The Roots of Militant Islam

2016 Vol. 2: Mar/Apr

Militant Islam has been increasingly on the march for several decades. Their strange sounding names have become commonplace: ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hamas, al-Shabaab, Ansar al-Sharia, Jihad al-Islamiyya, Hizbollah and the Taliban. By listening to and watching Western media, one is left confused and unable to explain these current events: Are these terrorists lone wolves? Are they just plain crazy? Do they represent Muslims at large? Do they follow the teachings of Muhammad? Are they fighting because of economic or political injustice? Where will all of this lead? In this article, I seek to tackle some of these questions by looking into the roots of militant Islam.