This is the final text of the trilogy consisting of Jihad in Trinidad and Tobago and Exiting a Racist Worldview. The text presents a deconstruction of Islamic discourse with specific reference to jihad (military engagement) and the shahid (martyr). The Al Qaeda discourse of the greater kufr is deconstructed to expose its antecedents in militarist Islamic discourse born out of the contradiction between Islam and western capitalist colonial imperialism. Primary to the development of the discourse of military engagement with the west is the discourse of Pakistani thinkers deconstructed in the text. The discourse of Al Qaeda is then the product of contradiction between Islam and western imperialism and hegemony. Thereby constituting the most potent threat to Islam since the crusades as manifested in the discourse of Al Qaeda.

This is the final text of the trilogy consisting of Jihad in Trinidad and Tobago and Exiting a Racist Worldview. The text presents a deconstruction of Islamic discourse with specific reference to jihad (military engagement) and the shahid (martyr). The Al Qaeda discourse of the greater kufr is deconstructed to expose its antecedents in militarist Islamic discourse born out of the contradiction between Islam and western capitalist colonial imperialism. Primary to the development of the discourse of military engagement with the west is the discourse of Pakistani thinkers deconstructed in the text. The discourse of Al Qaeda is then the product of contradiction between Islam and western imperialism and hegemony. Thereby constituting the most potent threat to Islam since the crusades as manifested in the discourse of Al Qaeda.

Ever since it was first established, the senior leadership of Al-Qaeda has sought to communicate its core values, rationalizations, and principles to the world. Altogether, these statements convey Al-Qaeda's doctrine and the beliefs for which the leadership claims to be fighting. This volume in the New Directions in Terrorism Studies series analyzes over 250 statements made by the organization's two key leaders, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Usama Bin Ladin, over the last two decades. It provides an in-depth and systematic analysis of these communications, showing which key issues emphasized by the two leaders evolved over time and highlighting their core principles. It explore Al-Qaeda's problem diagnosis, the solutions offered by its two leaders, their escalating --although often contradictory-- approach towards violence, and their chosen communication strategy for different types of audiences. The book shows how Al-Qaeda's leadership began to develop an increasingly critical approach towards Islam in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and discusses tensions that may undermine the resilience of its doctrine. This unique evidence-based analysis of Al-Qaeda will attract academics specializing in terrorism and counterterrorism as well as the policy community.

This work is a deconstruction of Salafi Jihadi discourse in the 21st century with special emphasis on the works in English of Muhammad Maqdisi and Anwar al-Awlaki. The work reveals the diversity of strategic positions that exist with reference to war with/on the West, the role of the Muslim minority of the West in this war and the fact that the prime focus of Salafi Jihadi praxis is hegemony over the Muslim lands. The prime focus of Salafi Jihadi strategy in the 21st century is not war on/with the West but the purging of the apostates from the Muslim lands. War with/on the West is then necessay because of the hegemony of the West over the Muslim lands in alliance with the apostates.The most potent reality exposed is a Salafi Jihadi apocalyptic end time discourse that drives extremism especially in the discourse of Anwar al-Awlaki.

This book analyses Mexican Transnational Trafficking Organisations (MTTOs) organised crime enterprises in Belize with specific emphasis on human smuggling and the joint organised crime enterprises with politicians and public servants. The driving discourse of the book insists that the failure of the Belizean state to resist the assault of transnational organised crime lies in the failure of its imported and imposed Westminster model of government to form an organic bond with the neo-colonial plantation social order since independence. And that the discourse of corruption is inadequate to the task of unraveling the reality of this Frankenstein monster seeking to pass itself of as a modern North Atlantic state.

There is currently much discussion regarding the causes of terrorist acts, as well as the connection between terrorism and religion. Terrorism is attributed either to religious 'fanaticism' or, alternately, to political and economic factors, with religion more or less dismissed as a secondary factor. The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Terrorism examines this complex relationship between religion and terrorism phenomenon through a collection of essays freshly written for this volume. Bringing varying approaches to the topic, from the theoretical to the empirical, the Companion includes an array of subjects, such as radicalization, suicide bombing, and rational choice, as well as specific case studies. The result is a richly textured collection that prompts readers to critically consider the cluster of phenomena that we have come to refer to as 'terrorism,' and terrorism's relationship with the similarly problematic set of phenomena that we call 'religion.'

Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking in the Caribbean exposes the nature and structures of illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean. A complex reality is presented which is built upon the lies and deceptions of the war on drugs, the complicity of the elites of the Caribbean with the illicit trade and the failure of the agencies charged with interdicting the illicit trade in the Caribbean. The escalating levels of societal violence, instability, of crime and the stark contrasts of opulence in the midst of grinding poverty all linked to the illicit drug trade are dealt with. The underlying reality of failed states that facilitate illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean with a future of violence and instability is the dominant reality of the Caribbean in the 21st century exposed and explained in this text.

Religious violence is on the rise globally. Hardly a day passes without news of a vicious attack being carried out in the name of religion. Religion can, of course, bring security to many but its perversion leads to insecurity for all. Why is this? How and why do so many claim to act on God’s behalf to inflict deliberate human suffering? In Religion and International Security Lee Marsden explores the return of religion as a major cause of insecurity in the contemporary world. He guides readers through the different theoretical perspectives surrounding the study of religion and security, arguing that the secular bias that marginalized the role played by religion in recent times must change to reflect the realities of the emerging post-secular international order. Packed with examples from around the world, the book offers a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of religion and security through key themes such as religiously motivated and inspired terrorism and warfare, the human security of women and gay people in religiously dominated communities, and the capacity for religious communities and leaders to heal conflict through peacebuilding. For those who would rather deny a role for religion when considering security, the genie is truly out of the bottle. This book seeks to understand this phenomenon and how to come to terms with it.

This book sets out a new analytic methodology: analysis by contrasting narratives (ACN), which states that defining an enemy and attempting to counter threats can contribute to the manifestation of that threat. Peter de Werd applies ACN to the problem the US faced in understanding and responding to the phenomenon of Al Qaeda in the 1990s. He demonstrates how this approach can fill a gap in intelligence studies by enhancing the understanding of complex intelligence problems and strengthening the practice of intelligence analysis. Adopting a reflexivist theoretical stance, the book underlines the importance of an integrated approach to interpretation and action, and of a continuous dialogue between intelligence and policy.

Militant Islam provides a sociological framework for understanding the rise and character of recent Islamic militancy. It takes a systematic approach to the phenomenon and includes analysis of cases from around the world, comparisons with militancy in other religions, and their causes and consequences. The sociological concepts and theories examined in the book include those associated with social closure, social movements, nationalism, risk, fear and ‘de-civilising’. These are applied within three main themes; characteristics of militant Islam, multi-layered causes and the consequences of militancy, in particular Western reactions within the ‘war on terror’. Interrelationships between religious and secular behaviour, ‘terrorism’ and ‘counter-terrorism’, popular support and opposition are explored. Through the examination of examples from across Muslim societies and communities, the analysis challenges the popular tendency to concentrate upon ‘al-Qa’ida’ and the Middle East. This book will be of interest to students of Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, in particular those taking courses on Islam, religion, terrorism, political violence and related regional studies.