De-coding neo-jihadism: The ideological and psychological implications of Islamised radicalism

Sureyya Cicek

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The current jihad movement – “neo-jihadism” – seems to be
    more a product of modern conditions than Islamic traditions. This
    article focusses on the ideological and psychological factors to argue
    three points as to why the jihad concept has changed over time and
    adopted a military endeavour. First, the article discusses the ideological
    challenges – internal and external factors that contribute to this shift of
    conception. Second, the article explores the psychological factors that
    impact this shift of conception. It approaches the discourse around the
    definition of terrorism and its implications then looks at the aims for
    intervention. It also discusses the phases, stages and steps terrorism
    follows. Third, the article argues the issue of radicalisation needs to be
    tackled holistically to identify, apprehend and tackle the root cause of
    this phenomenon. Gülen’s holistic education approach, which is aimed
    at strengthening Muslims’ immune system (particularly the battle for
    youth hearts and minds), is needed to defeat the extremists in the
    battlefield of ideas.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)80-108
    Number of pages29
    JournalAustralian Journal of Islamic Studies
    Volume3
    Issue number1
    Publication statusPublished - 2018

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