Radical Islamic terrorism - Essay Example

The topic an issue of radical Islamic terrorism is something that most analysts would agree is of fundamental importance to the current world. Accordingly, the following research proposal will be concentric upon understanding and identifying Wahhabism and its role in sponsoring radical forms of terrorism around the globe. Unlike traditional interpretations of Islam, Wahhabism is a relatively new approach to how the religion of Islam should be interpreted and engaged within the mind and actions of the believer.

As such, the relatively recent status of this particular movement is one that can trace its history to well before the Second World War. The specifics of the rise and radical Islamic interpretation and the means by which individuals engaged in this as a worldview are ultimately and inherently part and parcel of this threat that Western culture and civilization was having upon the way in which traditional Islam is practiced in and around the Gulf states. Likewise, the thesis of this particular proposed analysis is that Wahhabism’s strict and totalitarian view of Islamic dogma is most directly the result of fear that cultural and religious norms of Islam would be eroded by foreign culture.

This created a knee jerk reaction to this fear by promoting a more extremist view of the way in which Islam should be engaged within the life of the believer. The topic itself is of extreme relevance due to the fact that the majority of radical Sunni terrorism is linked to Wahhabi funding and/or sources that promote violent jihad as a means of correcting perceived threats against the “faithful”. This creates an even further element of importance in terms of the informed reader wanting to understand why organizations such as al Qaeda and ISIS exist and what their ultimate goals and sources of funding might be.

The impact globally that this has had has been felt as far away as radical terrorist groups in the Philippines, the attacks of September 11th, and the way in which Gulf States that are friendly, at least on the surface, with the United States are hesitant to constrain or deal with their Wahhabi elements. The research into this particular issue will be carried out by analyzing a great deal of both primary and secondary resources written concerning the history of this particular movement, how it impacts upon the fate and future of Islam, and what potential structural issues it has with the way in which the global economy and Western world influences many parts of the Islamic world.

Likewise, beyond merely reviewing scholarly texts that had been written concerning this issue, ongoing research must also be performed in terms of the way in which Wahhabis represent themselves to one another and the means by which their own press and media represents the struggles that they attempt to engage with on a daily basis. By seeking to understand these unique dynamics and nuances from the multitude of different perspectives, the research plan will be more effective in engaging the root cause of Wahhabism and how they can ultimately be dealt with.