A Social Movement Theory Analysis of Islamist Totalitarianism
Abstract
It is critical to gain an understanding of an enemy before formulating a strategy to defeat him. This is particularly crucial with regard to the diverse, non-monolithic enemy that faces the US today. Social Movement Theory (SMT) provides analytical tools for this purpose. The advantage of SMT is that its four variables - changes to political opportunity structures (POS), the nature of social networks, social movement organization (SMO) framing, and repertoires of contention - allow for analysis from the individual to the national and international levels. Moreover, SMT explanation of SMO strategic decisions takes into account rational choice, organizational culture, and political intercourse. These strengths make SMT analysis more complete than other theoretical models for contentious politics. SMT analysis of terror organizations shows the decisive role that government action plays in determining whether a social movement will resolve the grievances that created it peacefully or violently. Specifically, coercive, general, reactive, and extra-legal government repression will, over time, drive the creation of terror groups - i.e., clandestine, extra-legal, violent organizations. Radical ideology, while important to the process, is not, by itself, sufficient to explain the emergence of terrorism. The critical insight is that Islamism (the mobilization of contentious politics in support of Islamic causes), in and of itself, is not necessarily a threat to the current world order. An SMT analysis shows that the repressive policies of successive Egyptian and Syrian regimes, Marxist-Leninist revolutionary theory, and the intellectual social networks on Saudi university campuses created modern Islamist totalitarian terrorism. The same assessment explains how the experience of the Soviet-Afghan War shaped al-Qaeda and allied movement strategic thought.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA504756
Entities
People
- Michael V. Samarov
Organizations
- Marine Corps University