1. Why Do Islamist Groups Become Transnational and Violent?
- Author:
- Quinn Mecham
- Publication Date:
- 08-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- MIT Center for International Studies
- Abstract:
- Since al-Qaeda’s rise to prominence as the most commonly rec- ognized Islamist group worldwide, Islamist movements are increasingly viewed as violent, transnational organizations. Most Islamist groups, however, are actually non-violent and focused on the domestic audience of their home countries. They can become both violent and transnational as their domestic contexts and incentives change, however. The reasons that Islamist movements move from non-violence to violence, and from national to transna- tional strategies, have far-reaching implications for the way we deal with Islamist groups and are critical for policymakers to under- stand.
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Violent Extremism, Al Qaeda, transnationalism, and Militant Islam
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus