Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security
The Rise of Muslim Foreign Fighters: Islam and the Globalization of Jihad
Summary
Why has transnational war volunteering increased so dramatically in the Muslim world since 1980? Standard explanations, which emphasize U.S.-Saudi support for the 1980s Afghan mujahideen, the growth of Islamism, or the spread of Wahhabism are insufficient. The increase in transnational war volunteering is better explained as the product of a pan-Islamic identity movement that grew strong in the 1970s Arab world from elite competition among exiled Islamists in international Islamic organizations and Muslim regimes. Seeking political relevance and increased budgets, Hijaz-based international activists propagated an alarmist discourse about external threats to the Muslim nation and established a global network of Islamic charities. This "soft" pan-Islamic discourse and network enabled Arabs invested in the 1980s Afghanistan war to recruit fighters in the name of inter-Muslim solidarity. The Arab-Afghan mobilization in turn produced a foreign fighter movement that still exists today, as a phenomenon partly distinct from al-Qaida. The analysis relies on a new data set on foreign fighter mobilizations, rare sources in Arabic, and interviews with former activists.
For more information on this publication:
Please contact
International Security
For Academic Citation:
Hegghammer, Thomas. “The Rise of Muslim Foreign Fighters: Islam and the Globalization of Jihad.” Quarterly Journal: International Security, vol. 35. no. 3. (Winter 2010/11): 53-94 .
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions
- The Atlantic
The Proud Boys Love a Winner
Analysis & Opinions
- Foreign Policy
Was Henry Kissinger Really a Realist?
Analysis & Opinions
- War on the Rocks
Cancelling the New Sea-launched Nuclear Cruise Missile is the Right Move
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Journal Article
- Research Policy
The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Analysis & Opinions
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
AI and Trust
Policy Brief
- Quarterly Journal: International Security
Nonfatal Casualties and the Changing Costs of War
Summary
Why has transnational war volunteering increased so dramatically in the Muslim world since 1980? Standard explanations, which emphasize U.S.-Saudi support for the 1980s Afghan mujahideen, the growth of Islamism, or the spread of Wahhabism are insufficient. The increase in transnational war volunteering is better explained as the product of a pan-Islamic identity movement that grew strong in the 1970s Arab world from elite competition among exiled Islamists in international Islamic organizations and Muslim regimes. Seeking political relevance and increased budgets, Hijaz-based international activists propagated an alarmist discourse about external threats to the Muslim nation and established a global network of Islamic charities. This "soft" pan-Islamic discourse and network enabled Arabs invested in the 1980s Afghanistan war to recruit fighters in the name of inter-Muslim solidarity. The Arab-Afghan mobilization in turn produced a foreign fighter movement that still exists today, as a phenomenon partly distinct from al-Qaida. The analysis relies on a new data set on foreign fighter mobilizations, rare sources in Arabic, and interviews with former activists.
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions - The Atlantic
The Proud Boys Love a Winner
Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy
Was Henry Kissinger Really a Realist?
Analysis & Opinions - War on the Rocks
Cancelling the New Sea-launched Nuclear Cruise Missile is the Right Move
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Journal Article - Research Policy
The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Analysis & Opinions - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
AI and Trust
Policy Brief - Quarterly Journal: International Security
Nonfatal Casualties and the Changing Costs of War