AL QAEDA

Al Qaeda

Al Qaeda

Introduction

This term paper aspires to recount and assess the political ideology of up to designated day al Qaeda. This will be accomplished by supplying a annals of al Qaeda, as well as a short interpretation of the organizational structure of the group. There will be quotation made to the goals and objectives of al Qaeda, and the titles and places of key numbers inside the group. The term paper will then interpret the notion of 'ideology' by supplying a concise delineation, and then will talk about the political ideology to which al Qaeda subscribes, namely Religious Fundamentalism. In alignment to interpret Religious Fundamentalism, the notion of 'fundamentalism' should be characterised, and then the sub-ideologies of Religious Fundamentalism with which al Qaeda is attached can be considered, with the distinct components of each explained. The term paper will then resolve with an evaluation of al Qaeda's alternative of political ideology.

 

2. Al Qaeda

Al Qaeda is best renowned for the attacks on the World Trade Centre towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. According to Ross (2004, Internet source), constituents of al Qaeda who conveyed out the attacks accepted that these actions formed part of a 'holy war' or 'jihad', which would permit them to decimate the 'infidels' and become 'martyrs'.

Al Qaeda, whereas nearly absolutely engaged with these attacks, has a deeper annals, which will be clarified by inquiring some key questions.

 

2.1. What is al Qaeda?

According to Answers.com (2006a, Internet source), al Qaeda is a 'broad-based Islamic militant organisation' which was based by Osama receptacle Laden between 1988 and 1989 (FRONTLINE, 2006, Internet source).

The title al Qaeda can be transliterated to signify "the foundation" or "the base", as asserted by Answers.com (2006a, Internet source). This transliteration binds in with the significance of the phrase 'fundamentalism', which will be considered at a subsequent stage. The administration was established to join the Arabs who battled contrary to the Soviet attack in Afghanistan (Kegley & Wittkopf, 2004:435).

At the onset of the administration, the United States was the major supplier of arms and investments to the assembly (Kegley & Wittkopf, 2004:435), as, as asserted by Answers.com (2006a, Internet source), the United States looked upon the Soviet/Afghan confrontation as 'integral Cold War struggle'.

 

2.1.1 What are the goals of al Qaeda?

The major aim of the administration, as asserted by the Council on Foreign Relations (2005, Internet source) is to expel what it sees as 'the profane leverage of the West' from Muslim nations, and to 'replace their authorities with fundamentalist Islamic regimes'.

According to Kegley and Wittkopf (2004:435) al Qaeda handed out a declaration in February of 1988, under the advertisement of 'The World Islamic Front for Jihad contrary to the Jews and Crusaders', saying that it was the obligation of all Muslims to murder U.S. people (both citizen and military) and their partners everywhere.

According to Globalsecurity (2006b, Internet source) a short declaration of 'Goals and Objectives of Jihad' was discovered by the New York Times in an al Qaeda ...