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Education and Islamist Jihadism: A Survey of Muslim Australians
Abstract
This article presents findings from a national survey of 1034 Muslim Australians, examining the relationship between educational qualifications and Islamist-jihadist interpretations of Islam. A minority of respondents identified with indicators of Islamism, while a smaller sub-group identified with those associated with jihadism. Respondents educated in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields were more likely than their HSS (humanities and social science) counterparts to accept ideas associated with Islamism and to a much lesser extent jihadism. Ideas associated with jihadism were more likely among respondents without a tertiary qualification than among those educated in either HSS or STEM fields.
... Based on the explanation of the roots of the word Jihad as mentioned above, a complete understanding of the meaning of Jihad can be taken, namely difficulty, difficulty, ability, power, sacrifice, test, and the peak of the problem. It is said to be difficult because many obstacles and enemies are challenging to overcome without ability, both physical abilities, such as the ability of a healthy body and material abilities and non-material abilities, such as scientific abilities and intelligence (Rane et al., 2022). ...
The Qur’an is a source of knowledge that explains various aspects of life, including Jihad. Jihad is one of the orders of war for Muslims, which is defensive as a bulwark for Muslims, which lately Jihad is often misunderstood by the general public. Also, there are often movements of terrorism and radicalism in the name of Jihad, so it is necessary to research Jihad. This research aims to discover the concept of Jihad in the Q.S. Al-Baqarah (2): 190 from the perspective of M. Quraish Shihab, which samples are taken from various references from his work which interpret Jihad according to context. According to M. Qurasih Shihab, Q.S. Al-Baqarah (2): 190 explains that it is permissible to wage war during the war fī sabīlillah (in the way of Allah) to uphold the values of Belief in the One and Only God. The verse also explains the ethics and rules for conducting war, as well as guidance not to stand idly by and wait for the enemy to enter the area or threaten peace and harmony. The thinking method used in this study is the deductive method, namely collecting, analyzing and researching Jihad in the Q.S. Al-Baqarah (2): 190 in several kinds of literature, which is then narrowed down to the concept offered by M. Quraish Shihab in this verse which correlated with its implementation in the Indonesian context, therefore in analyzing the data, the author uses a framework built on theories developed in social sciences, linguistics, and scientific tools developed in interpretation studies. The results of this study indicate the concept of Jihad in the Q.S. Al-Baqarah (2): 190 from the perspective of M. Quraish Shihab, namely: 1). The war to uphold religious values. 2). War is a form of defence. 3). Prohibition of destroying facilities and infrastructure unrelated to war. Moreover, it can be implemented in the Indonesian context in several areas of Jihad, including Jihad in the social field, Jihad in the education sector, and Jihad in the economic field.
... Rane et al. 9 seek to explore the "home-grown terrorism" 10 phenomenon, in order to understand why citizens and residents in non-Muslim countries may become radicalized under the influence of ideologies of extremist groups and organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and engage in acts of violence against countries in which they were "born, raised, and educated". 11 To this end they present findings from a national survey of 1034 Muslim Australians, examining the relationship between educational qualifications and Islamist-jihadist interpretations of Islam. ...
Numerous researchers in the field of Islamic and Muslim Studies have proposed various typologies to categorize Muslims in relation to their understanding of and identification with Islam. However, to date few studies have conducted the necessary empirical work to determine the numbers of Muslims that identify with the typologies that have been constructed. This article is the first to present findings based on a comprehensive study of Muslims in relation to a spectrum of discursive typologies. The authors conducted a national survey of Islam in Australia among Muslim citizens and permanent residents in 2019. This article examines Muslim Australians across a spectrum of 10 typologies in relation to various demographic factors, questions concerning shariah and political Islam, sources of influence, preferences for interpreting the Qur’an, views on various ethical, social, and theological issues, engagement with non-Muslims, and openness to new knowledge about Islam. Contrary to stereotypical views of Islam and Muslims, the article’s findings point to a strong presence for liberal and progressive typologies and interpretations of the Islamic tradition among Muslim Australians.
This article presents the findings of a national survey on Islam in Australia based on responses of 1034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents. Knowing what Muslim Australians think about Islam in relation to Australian society is essential for a more informed understanding about Islam and Muslims needed to address misinformation, Islamophobia, and extremism. The findings presented in this article include typologies of Muslims; sources of influence concerning Islam; interpretations of the Qur’an; perspectives on ethical, social, and theological issues; issues of concern; social connections and sense of belonging; views on various Muslim-majority countries; and perspectives concerning political Islam, including jihad, caliphate, and shariah. While respondents’ understandings, interpretations, and expressions of Islam overall align with values and principles of equality, human rights, social cohesion, and social justice, a minority were found to understand and interpret Islam in ways that reflect the influence of late 20th and early 21st century ideas associated with Islamist political ideology, and a smaller sub-group were found to have views that could be considered extreme. This article discusses these findings in relation to the early 21st century time-period factors and the Australian social context.
