What is the Enemy?

Despite the fact that the organisations involved in extremism and violence are well-known, as are their ideological justifications for the actions they undertake, much less is understood by most observers about the individual rationales of their members for the activities that they support. A common conventional assumption is that the rationale for extremist behaviour is rooted in doctrines derived from the Islamic corpus and its alleged propensity for violence. This analysis, however, seeks to demonstrate that a more comprehensive and satisfying explanation is related to historical, social and psychological factors and that, furthermore, the current wave of “Islamic terrorism” differs little from preceding waves of extremist violence that seek to confront and replace the state.