack attributed to Lashkar-e-Toiba by Uttar Pradesh government officials, over 28 killed and over 100 injured, in a series of attacks in the Sankath Mochan Hanuman temple and Cantonment Railway Station in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh government officials.
• 9 November 2005 - 2005 Amman bombings. Over 60 killed and 115 injured, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks on hotels in Amman, Jordan. Four attackers including a husband and wife team were involved.
• 29 October 2005 - 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings. Over 60 killed and over 180 injured in a series of three attacks in crowded markets and a bus, just 2 days before the Diwali festival.
• 23 July 2005 - Bomb attacks at Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort city, at least 64 people killed.
• 7 July 2005 - Multiple bombings in London Underground. 53 killed by four suicide bombers. Nearly 700 injured.
• 4 February 2005 - Muslim militants attacked the Christian community in Demsa, Nigeria, killing 36 people, destroying property and displacing an additional 3000 people.
• 3 September 2004 Approximately 344 civilians including 186 children, are massacred during the Beslan school hostage crisis by Chechen Islamic Terrorists or "Chechen Separatists".
• 11 March 2004 - Multiple bombings on trains near Madrid, Spain. 191 killed, 1460 injured. (alleged link to Al-Qaeda)
• 16 May 2004- Casablanca Attacks - 4 simultaneous attacks in Casablanca killing 33 civilians (mostly Moroccans) carried by Salafaia Jihadia.
• 12 October 2002 - Bombing in Bali nightclub. 202 killed, 300 injured.
• 24 September 2002 - Machine Gun attack on Hindu temple in Ahmedabad, India. 31 dead, 86 injured.

• 7 May 2002 - Bombing in al-Arbaa, Algeria. 49 dead, 117 injured
• 9 March 2002 - Café suicide bombing in Jerusalem; 11 killed, 54 injured
• 3 March 2002 - Suicide bomb attack on a Passover Seder in a Hotel in Netanya, Israel. 29 dead, 133 injured
• 13 December 2001-Suicide attack on India's parliament in New Delhi. Aimed at eliminating the top leadership of India and causing anarchy in the country. Allegedly done by Pakistan-based Islamic terrorists organizations, Jaish-E-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba.
• 11 September 2001 - September 11, 2001 attacks 4 planes hijacked and crashed into World Trade Center and The Pentagon by 19 hijackers. Nearly 3000 dead.
• 7 August 1998 - 1998 United States embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. 224 dead. 4000+ injured
• 25 June 1996 - Khobar Towers bombing, 20 killed, 372 wounded.
• 26 February 1993 - World Trade Center bombing. 6 killed.
• 18 April 1983 - April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. 63 killed.

U.S. State Department list

• Abu Sayyaf, Philippines
• Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Gaza Strip and West Bank
• Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Egypt also known as The Islamic Group
• al-Qaeda, Worldwide
• Ansar al-Islam, Iraq
• Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Algeria
• Army of Ansar al-Sunna, Iraq
• AZF, France
• East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), China
• Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Egypt
• Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Egypt
• Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front (IBDA-C), Turkey
• Hamas, Gaza Strip and West Bank
• Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami, Pakistan
• Hezbollah, Lebanon
• Islamic Movement of Central Asia, Central Asia
• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
• Jaish-e-Mohammed, Pakistan and Kashmir
• Jemaah Islamiyah, Indonesia
• Lashkar-e-Toiba, Pakistan and Kashmir
• Lashkar i Jhangvi, Pakistan
• Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Philippines
• Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, Morocco and Europe
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza Strip and West Bank
• Tawhid and Jihad (Al-Qaeda in the Land between the Two Rivers (Iraq)), Iraq

See also

• Terrorism in Kashmir
• South Thailand insurgency
• Jihad
• Ghazw
• Takfir
• Suicide bombing
• Car bomb
• Improvised explosive device
• Aircraft hijacking

• Threats
• Religious violence
• Religious terrorism
• Political terrorism
• Islamism
• Islamofascism
• Neofascism and religion.
• Militant Islam
• War on Terrorism
• Osama Bin Laden
• Islamophobia
• Persecution of Muslims
• Criticism of Islam
• Criticism of the Qur'an

