Terrorism: Al-Qaeda

Terrorism
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Terrorism: Al-Qaeda
Introduction
Al-Qaeda is one of the most renowned terrorist groups in the world. The Al Qaeda movement has its roots in the anti-Soviet movement in Afghanistan that happened in the 1980s (Byman, 2015). The defeat of the Soviet Union gave life to the group, and an opportunity presented itself for the leadership of Osama Bin Laden to assume control. Compared to other terrorist groups, Al Qaeda was by far one of the most organized terrorist groups that ran a near flawless operation for years. One thing that stood out about Al Qaeda is how it merged ideology and terrorism and made sure that its message and brand reached the furthest ends of the world. The group was able to carry out some of the most devastating attacks on the U.S. and its allies while also using the same attacks to enhance its profile and agenda. Examples of the attacks it carried out include the twin attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7th 1998 as well as the 9/11 attack in the U.S. However, despite the group’s seemingly flawless approach to its operations, the U.S. counterterrorism efforts soon bore fruit and managed to curb its spread and destroy its bases. Therefore, against the background provided above, this paper seeks to discuss the main inspiration of Al Qaeda and how this inspiration served as a means to recruit and catalyst for collective action. Further, the paper will address the communication means of the group as well as the individual-level psychological concepts and group-level drivers for political violence in the form of terrorism.
What is the inspiration?
As already indicated, AL Qaeda was a group that made proper use of ideology to help champion its agenda. The group was inspired by a utopian idea known as the Umma. According to Burke (2004), Al Qaeda sought to establish a ‘global community of believers’ of the Muslim faith. These sentiments are echoed by Schmid (2014), who indicates that the Ummah is an imagined community where the Muslims live together under one caliphate. Further, Schmid notes that though the idea might seem far from achievable, it persists even today and is believed by many Muslims. Al Qaeda conjured up narratives around the idea of this society as they sought to influence as many people as they could. The shocking thing about all this is that there were areas earmarked for this monumental goal. Burke (2004) identifies the Middle East, North Africa (bordering the Mediterranean), Central Asia, Andalusia, Islamic territories in the Far East, and some parts of the Balkans as the areas that were to belong to this community of believers. Therefore, though there have been many stories and misconceptions about Al Qaeda’s motivations, they mainly sought to establish this society, and the U.S. and the West happened to be in the way of their realization of this dream/goal.
Recruitment of Individuals and a Catalyst for Collective Action
One of the ways that the inspiration for an Umma served as a means of recruitment of individuals is by gifting them a sense of purpose and direction. Venhaus (2010) notes that a majority of the young men who joined Al Qaeda showcased an “emotional struggle for purpose, di...