Extremism, Terrorism and Islam: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Abstract

A conceptual characterisation of extremism at the outset is followed by an outline of its principal indicators and types, such as the fanatic pursuit of one particular view. The extremist tends to be self-righteous, power-hungry, willing to inflict harm and hardship on others, and also inclined to conflate the order of values. Then follows an exposition of the varieties of extremism and a review also of the Islamic sources concerning them. There are references in this connection to Arab Spring, ISIS, Boko Haram and Charlie Hebdo, and then a review of expert opinion, policy scenarios and responses to extremism and terror. The article concludes with a set of actionable recommendations.