Al Qaeda's Global Crisis - The Islamic State, Takfir and the Genocide of Muslims (Hardcover)

This book highlights the ideological and practical crises now challenging Central Al Qaeda with regard to global perceptions of its credibility, viability, and profile as a leader among Islamist jihadist organizations.

These crises are, it is argued here, directly related to Central AQ s highly visible affiliation with the excessively violent, mass terror attacks against Muslims of all sects in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and now in Syria in the decade since 9/11. AQ has made several public statements justifying those attacks through its interpretations of the Islamic jurisprudence of 'takfir', which allows one Muslim to declare another as inappropriately practising Islam to the degree that s/he can be declared an unbeliever (kufr) and excommunicated from the global community of Muslims (Ummah). In its public statements, Central AQ underscores that its attacks against and killing of Muslims is a necessary evil that must be condoned in order to realize a greater, more collective good for Muslims this includes establishing a transnational, pan-Islamic caliphate comprised of 'true believers'. The book argues that AQ s reputation now is being compromised by its public support of the increasingly radical (mis)appropriations of takfir executed by its Islamist associates fighting in the civil wars in Asia and the Middle East.

Crises in Al Qaeda s Global Jihad investigates these crises by exploring the development of Central AQ s very complex relationship with radical (mis)appropriations and manifestations of takfir. It then investigates Central AQ s unique relationship with each of its affiliates in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria to explore AQ s relationship to the takfiris and the unique development of takfir in each of those spaces. The author then goes on to consider how the prominence of takfir in AQ-affiliated jihadist activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and now emerging in Syria is affecting negatively perceptions of AQ s credibility as an Islamist terror organization, and concludes by examining how AQ s association with radical manifestations of takfir in the post-9/11 era may compromise its long-term viability.

This book will be of much interest to students of political violence and terrorism, Islamism, global security and IR."