The Jihadist Mind

In a recent edition of the Jerusalem Post, Tawfik Hamid recounts his journey into and out of Jihadism. He begins "The Development of a Jihadist's Mind," with this:

What occupies the mind of a jihad-driven Muslim? How is such fervor planted in young and impressionable believers? Where does it originate? How did I - once an innocent child who grew up in a liberal, moderate and educated household - find myself a member of a radical Islamic group? These questions go to the root of Islamic violence and must be addressed if free societies are to combat radical Islam. To further this aim, I will explore the psychological development of a jihadi's mind through my own firsthand experience as a former member of a Muslim terrorist organization.

The Gypsy Scholar (Jeff Hodges, assistant professor of English at Kyung Hee University in Seoul), who put me on to the article, draws these conclusions regarding Zawahiri and his Jihadist movement:

First, he hates the West primarily because of the freedom that it gives women rather than keeping them covered in hijab and beaten into submission. Second, he wants Islam to dominate the West and the entire non-Muslim world and force everyone to submit to Muslim law. Third, he encourages a worldwide jihad carried out by each individual Muslim as a means toward achieving Islam's domination over the world. Whatever additional motives Zawahiri and other Islamists might have, we should never forget that the Al Qaeda and many other such Islamist groups share the imperialist aim of radical Islamic rule over all non-Muslims.

Read the article and the post for insights on how to disarm this evil movement.