Tag: Takfiris

English, Extremism

Takfiri Islamist Extremism in 2017: The Ten Deadliest Countries

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Violent Takfiri Islamist extremism struck 66 countries in eight regions in 2017. It claimed the lives of at least 84,023 people. Its grip reached every corner of the world. Islamist violence inspired people in countries from Russia and the United States to Mozambique, Austria and Gabon. Because this extremist violence did not affect all geographies equally, it is necessary to explore the distinct ways in which extremism manifested itself in different environments. Extremist ideology is the key driver of this violence, but unique social, political and economic contexts also affect the directions extremists take.1 Factoring in all these elements, the … Continue reading Takfiri Islamist Extremism in 2017: The Ten Deadliest Countries

English, Extremism

Who are the Taliban? – Thomas Ruttig

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The Taliban (meaning ‘students’ in Pashtun) is a jihadi movement based in Afghanistan, which ruled the country as ‘the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ between 1996 and 2001. The movement mainly emanated from Deobandi Islamist madrassas in Pakistan and received significant financial support from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. Localised “Taliban fronts” emerged within different mujahedin tanzim from the early 1980s onwards, particularly in Afghanistan’s south. They were organised by ulema or mullahs who mobilised their students into mujahedin fronts, and mainly fought autonomously. One of those petty commanders was Mullah Muhammad Omar who ran a sharia court and a small front just … Continue reading Who are the Taliban? – Thomas Ruttig

Diversity, English, Extremism

How Takfiri Islamist Extremists Target Civilians

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The Global Extremism Monitor (GEM) in 2017 recorded 6,310 civilian deaths deliberately caused by 47 violent Islamist militant groups in 1,510 attacks across 28 countries. In a manifestation of a brutal and warped ideology, these militant groups used calculated violence with varying objectives to target areas where members of the public can be reached and harmed. Using various statistical measures, the GEM has revealed significant differences between violent Islamist extremist groups operating in today’s fiercest conflicts. This chapter focuses on the violence administered by the most organised and distinct violent Takfiri Islamist organisations. The violence used by the Takfiri Islamist … Continue reading How Takfiri Islamist Extremists Target Civilians

Diversity, English, Extremism

Why Do Takfiris Destroy Historic Sites? – Mubaraz Ahmed

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The Temple of Bel in Palmyra, considered to be one of the most well-preserved structures in the ancient city, has joined the growing list of historic sites to be razed by ISIS. In 2015, satellite images released by the UN showing before and after the demolition reveal the sheer scale of the devestation. The city is one of the ancient world’s most important cultural centres and has stood for 2000 years. But ISIS’ actions are not just acts of extreme vandalism. The destruction is part of an overall strategy and ISIS makes clear that, in its eyes, it is religiously justifiable. In … Continue reading Why Do Takfiris Destroy Historic Sites? – Mubaraz Ahmed

Diversity, English, Extremism

ISIS Magazine Targets Sunni ‘Apostates’

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In the 2016 edition of Dabiq, ISIS takes aim at both Islamists and mainstream Sunni Muslim scholars. The issue presents edicts from medieval Muslim theologian Ibn Taymiyya, which sanctioned violence against the Muslim Mongols, as justifying war against fellow Sunni and Sufi Muslims. The view of Ibn Taymiyyah are often promoted by Takfiri Islamist groups within Salafi/Wahhabi and Deobandi sub-branches of Sunni Islam. ISIS, Taliban, Al Qaeda and other similar groups promote a Takfiri ideology and attack Sunni and Shia Muslims alike. Carrying the image of the deposed Muslim Brotherhood President of Egypt Mohammad Morsi with the heading ‘The Murtadd Brotherhood” (the apostate brotherhood), the tone of … Continue reading ISIS Magazine Targets Sunni ‘Apostates’

English, Extremism, Sufism

Sufism: An Alternative to Extremism? – Sarah Feuer

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On a quiet street parallel to the old city of Marrakesh, behind a large, beautifully crafted wooden door, is the Munya Association for the Preservation and Revitalization of Moroccan Heritage (Munya). It is little known, but for the founder and patrons, this small cultural association is a front line in the battle against Islamist extremism. I visited Munya one evening in early February. A group of twenty teenagers were seated in a semi-circle of chairs facing a young man donning a red skullcap and draped in a djallaba, the traditional robe worn by men and women throughout North Africa. He … Continue reading Sufism: An Alternative to Extremism? – Sarah Feuer

English, Extremism, Sufism

Takfiris’ Attacks on Pakistan’s Sufi Shrines

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The 2016 ISIS-claimed attack on a well-known Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan, which killed more than 80 people, once more demonstrated the violent ideology of the Takfiri jihadi group. While ISIS purports to be the vanguard of the Ummah, or global Muslim community, it is Muslims who are chiefly the victims of its violence. Sufi shrines are revered by both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Such shrines and Sufi leaders have been regularly attacked by Takfiri Islamist groups such as Al Qaeda, Taliban, ISIS, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other militant groups found within sections of Salafi/Wahhabi and Deobandi sub-branches of Sunni Islam. The attack was not … Continue reading Takfiris’ Attacks on Pakistan’s Sufi Shrines

English, Extremism, Sufism

What Is Sufism? – Mubaraz Ahmed

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Sufism may be best described as Islamic mysticism or asceticism, which through belief and practice helps Muslims attain nearness to Allah by way of direct personal experience of God. While there are other suggested origins of the term Sufi, the word is largely believed to stem from the Arabic word suf, which refers to the wool that was traditionally worn by mystics and ascetics. Belief in pursuing a path that leads to closeness with God, ultimately through encountering the divine in the hereafter, is a fundamental component of Islamic belief. However, in Sufi thought this proximity can be realised in this life. … Continue reading What Is Sufism? – Mubaraz Ahmed

Diversity, English, Extremism

Unsophisticated and naive? Fragmenting monolithic understandings of Islam

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Jawad Syed and Edwina Pio Abstract Mainstream academic literature and media use the word ‘Islam’ or ‘Muslim’ in a monolithic manner that implies internal homogeneity. However, the Islamic faith is subject to multiple interpretations, with multiple types of Muslims who practice Islam based on their ideological interpretations, sect, ethnicity and gender. Drawing on a review of literatures on Islam and Muslims from diverse fields such as religion, gender, diversity and extremism, we present a taxonomy of different types of Muslims, and highlight implications for management, organizations and governance. We trace ideological sources of divergence among variants of Islam and analyze … Continue reading Unsophisticated and naive? Fragmenting monolithic understandings of Islam

English, Extremism

More thoughts on Takfir – Tahir Kamran

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The News, June 29, 2014 My last column ‘Takfir and terrorism’ evoked some responses which were brusque in articulation but well-meaning in intent and purpose. Some pointed out the column’s ‘inadequacies’ with candour. These responses, however, goaded me to reflect on the matter of takfir afresh, and also to deliberate on the process of it taking the centrestage of Muslim hermeneutics by the last years of the 19th century. This article aims to address these issues in the light of these responses, underscoring takfir in the South Asian perspective. One critique alluded to the flaw in the context in which the … Continue reading More thoughts on Takfir – Tahir Kamran