Are Islamic Militant Groups a Product of Religion?

Abstract

For centuries, religion has been manipulated and deliberately misused by regimes, followers, and fundamentalist groups as a tool to mobilize the masses and to justify wars. Since the Afghan war (1978–1992) and Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979, however, Muslim societies have witnessed successive waves of populist Islamic militant groups, funded and supported by local donors and foreign regimes. These groups share similar motives and goals, and regardless of where they operate, their use of violence is a common trait. Although proclaiming as their goals the fight against Western hegemony and the establishment of an Islamic state, most such groups have fallen victim to manipulation and exploitation by regional and global players. In reality, the thirst for funding and support has pressured these groups to compromise their moral and religious values, and they are assimilated into regional and global political schemes.