Search results

Recent years have witnessed a rapid proliferation of radical Islamist
activity in western Europe, from MI5's claim in 2006 of 30 incipient
"terror plots" and 1,600 individuals under surveillance, to actual
terrorist atrocities in European cities, the most infamous and
deadly of which included the transport network bombings in Madrid in
2003 and in London in 2005. Concomitantly, both the media and the
wider social discourse have been rife with self-appointed punditry
and a plethora of commentators pontificating on European radical
Islam's putative causal factors and remedies. This paper will
attempt to address the complex issues by providing a fuller, more
nuanced understanding of some of the causes and antecedents of
Islamic political radicalism among western European Muslims.

International audience ; Within the last 10 years, the internet has become the principal platform for the dissemination and mediation of the culture and ideology of jihadism. The exponential growth of jihadist fora, with their increasingly 'high-end' production values, sophisticated critiques of prevailing narratives and ostensive attempts at impartiality, do not occur in a vacuum. To a great extent they are reactive, their raison supplied by the mainstream media's perceived collusion with governmental (mis)information, or at least its uncritical acceptance. The jihadist media are far from alone in these critiques and there has been a growing convergence of interests with other non-mainstream media outlets, which are also challenging conventional modes of mediation. This article seeks to explore the functions of the new jihadist media, the ways in which it is granted legitimacy, and the compelling issue of radicalizing efficacy and recruitment.

Within the last 10 years, the internet has become the principal platform for the dissemination and mediation of the culture and ideology of jihadism. The exponential growth of jihadist fora, with their increasingly 'high-end' production values, sophisticated critiques of prevailing narratives and ostensive attempts at impartiality, do not occur in a vacuum. To a great extent they are reactive, their raison d'être supplied by the mainstream media's perceived collusion with governmental (mis)information, or at least its uncritical acceptance. The jihadist media are far from alone in these critiques and there has been a growing convergence of interests with other non-mainstream media outlets, which are also challenging conventional modes of mediation. This article seeks to explore the functions of the new jihadist media, the ways in which it is granted legitimacy, and the compelling issue of radicalizing efficacy and recruitment.

Weaponising the Crusades: justifying terrorism and political violence / AKIL N. AWAN -- Los Caballeros Templarios de Michoacán: Knights Templar identity as a tool for legitimisation and internal discipline / PHIL JAMES -- Medievalism, imagination, and violence: the function and dysfunction of crusading rhetoric in the post-9/11 political world / HILARY RHODES -- The Reconquista revisited: mobilising medieval Iberian history in Spain, Portugal and beyond / TIAGO JOÃO QUEIMADA E SILVA -- The reception of the Crusades in the contemporary Catholic Church: "Purification of memory" or medieval nostalgia? / MARCO GIARDINI -- Philatelic depictions of the Crusades / RACHAEL PYMM -- Wikipedia and the Crusades: constructing and communicating crusading / MIKE HORSWELL -- Engaging the Crusades in context: reflections on the ethics of historical work / SUSANNA A. THROOP

This timely collection of essays examines how jihadist narratives have changed globally. Area and thematic specialists consider transitions inside the Middle East and North Africa as well as in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. As these analyses demonstrate, the success of the ISIS narrative has been as much about resonance with local contexts, as it has been about the appeal of the global idea of a tangible and realized caliphate.

This timely collection of essays examines how jihadist narratives have changed globally. Area and thematic specialists consider transitions inside the Middle East and North Africa as well as in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. As these analyses demonstrate, the success of the ISIS narrative has been as much about resonance with local contexts, as it has been about the appeal of the global idea of a tangible and realized caliphate

Radicalisation has become an important part of the twenty-first-century security and political landscape. It is a seemingly ubiquitous term, employed by academics, policymakers, civil society actors, practitioners and media alike, in ever-expanding ways - describing everything from changing domestic social movements to the growth of international terrorism. This volume provides a comprehensive treatment of 'radicalisation': the processes during which individuals or groups adopt increasingly extreme political, social or religious beliefs, positions or aspirations, particularly in cases associated with the use of violence. Adopting a multifaceted and comparative approach, the contributors interrogate this phenomenon from wide-ranging social, ideological, religious and historical angles. The first part of the book explores how academia has engaged with the concept of radicalisation, including the ontological and epistemological concerns of Critical Terrorism Studies; theoretical models for understanding radicalisation; and approaches to radicalisation through the various lenses of identity, gender, youth and media. The second part explores manifestations of radicalisation through a range of diverse case studies, including the Falun Gong movement; Aum Shinrikyo; Far-Right trans-nationalism; white nationalist lone wolves and the 'Great Replacement' thesis; ISIS and Western jihadists; deradicalisation programmes; hero myths; the Extreme Right in Eastern Europe; and the dark side of globalisation.