Jihad in the West The Rise of Militant Salafism

Militant Salafism is one of the most significant movements in politics today. Unfortunately its significance has not been matched by understanding. To begin to address this knowledge deficit this book argues that, rather than the largely unhelpful pursuit of individual 'root causes' offered in much of the literature, we would be better served by looking at the factors that have enabled and facilitated a particular political imaginary. That political imaginary is one that allows individuals to conceive of themselves as integral members of a global battle waged between the forces of Islam and the West, something that lies at the heart of militant Salafism. Frazer Egerton shows how the ubiquity of modern media and the prevalence of movement have allowed for a transformation of existing beliefs into an ideology supportive of militant Salafism against the West amongst Western Muslims.

Introduction; 1. Mad Mullah or freedom fighter? What is a militant Salafist?; 2. What is wrong with these people?; 3. Taking us everywhere: the role of the political imaginary; 4. (Hyper)media and the construction of the militant community; 5. Movement: from actual to ideological; 6. Why me? The role of broader narratives and intermediaries; Conclusion.

Jihad in the West addresses the rise of Al Qaeda-influenced movements in the West. In particular it argues that geographical displacement and the ubiquity of electronic media have facilitated the emergence of global ideological movements including militant Salafism.

Frazer Egerton earned his Ph.D. in International Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He is currently a Research Fellow in the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University, Canada.