Further reading

• The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion by Robert Spencer
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades) by Robert Spencer
• Onward Muslim Soldiers by Robert Spencer
• The Legacy of Jihad by Andrew G. Bostom
• Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide by Bat Ye'or
• Decline of Eastern Christianity: From Jihad to Dhimmitude by Bat Ye'or
• The Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime, And the Coming Apocalypse by Paul L. Williams
• An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism by Victor Davis Hanson
• Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam by Gilles Kepel
• The War for Muslim Minds by Gilles Kepel
• Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America by Walid Phares

References

1. Halliday, Fred: Islam and the Myth of Confrontation: Religion and Politics in the Middle East (New York: I.B. Tauris, 2003), 107
2. [net/NR/exeres/79C6AF22-98FB-4A1C-B21F-2BC36E87F61F.htm Complete English translation text of 2004 Osama bin Laden videotape on Al-Jazeera.
3. Michael, Maggie. Bin Laden, in statement to U.S. people, says he ordered Sept. 11 attacks. The Associated Press. October 29, 2004.
4. Excerpts from the BBC. October 29, 2004.
5. "Lashkar-e-Toiba". South Asia. dictionary.com. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
6. Mir, Amir (2005). "The jihad lives on". South Asia. Asia Times Online Ltd. Retrieved 2006-06-24.
7. "Speech by the Prime Minister the Rt Hon Tony Blair MP to the Confederation of Indian Industry Bangalore, India 5 January 2002". Indo-UK Relations. britishhighcommission.gov. Retrieved 2006-06-24.
8. Thompson, Geoff (2004). "Is Lashkar-e-Toiba still operating in Pakistan?". PM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
9. "current situation". wars and armed conflicts. Peace Pledge Union. 2002. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
11. "Hezbollah disarmament unclear". CNN. May 7, 2005. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
12. "Hezbollah not on Russia's terrorist list". Associated Press. Retrieved 2006-08-10. {{cite news}}: Text "date-2006-07-28" ignored (help)
13. "EU won't label Hezbollah 'terrorist' group". United Press International. 2006-08-02.
14. "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2005/847/CFSP" (PDF). 29 November 2005. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
15. European Union. "The EU's relations with Lebanon".
16. McConnell, Scott (2005). "The Logic of Suicide Terrorism". The American Conservative magazine. The American Conservative. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
17. Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir: Al-Zarqawi's Death Will Not End the Jihad, MEMRI, Special Dispatch Series - No. 1188, June 20, 2006
18. "Hamas sweeps to election victory". Middle East news. BBC. 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
19. "Palestinians want Hamas reform - poll". News - Arab World. Aljazeera.Net. 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
20. "Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics". Pew Global Attitudes Project. Pew Research Center. 2005. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
21. King, Anthony (2005). "One in four Muslims sympathises with motives of terrorists". News. Telegraph Group Limited. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
22. "A Year After Iraq War - Mistrust of America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists". Survey reports. The Pew Research Center. 2004. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
23. "Bin Laden more popular with Nigerian Muslims than Bush". News. Daily Times of Pakistan. 2003. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
24. Free Muslims Coalition
25. Glasser, Susan B. (2005). "Global Terrorism Statistics Debated". World news. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
26. "Iran: Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Against Suicide Attacks". adn kronos international. adn kronos international. 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
27. "The terrorist attacks in London". Rumi Forum. 2005. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
28. "A Real Muslim cannot be a Terrorist". Interview with Nuriye Akman of Zaman Daily. Fethullah Gulen's Website. 2004. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
29. "The True, Peaceful Face Of Islam". Time. Time Inc. 2001. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
30. "A Muslim cannot be a Terrorist and a Terrorist cannot be a Muslim". Article. Fethulah Gulen's Website. 2002. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
31. "Islam Denounces Terrorism". Harun Yahya's Website. 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
32. "Akshardham attack was planned in Riyadh". The Times of India. Times Internet Limited. 2003. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
33. "Akshardham attack "plotted in Riyadh"". India news. Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. 2005. Retrieved 2006-06-25.

• Islamism
• Islam-related controversies
• Terrorism