ISIS
A Salafi Salad: Jihadism, Takfirism, and the Use of Violence
“No Single Definition for Salafism, AJCS’ Conference Finds (!)” This was the oddly bold caption headlining the 2014 conference report on “Salafism in the Arab World” (sub-title: “Perceptions, Trends and Groups”), hosted by the al-Jazeera “Center for...
ISIS and the Cleansing of a Culture
“Nothing is safe from the cultural cleansing under way in the country: it targets human lives, minorities, and is marked by the systematic destruction of humanity’s ancient heritage.” – Irina Bukova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific...
No Turkish Delight for U.S.
Turkey’s relationship with violent extremist group ISIS might generously be described as “permissive” - less generously, “complicit.” Not only has Turkey adopted a relaxed stance toward ISIS, some claim it has actively aided and abetted the terror...
The Tangled Roots of ISIS
The belief that the Iraq war was a monumental blunder is now widely held. In the public mind, the decision to dethrone Saddam Hussein has also become a ready explanation for nearly every ill to befall the world since. The latest baleful effect...
Extremists Compete for Control in Libya
The February beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by ISIS-alligned extremists in Libya grabbed international headlines, as did the reality that ISIS’s influence had spread far beyond Syria and Iraq. Since the beginning of 2015, forces loyal to...
Grooming the Next Generation of ISIS Terror
In the string of grisly videos released in the past seven months, beginning with ISIS’ execution of James Foley through the February beheading of 21 Coptic Christians, there is one that haunts me most. It is not one that showcases the devastating...
Girls in CrISIS
Glasgow girl, Aqsa Mahmoud, wrote on Tumblr from Syria: “The media at first used to [portray] the ones running away to join the Jihad [holy war] as being unsuccessful, [and say that they] didn’t have a future and [came] from broke down families etc...
Female Suicide Bombers: What Makes Them Tick?
At one time, it was assumed that it was impossible to study the motives of women who sacrifice their lives during acts of terror, simply because those instances were so rare and isolated. However, as female participation in suicide bombings has...
Qutb: In His Own Words
Sayyid Qutb, (1906-1966) was a prominent Egyptian author and the intellectual father of modern jihadism. Following are representative examples of the frequently violent, divisive and extremist rhetoric characteristic of the man who became an icon of...
Broadening the Cybercrime Front
As evidenced by the recent cyberattack against Sony Pictures, acts of cyberterrorism are increasingly being committed by state actors. From mid-2012 to early 2013, a group called the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters launched more than 200...
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