ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

A new study was released by the Political Islam Studies Section at TRENDS Research and Advisory under the title “A Reading into the Most Important Books on Understanding and Combating Terrorism: Part Two”.

The study addresses the main methodological and epistemological trends prevailing in academic literature on the topic of understanding and combating terrorism through a critical analysis of books and studies specialising in this field.

The study indicates that a wide epistemological gap exists in understanding the phenomenon of radicalism leading to violence in the name of Islam. Most studies focus on analysing the social, political and economic factors driving individuals towards radicalism while they largely ignore the role of ideas and theories that justify and legitimise violence.

The study proposes a new methodology to understand this phenomenon based on linking factors of economic, social and political marginalisation to texts that establish and justify violence. The study also calls for adopting a critical and multi-disciplinary approach to understand this complex phenomenon.

The study concludes that most academic studies focus on analysing the social, political and economic factors of radicalism while they ignore the role of ideas and theories that justify and legitimise violence. It underlines the need for a new methodology to understand the radicalism leading to violence in the name of Islam based on linking factors of economic, social and political factors of marginalisation to texts establishing and justifying violence, as well as the need to adopt a critical and multi-disciplinary approach to understanding this complex phenomenon.

The study also recommends supporting conducting more studies that focus on analysing ideas and theories that justify and legitimise violence in the name of Islam, developing new methodologies to understand radicalism leading to violence in the name of Islam, based on linking factors of economic, social and political factors of marginalisation to texts establishing and justifying violence, and encouraging critical dialogue between various disciplines to understand this complex phenomenon