Landscapes of the Jihad : militancy, morality, modernity / Faisal Devji.

Abstract: “Landscapes of the Jihad explores the features that Al Qaeda and other strands of militant Islam share in common with global movements such as environmentalists and anti-globalization protesters. These include a decentralized organization and an emphasis on ethical rather than properly political action. Devji brings these and other characteristics of Al Qaeda together in an analysis of the jihad that locates it squarely within the transformation of political thought after the Cold War." "The jihad emerges from the breakdown of traditional as well as modern forms of authority in the Muslim world. It is neither dogmatic in an old fashioned way nor ideological in the modern sense, and concerned neither with correct doctrinal practice in the present nor with some revolutionary utopia of the future. Instead it is fragmented, dispersed and highly individualistic”.

Contents: Acknowledgements—Preface—Chapters—1. Effects without causes—2. A democratic history of holy war—3. Monotheistic geographices—4. Media and martyrdom—5. The death of God—6. New world order—Notes—Index.