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Social and Islamist Armed Movements

Module description

Social and Armed Movements created considerable consternation among international observers. They become an incubator for fighting and Jihadism, and an object of regional and international concerns. Social and Armed Movements stand at a crossroads, and the international powers are confronted by a series of conundrums, with no clear idea of how to proceed. This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the complex relationships between Islamism and various types of political violence including insurgency and terrorism. It will guide you around the regional and international interventions occurring. The module covers the major Jihadist groups and armed Islamist movements in the Middle East, North Africa, and other regions. It is an essential module for understanding armed Islamist movements’ behaviour, structures and ideologies, and this module is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to equip you with the conceptual and theoretical tools necessary for understanding Social and armed Islamist Movements. It will familiarise you with the latest research on Social movements and encourage you to develop a critical perspective in analysing existing research. You will be exposed to a variety of methodological approaches and challenges in research from the field of Social and Armed Movements. The course examines Movements with a special emphasis on questions related to identity, representation, existence, culture, politics and regional and international interventions. The module aims at locating the topic in a global perspective. After ISIS other armed Islamist movements are becoming the defining feature of the 21st century in the ME area.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand the key theoretical debates, concepts and issues surrounding the phenomenon of Islamist and armed movements.
• 2. Understanding the major armed Islamist movements, their behaviours, ideologies and the contexts in which they operate.
• 3. Demonstrate that the Movements can provide considerable insight into crucial aspects and dimensions in the state, and demonstrate the ability to discuss key-issues in the themes of Islamism.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Critically employ concepts learnt in a global perspective and develop critical arguments.
• 5. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing research, and Use and analyse cross-disciplinary data relevant to specific issues.
• 6. Ability to handle recent Islamist terminology. Ability to analyse and analyse both primary and secondary sources as well as to place the issues discussed in a wider context.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Display an ability to conduct critical analyses and evaluation of the subject topics, through readings, class discussions and presentations. Organisation of time and resources.
• 8. Work independently and with peers to achieve goals.
• 9. Enhancing the ability of the students to undertake comparative and cross-regional

Syllabus plan

While the precise content will vary from year to year, it is expected that the module will include lectures on the following themes:
• Theoretical Approaches: Islamism and Armed Activism:
• Armed Islamism and the Arab Spring
• Jihadism and Armed Islamism
• From Upper-Egypt to Sinai: Islamist Insurgencies in Egypt
• Transnational Subversive Jihadism: The Case of al-Qaida Network
• Islamic State
• The Military Capacity of the Islamic State
• Armed Islamism in Syria
• The Foreign Fighters
• Jihad after Iraq: Lessons from the Arab Afghan
• Hamas – Gaza and Armed Islamism

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Readings:
Hafez, Mohammed, Why Muslims Rebel: Repression and Resistance in the Islamic World (Boulder, Colo. ; London : Lynne Rienner, 2003), chapters 1, 2.
Recommended:
• Paul Davis et al. Social Science for Counterterrorism. DC: Rand, 2008. Chapters 1, 2:
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG849/
Suggested readings:
• Anas, Abdullah. “The Birth of Arab Afghans: An Algerian Perspective.” In Ibrahim Abu Rabi’(ed.). The Contemporary Arab Reader on Political Islam. London: Pluto Press, 2010
• Ashour, Omar. “Egypt’s Democratic Jihadist?” Foreign Policy, 13 July 2011.
• Ashour, Omar, “Lions Tamed? An Inquiry into the Causes of De-Radicalization of the Egyptian Islamic Group.” Middle East Journal vol. 61, no. 4 (Autumn 2007): 596 - 625.
• Bakkour, Samer. The End of Middle East Peace Process: the Failure of US Diplomacy (Routledge: New York, London, 2022)
• Brachman, Jarret. Global Jihadism. London: Routledge, 2009, chapters 1, 2.
• Lia, Brynjar. Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of the life of al-Qaida strategist Abu Mus‘al-Suri, chapters, 1, 2.
• Lyall, J., and I. Wilson. ‘‘Rage against the Machines: Explaining Outcomes in Counterinsurgency Wars.’’ International Organization vol. 63, no. 1(2009): 67-106.
• International Crisis Group. “Radical Islam in Gaza.” Middle East Report N°104, 29 March 2011:
• Bakke, Kristin M. “Help Wanted? The Mixed Record of Foreign Fighters in Domestic Insurgencies.” International Security, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Spring 2014), pp. 150–187.
http://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/files/IS3804_pp150-187.pdf

Key words search

Jihad, Islam, ISIS, Al-Qaida, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, Muslim Brotherhood, Fight Sectarianization.