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'Devji (Landscapes of the Jihad) examines the vitality of militant movements, arguing that in a global society, organizations like al-Qaeda have gathered meaning and strength in an 'institutional vacuum.' The author classifies pacifism and environmentalism as 'intellectual peers' of militant Islam: they transcend traditional nation states and ideologies by identifying with 'planetary ideals' like human rights and humanitarianism just as militant Islam does this by 'identifying Muslims with the passive victims who embody humanity.' Once Muslim suffering has been established, militants employ the 'logic of equivalence' to justify acts of terrorism. Since Islamic militancy is a global phenomenon, Devji rejects the traditional scholarship that roots it in regional issues like the Palestinian cause and poverty and oppression. Most controversially, he equates militant Islam with 'the plethora of non-governmental agencies dedicated to humanitarian work.' He also concludes, more conventionally, that the U.S. response to militant Islam--the 'global war on terror.' --Publishers Weekly
'The Terrorist in Search of Humanity is in many ways a sequel to Devji s equally provocative 2005 book, Landscapes of the Jihad. In that work, rather than concentrating on the spectacular violence that has been the focus of most experts, Devji argues that al Qaeda's real achievement is to have created a new kind of Muslim , one whose attachments to the traditions and institutions of Islam are radically unlike those of his predecessors. The new militancy cannot be understood by inserting it into a now-familiar history of Islamic extremism (Wahhabism, Sayyid Qutb, the Taliban, etc.), because what is significant about the jihadis of today is their relation to the present, or even to the future. Al Qaeda's importance in the long run, Devji writes, lies not in its pioneering a new form of networked militancy... but instead in its fragmentation of traditional structures of Muslim authority within new global landscapes. . . . it is a measure of Devji s seriousness, and his unfailingly original turn of mind, that one waits impatiently for his next provocation.' --The National (Abu Dhabi)
'An understanding of groups like Al-Qaeda has virtually been absent from the discourse as it has been explained away as pure 'evil'. Devji does the opposite. He begins by locating their (ostensible) appeal in their language for rights of the oppressed of the world, typically, and from there launches into an understanding of how Quranic verses, Islamic teachings and what they claim to be inspired by have been changed into a modern political message that has succeeded in destabilising the world as the West has known it, since 9/11.. . What makes the book readable is his meticulous research. . . Plenty of what Devji concludes may be controversial, but it is bound to stir the pot in a most interesting way.' --Indian Express
'The Terrorist in Search of Humanity is in many ways a sequel to Devji s equally provocative 2005 book, Landscapes of the Jihad. In that work, rather than concentrating on the spectacular violence that has been the focus of most experts, Devji argues that al Qaeda's real achievement is to have created a new kind of Muslim , one whose attachments to the traditions and institutions of Islam are radically unlike those of his predecessors. The new militancy cannot be understood by inserting it into a now-familiar history of Islamic extremism (Wahhabism, Sayyid Qutb, the Taliban, etc.), because what is significant about the jihadis of today is their relation to the present, or even to the future. Al Qaeda's importance in the long run, Devji writes, lies not in its pioneering a new form of networked militancy... but instead in its fragmentation of traditional structures of Muslim authority within new global landscapes. . . . it is a measure of Devji s seriousness, and his unfailingly original turn of mind, that one waits impatiently for his next provocation.' --The National (Abu Dhabi)
'An understanding of groups like Al-Qaeda has virtually been absent from the discourse as it has been explained away as pure 'evil'. Devji does the opposite. He begins by locating their (ostensible) appeal in their language for rights of the oppressed of the world, typically, and from there launches into an understanding of how Quranic verses, Islamic teachings and what they claim to be inspired by have been changed into a modern political message that has succeeded in destabilising the world as the West has known it, since 9/11.. . What makes the book readable is his meticulous research. . . Plenty of what Devji concludes may be controversial, but it is bound to stir the pot in a most interesting way.' --Indian Express
Product Description
Faisal Devji argues that new forms of militancy, such as the actions of al-Qaeda, are informed by the same desire for agency and equality that animates other humanitarian interventions, such as environmentalism and pacifism. To the militant, victimized Muslims are more than just symbols of ethnic and religious persecution-they represent humanity's centuries-long struggle for legitimacy and agency. Acts of terror, therefore, are fueled by the militant's desire to become a historical actor on the global stage. Though they have yet to build concrete political institutions, militant movements have formed a kind of global society, and as Devji makes clear, this society pursues the same humanitarian objectives that drive more benevolent groups.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Faisal Devji already delivered a great service to free thinkers with his 'Landscapes of the Jihad'. I am a political scientist who spent six and a half years in Afghanistan (also under the Taliban) and who has spoken to hundreds of Afghans, Pakistanis and Arabs about current affairs. I was desperately seeking more nuanced analyses of 'Islamic terrorists' and what motivates them in Western political science, and 'Landscapes of the Jihad' gave me just that, opening unsuspected perspectives on themes I know first-hand.
