Running head: RADICAL ISLAM AND TERROR ORGANIZATIONS 1
CJUS820 week 3 Advanced Topics in Terrorism and Intelligence
Radical Islam and Terror Organizations
Discuss the rise of radical Islam and the flourishing of terror organizations such as ISIS and al-
Qaeda. Additionally, you will also need to discuss the development of the Muslim Brotherhood
and the role that they play within the rise of radical Islam throughout the Middle East. Please be
sure to specifically discuss various leaders within these organizations and the impact that they
specifically may have had upon the rise of radical Islam.
RADICAL ISLAM AND TERROR ORGANIZATIONS 2
Radical Islam and Terror Organizations
Radicalization describes practices and explanations in Islam that emphasize inflexibility
and bigotry to alternative views. Radical Islam disavows acts of modernity among its members
as well as non-Muslims. More than a decade ago, the West, particularly the United States,
denounced the rise of Islam in different Arab states, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other
Muslim countries (Azzam, 2007). In the process, it overlooked the growth of Islamic extremism
throughout the Muslim world. Powerful and deleterious violent extremist groups grew their
prominence and opened avenues for newer forms of terrorism, such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic
RADICAL ISLAM AND TERROR ORGANIZATIONS 3
State. Many followers accepted to become jihadists and joined or started extremist entities to
oppose and attack their home countries.
While Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) represent the centerpieces of terrorist threats
to the United States and its allies, they are only one of the elements of the extensive worldwide
radical Islamist groups. Al-Qaeda emerged during the 1980s and claimed responsibility for
numerous deadly attacks in Arab nations and the United States and its allies (Rabasa, 2009). The
federal government waged war against jihadist militants, particularly Al Qaeda and its leaders,
following a series of attacks on U.S. soil, such as the September 11. Osama bin Laden led the
group’s activities in the Islamic world and foreign groups, attempting to intimidate and coerce
the U.S. government until his demise in 2011 (International Crisis Group, 2016). The relentless
and potent U.S. forces took him out in his hideout during a secret operation in Pakistan. The
militant group vowed to continue running and appointed Ayman al-Zawahiri in June 2011 and
continues to lead the group to date (International Crisis Group, 2016). Al-Zawahiri protested
America’s elimination of Laden by mobilizing Islamic militants to abduct American tourists
indiscriminately. In 2018, the federal government continued its efforts to weaken and eliminate
al Qaeda by killing Laden’s youngest son, Hamza bin Laden, in an airstrike.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi founded the Islamic State (ISIS) in 1999, which continued to
conduct terror activities in Arab nations until 2014, when the group earned massive global
recognition. ISIS or ISIL suddenly turned into a force to reckon as it captured nearly a third of
Syria and 40% of Iraq. However, it lost prominence and more than 95% of its territories by the
end of 2017; it had executed widespread and far-reaching terror activities in the Middle East,
North Africa, and other parts of the world through allied terrorist networks (Glenn et al., 2019).
The leader and founder, Al-Zarqawi, was on the frontline of al Qaeda operations in the early
RADICAL ISLAM AND TERROR ORGANIZATIONS 4
2000s as a loyal follower of Osama bin Laden. He responded to the war against terror by leading
operations in Iraq to resist the invasion of the American and British troops. Al-Zarqawi also
engineered the transformation of al Qaeda into the new outfit called the Islamic State (ISIS) in
2004 (Glenn et al., 2019). However, the U.S. airstrike eliminated him in late 2006, forcing
various prominent Islamic militant group members to disappear into hiding until U.S.
intelligence unearthed and killed Osama in 2011.
The Muslim Brotherhood is another enterprise that critically inspired the rise and spread
of radical Islam. Hasan al-Banna, a 22-year-old elementary teacher, incepted the Muslim
Brotherhood in 1928 after the Ottoman Empire collapsed, inspiring various Islamic revival
movements (Laub, 2019). Al-Banna also founded the Islamism conception by popularising the
ideology that Islam goes beyond a religious group to incorporate a sophisticated way of life. The
movement tried to transform Egypt’s governance by requiring the country to function according
to the Islamic law (sharia). The government banned the Brotherhood in 1954, sparking attempts
by members like Abdul Munim Abdul to try to slay the Egyptian president Nasser (Laub, 2019).
The leaders persistently planned to assassinate Nasser, forcing the government to execute them
in 1966 and imprisoning others. In 1979, the Muslim Brotherhood turned against president
Anwar-as-Sadat after entering a peace deal with Israel, which led to his elimination in 1981
(Laub, 2019). The Brotherhood has continued to shape Egyptian politics over the decades,
registering its biggest success in 2011/2012 after winning parliamentary and presidential
election. Mohamed Morsi was triumphant in the presidential elections in 2012, managing to
enact a new constitution that was founded on Islamic law.
Overall, the bible offers profound insight into true brotherhood, contradicting the
activities and goals of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Holy Scripture shares the message of love,
RADICAL ISLAM AND TERROR ORGANIZATIONS 5
support, endurance, kindness, and compassion toward brothers. People should learn to cherish
one another (1 John 3:11). People should seek harmony when they have a dispute with their
brothers instead of violence. The book asserts that people should slowly dialogue with someone
at fault and resolve the issue amicably (Matthew 18:15). However, the Muslim Brotherhood used
violence, coercion, and intimidation as its weapon.
Respectfully,
Al
Reference
Azzam, M. (2007). The Radicalization of Muslim Communities in Europe: Local and Global
Dimensions. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 13(2), 123–134.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24590574
International Crisis Group. (2016, March 14). Exploiting disorder: al-Qaeda and the Islamic
State. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/exploiting-
disorder-al-qaeda-and-islamic-state
Laub, Z. (2019, August 15). Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Council on Foreign Relations.
Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/egypts-muslim-
brotherhood
Rabasa, A. (2009). Radical Islam in East Africa (1st ed.). RAND Corporation.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/mg782af
Glenn, C., Rowan, M., Caves, J., & Nada, G. (2019, October 28). Timeline: The rise, spread, and
fall of the Islamic State. Wilson Center. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
