Extremist Islamic Ideology and Terrorism

Abstract

Ideology is cited as one of several factors contributing to radicalization into violent extremism, yet there remains to be little consensus and limited clarity regarding its relevance to terrorism. Apparent differences in the motivations of individuals that join terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS) further complicate the matter, with many scholars in the field arguing that the lack of uniform ideational and normative commitment among recruits discounts the centrality of ideology to the process. This chapter challenges an all-or-nothing dichotomy present in contemporary studies on ideology and radicalization into violent extremism by demonstrating why ideology matters notwithstanding motivational differences. It shifts away from the predominant yet simplistic understanding of jihadist ideology as a set of religious scripture whose internalization is necessary to radicalization, to a more nuanced understanding of ideology that relates its functionality to the process of radicalization. It argues that radicalization is a process of dis(identification) which can and does produce shifts in behaviors and attitudes notwithstanding differential levels of commitment to and understanding of the ideational content of ideology.