Jonothan Sozek Breaks the Myth of Salafism's Ideological Connections to Terrorism

Osama bin Laden’s Global Islamism and Wahhabi Islam

Adopting the premise that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network may be understood as ‘tapping into’ a ‘minority Islamic tradition’ (i.e., radical Wahhabism), this paper aims, first, to define this tradition more clearly by examining the lives and work of ibn Taymiyya and ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab. Then, through a close reading of bin Laden’s public statements from 1996 through 2005, the nature of bin Laden’s employment and manipulation of this tradition is examined more closely. Special attention is given to distinguishing bin Laden’s reception of this tradition from that of contemporary religious authorities in Saudi Arabia. It is concluded that although bin Laden and contemporary Saudi authorities both draw on the same ‘minority tradition’ of Islamist reform, bin Laden’s relation to this tradition is selective, pragmatic, and illegitimate by the standards of ibn Taymiyya or ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab themselves. [22 pages]

More Info: Published in the McGill Journal of Middle East Studies, Volume VIII (2005-06)

http://www.academia.edu/185491/Osama_bin_Ladens_Global_Islamism_and_Wahhabi_Islam