Why Has Al-Qaeda Lasted 20 Years? -- Middle East Forum
For 20 years, al-Qaeda has survived and spurred dozens of smaller clones. This 'success' reflects the enabling conditions that breed militants and militancy, If we don’t want to go through this again 20 years from now, we would do well to grasp and change the wider degrading conditions that feed recruits into terror movements, says Rami Khouri.
BEIRUT -- It was almost exactly 20 years ago this month that Al-Qaeda was born in Afghanistan, as a movement of zealous holy warriors that was prepared to fight and die to protect the Islamic umma, or community, from foreign assault. The Russian occupation of Afghanistan was the immediate catalyst that sparked its creation, though the formative motivations sending thousands of young men from Arab and Asian lands to join the jihad were usually anchored in local events and personal experiences.
The several phenomena that Al-Qaeda represents -- defensive jihad, militant self-assertion, a puritanical interpretation of religious doctrine, cosmic theologi
BEIRUT -- It was almost exactly 20 years ago this month that Al-Qaeda was born in Afghanistan, as a movement of zealous holy warriors that was prepared to fight and die to protect the Islamic umma, or community, from foreign assault. The Russian occupation of Afghanistan was the immediate catalyst that sparked its creation, though the formative motivations sending thousands of young men from Arab and Asian lands to join the jihad were usually anchored in local events and personal experiences.
The several phenomena that Al-Qaeda represents -- defensive jihad, militant self-assertion, a puritanical interpretation of religious doctrine, cosmic theologi
BEIRUT -- It was almost exactly 20 years ago this month that Al-Qaeda was born in Afghanistan, as a movement of zealous holy warriors that was prepared to fight and die to protect the Islamic umma, or community, from foreign assault. The Russian occupation of Afghanistan was the immediate catalyst that sparked its creation, though the formative motivations sending thousands of young men from Arab and Asian lands to join the jihad were usually anchored in local events and personal experiences.
The several phenomena that Al-Qaeda represents -- defensive jihad, militant self-assertion, a puritanical interpretation of religious doctrine, cosmic theological battle, and political struggle to purify tainted Islamic societies -- appeal to a wide variety of individuals who gravitate to its call in the same manner that zealots join any of other such movements of true believers.
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My Comment: Al Aaeda and its offshoots are going to be with us for a very long time. My yet to be born grand children will be contending with them in the future.
The several phenomena that Al-Qaeda represents -- defensive jihad, militant self-assertion, a puritanical interpretation of religious doctrine, cosmic theological battle, and political struggle to purify tainted Islamic societies -- appeal to a wide variety of individuals who gravitate to its call in the same manner that zealots join any of other such movements of true believers.
Read more ....
My Comment: Al Aaeda and its offshoots are going to be with us for a very long time. My yet to be born grand children will be contending with them in the future.