This second book focuses more on the Global War on Terror, how it is being fought by both sides and what that entails. It is as refreshing as the first; I was struck particularly by Devji's analysis of what the West's manner of fighting this 'war' says about itself (in political, juridical, humanitarian and above moral terms).
The book may seem a bit partial (to those that violently resist the West's global domination) and at times almost romanticizes the motivations of Al Qaeda or the Taliban. That doesn't stroke with my experience or with general perceptions among Afghans, Pakistanis and Arabs, who are not impressed by their causes and tend to see Al Qaeda and consorts as an instrument of Western domination over the Middle East/South Asia region - whether manipulated or evilly fabricated by Western secret services.
This bias may however be required in a situation which allows no neutrality (Bush's "you're either with us or against us"), the more so because Devji's is a lonely voice calling for a more reasonable Western approach and an attempt to understand that what motivates the opponents of the Western interventionist agenda is not 'anti-Westernism' of religious fanaticism but simply a cry for justice and an attempted ethical revival.
This second book focuses more on the Global War on Terror, how it is being fought by both sides and what that entails. It is as refreshing as the first; I was struck particularly by Devji's analysis of what the West's manner of fighting this 'war' says about itself (in political, juridical, humanitarian and above moral terms).
The book may seem a bit partial (to those that violently resist the West's global domination) and at times almost romanticizes the motivations of Al Qaeda or the Taliban. That doesn't stroke with my experience or with general perceptions among Afghans, Pakistanis and Arabs, who are not impressed by their causes and tend to see Al Qaeda and consorts as an instrument of Western domination over the Middle East/South Asia region - whether manipulated or evilly fabricated by Western secret services.
This bias may however be required in a situation which allows no neutrality (Bush's "you're either with us or against us"), the more so because Devji's is a lonely voice calling for a more reasonable Western approach and an attempt to understand that what motivates the opponents of the Western interventionist agenda is not 'anti-Westernism' of religious fanaticism but simply a cry for justice and an attempted ethical revival.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Al-Qaeda Ghandi Humanitarian Globalization
8 Feb 2010
Format:Hardcover
The author stated that: "My object in this book is to argue that a global society has come into being, but possesses as yet no political institutions proper to its name, and that new forms of militancy, like that of Al-Qaeda, achieve meaning in this institutional vacuum, while representing in their own way the search for a global politics" (p.8). While the author seems to be implying that Al-Qaeda is some type of typical NGO (non-governmental organization) seeking world peace by helping others to achieve global humanity, the author is no Pollyanna regarding the Islamo fascists: he is clearly aware that Al-Qaeda and its associates are seeking their One World view of humanistic justice through violence - should their `peaceful' overtures inviting infidels to embrace Islam as dhimmi fail. The author tries to convince the reader that Al-Qaeda views itself as being on a `humanitarian-like mission' in appealing to atheists to embrace the Muslim Allah. The author contends that Al-Qaeda tries to show its concern for `humanism' by warning the masses that atheistic capitalistic countries are harming the world environment through Global Warming (which somehow can be avoided by people embracing Islam). To further tie-in Al-Qaeda as having a `humanistic' perspective, the author drags in India's Mahatma Ghandi. While most people are aware of Ghandi's non-violent political protests against some British injustice, the author discusses Ghandi's militant-side: whereby Ghandi at times condoned violence against the British `occupiers.' This completes the author's circle of world `humanism': Al-Qaeda is like Ghandi: both urge peaceful resolution to disputes, but should peaceful enticements fail, then violence is permissible against those who rebuff their peaceful overtures. Not that the author is trying to equate Al-Qaeda with Ghandi, just that they have similar `humanistic' perspectives (actions) in achieving their version of a peaceful globalized ummah community. The author all too-frequently re-writes his sentences in trying to present his themes in new perspectives, but an effort which just unnecessarily lengthens his book. (Okay, I think the author is a little wordy.) I learned more about Ghandi than I did about Al-Qaeda. This book isn't going to contribute to a U.S. soldier stationed somewhere in the Middle East in trying to figure out how to defeat or `engage' Al-Qaeda, it's for academia musing. I'm sure the author is very insightful about this topic, it's just not one of the first 25 books that I would recommend in reading to learn something really meaningful about Al-Qaeda.
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