Modern Islamist Movements History, Religion, and Politics By Jon Armajani (Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. 233 pages.)

Abstract

Jon Armajani’s book seeks to explain developments within Islam that have

led to the rise of such radical Islamist groups as al-Qaida and the Taliban. The

text provides an intellectual background for these movements in an attempt

to explain how groups that profess to pursue religious objectives could justify

engaging in horrific acts of terror.

Armajani opens with a thirty-six-page introduction (including notes) in

which he lays out the book’s theoretical foundations. He begins by defining

Islamism as a subset of Islamic fundamentalism. His interest in al-Qaida and

9/11 quickly becomes clear, particularly in his discussion on whether or not

the September 11 attacks could legitimately be viewed as acts of self-defense ...