| www.radicalislam.org Islamic terrorism is a term for acts of terrorism committed by extremists who call themselves Muslims for the purpose of achieving varying political and/or religious ends. Islamic Terrorism has been identified as taking place in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States since the 1970's. One of the most well-known militant organizations is Al-Qaeda, which was founded by Osama bin Laden for the stated goals of ending American military presence in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula,[1][2] overthrowing Arab regimes he considers corrupt and insufficiently religious,[1][2] ending American support for Israel,[3][4] and returning East Timor and Kashmir to Muslim rule.[5] One paper has argued that terrorism is explained by the blowback theory, which holds that the presence and influence of empires in Muslim nations has resulted in violence that is resistive and retributive.[6] Others argue that Islamic terrorism is based on a religious misunderstanding of jihad, as a struggle against non-Muslims, and tie it to Islamism. Sociology has also offered various theories of social identity and social categorization to explain why persons turn to acts of terrorism. Islamic terrorist organizations have been known to engage in tactics including suicide attacks, hijackings, threats of violence, kidnapping, execution, and recruiting new members through the internet. The term, (or discourses using the term), have been attacked as ... |
