The
Globalization of Martyrdom: Al Qaeda, Salafi Jihad, and the
Diffusion of Suicide Attacks (Johns Hopkins University Press,
2008), by Assaf Moghadam
This groundbreaking volume examines the rise
and spread of suicide attacks over the past decade. Sorting
through 1,270 terror strikes between 1981 and 2007, Assaf Moghadam
attributes their recent proliferation to the mutually related
ascendance of al Qaeda and its guiding ideology, Salafi Jihad,
an extreme interpretation of Islam that rejects national boundaries
and seeks to create a global Muslim community. In exploring
the roots of the extreme radicalization represented by Salafism,
Moghadam finds many causes, including Western dominance in the
Arab world, the physical diffusion of Salafi institutions and
actors, and the element of opportunity created by the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan. He uses individual examples from the
Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Europe to show how the elite
leaders of al Qaeda and affiliated groups and their foot soldiers
interact with one another and how they garner support—and
a growing number of converts and attackers—from the Muslim
community. Based on over a decade of empirical research and
a critical examination of existing thought on suicide attacks,
Moghadam distinguishes the key characteristics separating globalized
suicide strikes from the traditional, localized pattern that
previously prevailed. This unflinching analysis provides new
information about the relationship between ideology and suicide
attacks and recommends policies focused on containing Salafi
Jihadism.
Praise for The Globalization of Martyrdom:
"A rigorous and important examination of suicide attacks
executed by Osama bin Laden and the movement he inspires. This
timely book is a valuable contribution to an improved understanding
of suicide attacks, terrorism, and Al Qaeda alike, and provides
plausible policy recommendations to help stem the further spread
of this tactic."—General (ret.) John P. Abizaid,
former commander, United States Central Command
"One of the most thorough and important works available
on this often misunderstood subject. Assaf Moghadam's authoritative
study provides a welcome corrective to many of the canards and
misperceptions that unfortunately comprise at least some of
the conventional wisdom regarding suicide terrorism. The author's
masterful treatment of this phenomenon's history and its contemporary
growth and evolution, alongside his incisive analysis and perceptive
policy recommendations, makes The Globalization of Martyrdom
a welcome and seminal contribution to the field of terrorism
studies."—Bruce Hoffman, School of Foreign Service,
Georgetown University, author of Inside Terrorism
"This book is a 'must read' for all concerned with post-9/11
terrorism. Assaf Moghadam has broken new ground with this highly
original analysis of the globalization of suicide attacks by
al Qaeda and the Salafi Jihadist movement. Thoroughly researched
and fully documented, the author brings to light the central
role that ideology plays as an enabler in the escalation of
this particularly insidious form of terrorism. This is clearly
demonstrated in those insightful chapters discussing such complex
concepts as takfir, tawhid, and istishhad. Moghadam's empirical
analysis leaves no doubt that al Qaeda and the Salafi Jihad
movement has over the last several years moved suicide terrorism
to center stage in their global ideological fight with the West.
This fine book concludes with thoughtful recommendations on
ways to counter this challenge."—Richard H. Shultz,
Jr., The Fletcher School, Tufts University
"This is an authoritative and updated study on suicide
attacks that is better than any other research published in
the field. Moghadam offers a clear conceptualization of a complicated
phenomenon and a fascinating historical background of the various
manifestations of suicide in political contexts."—Ami
Pedahzur, University of Texas, Austin
"A tour de force by an important new contributor to terrorism
studies. This learned corrective to the received wisdom on suicide
attacks shows that military occupation alone fails to account
for their proliferation. Moghadam’s conclusion that the
fight against suicide missions should involve counter-ideological
strategies will greatly enhance international security."—Jessica
E. Stern, Harvard Law School
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