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Cover image of The Globalization of Martyrdom
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The Globalization of Martyrdom

Al Qaeda, Salafi Jihad, and the Diffusion of Suicide Attacks

Assaf Moghadam

Publication Date
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2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice

This groundbreaking volume examines the rise and spread of suicide attacks over the past decade. Sorting through 1,270 terror strikes between 1981 and 2007, Assaf Moghadam attributes their recent proliferation to the mutually related ascendance of al Qaeda and its guiding ideology, Salafi Jihad, an extreme interpretation of Islam that rejects national boundaries and seeks to create a global Muslim community.

In exploring the roots of the extreme radicalization represented by Salafism, Moghadam finds many causes, including Western dominance in the Arab...

2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice

This groundbreaking volume examines the rise and spread of suicide attacks over the past decade. Sorting through 1,270 terror strikes between 1981 and 2007, Assaf Moghadam attributes their recent proliferation to the mutually related ascendance of al Qaeda and its guiding ideology, Salafi Jihad, an extreme interpretation of Islam that rejects national boundaries and seeks to create a global Muslim community.

In exploring the roots of the extreme radicalization represented by Salafism, Moghadam finds many causes, including Western dominance in the Arab world, the physical diffusion of Salafi institutions and actors, and the element of opportunity created by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He uses individual examples from the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Europe to show how the elite leaders of al Qaeda and affiliated groups and their foot soldiers interact with one another and how they garner support—and a growing number of converts and attackers—from the Muslim community. Based on over a decade of empirical research and a critical examination of existing thought on suicide attacks, Moghadam distinguishes the key characteristics separating globalized suicide strikes from the traditional, localized pattern that previously prevailed.

This unflinching analysis provides new information about the relationship between ideology and suicide attacks and recommends policies focused on containing Salafi Jihadism.

Reviews

Reviews

An excellent read. Moghadam is a leading expert in the study of Al Qaeda and suicide attacks and his expertise shines through... Well-researched and argued, this book deserves a close read by all scholars interested in questions of terrorism, Al Qaeda, and the way globalization is influencing the trajectory of terrorist groups.

One of the most authoritative books on the subject. Moghadam offers a unique contribution not only to terrorism studies but Middle East and Islamic studies as well. Throughout its entirety, the book carries an interdisciplinary timbre, maintains the highest level of analytical integrity, and keeps the reader interested, if not intrigued.

Moghadam's study stands out from the many studies of terrorism because of the clarity of its argument and presentation, as well as the strength and distinctive character of its thesis about suicide attacks... Highly recommended.

One of the most interesting, nuanced studies published in our field in some time, then, Globalization contributes immensely to ongoing debates over the manner in which the campaign against global terrorism should be prosecuted... truly remarkable, thought- provoking text.

A rigorous and important examination of suicide attacks executed by Osama bin Laden and the movement he inspires. This timely book is a valuable contribution to an improved understanding of suicide attacks, terrorism, and Al Qaeda alike, and provides plausible policy recommendations to help stem the further spread of this tactic.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
360
ISBN
9781421400587
Illustration Description
3 halftones, 10 line drawings
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Acronyms
Introduction
1. The Global Proliferation of Suicide Missions
2. Al Qaeda and the Primacy of Suicide Attacks
3. Salafi Jihad and the Veneration of Martyrdom
4. From Al Qaeda

Acknowledgments
List of Acronyms
Introduction
1. The Global Proliferation of Suicide Missions
2. Al Qaeda and the Primacy of Suicide Attacks
3. Salafi Jihad and the Veneration of Martyrdom
4. From Al Qaeda to Global Jihad
5. Suicide Missions from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan
6. The United Kingdom and the 7/7 Bombings
7. The Rise of Suicide Attacks in Iraq
Conclusion
Appendix: Ideological Affliation of Groups That HaveConducted Suicide Attacks from 1981 to 2007
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Author Bio
Assaf Moghadam
Featured Contributor

Assaf Moghadam

Assaf Moghadam is Senior Lecturer at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel. He is the author of The Roots of Terrorism and coeditor of Fault Lines in Global Jihad: Organizational, Strategic, and Ideological Fissures.