Terrorist in Search of Humanity: Militant Islam and Global Politics

Terrorist in Search of Humanity: Militant Islam and Global Politics
ISBN-10
019932669X
ISBN-13
9780199326693
Category
Political Science
Pages
241
Language
English
Published
2009
Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Author
Faisal Devji

Description

Faisal Devji argues that new forms of militancy, such as the actions of al-Qaeda, are informed by the same desire for agency and equality that animates other humanitarian interventions, such as environmentalism and pacifism. To the militant, victimized Muslims are more than just symbols of ethnic and religious persecution-they represent humanity's centuries-long struggle for legitimacy and agency. Acts of terror, therefore, are fueled by the militant's desire to become a historical actor on the global stage. Though they have yet to build concrete political institutions, militant movements have formed a kind of global society, and as Devji makes clear, this society pursues the same humanitarian objectives that drive more benevolent groups.

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