Over the past 15 years, 47 Muslim Australians have been convicted for terrorism offences. Australian courts have determined that these acts were motivated by the offenders’ “Islamic” religious beliefs and that interpretations of Quranic verses concerning jihad, in relation to shariah, caliphate, will of God and religious duty contributed to the commission of these crimes. This paper argues that these ideas, derived from certain classical-era Islamic jurisprudence and modern Islamist thought, contradict other classical-era interpretations and, arguably, the original teachings of Islam in the time of the Prophet Muhammad. In response to the call for “cogent religious instruction” to combat the phenomenon of radical Islamist terrorism, this paper outlines a deradicalization program that addresses late 20th- and early 21st-century time-period effects: (1) ideological politicization associated with Islamist jihadism; (2) religious extremism associated with Salafism; and (3) radicalization associated with grievances arising from Western military interventions in Muslim-majority countries. The paper offers a counter narrative, based on a contextualized reading of the Quran and recent research on the authentication of the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad. It further contends that cogent religious instruction must enhance critical-thinking skills and provide evidence-based knowledge in order to undermine radical Islamist extremism and promote peaceful coexistence.
The aim of this article is to point to the hermeneutical limits of the critique of mainstream Sunnism vis-a-vis the Salafi-jihadist interpretations with particular reference to the literature produced by the proponents of the IS. The main argument the article makes is that by subscribing to what will be termed a “Salafi worldview,” mainstream Sunnism shares many interpretationally crucial epistemological and methodological mechanisms with those adopted by the proponents of the ideology behind the IS. As such mainstream Sunnism has strong hermeneutical limits that do not allow it to be in a position to mount an interpretationally effective rebuttal of many beliefs and practices Salafi-jihadists resort to including those pertaining to apostasy, enslavement, and gender-related issues.
This book analyzes the development of Islam and Muslim communities in the West, including influences from abroad, relations with the state and society, and internal community dynamics. The project examines the emergence of Islam in the West in relation to the place of Muslim communities as part of the social fabric of Western societies. It provides an overview of the major issues and debates that have arisen over the last three to four decades surrounding the presence of new Muslim communities residing in Western liberal democracies. As such, the volume is an ideal text for courses focusing on Islam and Muslim communities in the West.
If we are to correctly assess the root causes of terrorism and successfully address the threat, we must think more like economists do. Alan Krueger’s What Makes a Terrorist, explains why our tactics in the fight against terrorism must be based on more than anecdote, intuition, and speculation.Many popular ideas about terrorists are fueled by falsehoods, misinformation, and fearmongering. Many believe that poverty and lack of education breed terrorism, despite a wealth of evidence showing that most terrorists come from middle-class and often college-educated backgrounds. Krueger closely examines the factors that motivate individuals to participate in terrorism, drawing inferences from terrorists’ own backgrounds and the economic, social, religious, and political environments in the societies from which they come. He describes which countries are the most likely breeding grounds for terrorists, and which ones are most likely to be their targets. Krueger addresses the economic and psychological consequences of terrorism and puts the threat squarely into perspective, revealing how our nation’s sizable economy is diverse and resilient enough to withstand the comparatively limited effects of most terrorist strikes. He also calls on the media to be more responsible in reporting on terrorism.Bringing needed clarity to one of the greatest challenges of our generation, this 10th anniversary edition of What Makes a Terrorist features a new introduction by the author that discusses the lessons learned in the past decade from the rise of ISIS and events like the 2016 Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida.
This article explores theories of radicalization by analysing the 21 individuals convicted to date under Australian anti-terrorism laws. All 21 are Australian citizens and so are discussed with reference to literature on home-grown terrorists. Open source data in the form of media and law reports were collected and analysed for descriptive features of the individuals and their involvement in terrorism-related activities. Themes consistent with elements of process models of radicalization were found, particularly identity issues, ideology, capability and group dynamics. The features analysed are discussed in relation to social attachments and rationalizations, as well as counter-radicalization initiatives.
Australian interests have been considered viable targets for Islamist terrorists since at least 2001, and Australians have suffered from attacks in Bali in 2002 and 2005, and Jakarta in 2004 and 2009. Moreover, Australian citizens have been involved in militant Islamist networks since the late 1980s, and similar to other Western countries in recent years there have been examples of “home-grown” plots to carry out domestic terrorist attacks. This article seeks to clarify the nature of the contemporary security threat within Australia by analysing the involvement of Australian citizens and residents in Islamist terrorism, both at home and abroad. The results build upon previous research findings revealing that while the profile of Australian jihadis is unique in terms of its exact manifestation, there is overall conformity with generally observed trends in Islamist terrorism in other Western countries.
What is Countering Violent Extremism? Exploring CVE Policy and Practice in Australia
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You'll Never Guess Which Country is the Biggest Per Capita Contributor of Foreign Jihadists to ISIS
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Immunising the Mind: How Can Education Reform Contribute to Neutralising Violent Extremism
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I am a committed Muslim who believes in the rational, cosmopolitan nature of the Islamic tradition based on principles of social justice, gender justice and religious pluralism
- Statement
Statement (progressive): "I am a committed Muslim who believes in the rational, cosmopolitan nature of the Islamic tradition based on principles of social justice, gender justice
and religious pluralism."
I am a committed Muslim who believes politics is part of Islam and advocates for an Islamic state based on shariah laws
- Statement
Statement (political Islamist): "I am a committed Muslim who believes politics is part of
Islam and advocates for an Islamic state based on shariah laws."
A New Secularism Is Appearing in Islam
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