Counter-jihad

Counter-jihad, also known as the counter-jihad movement,^[1] is a self-titled political current loosely consisting of authors, bloggers, think tanks, street movements and so on linked by beliefs that view Islam not as a religion but as an ideology that constitutes an existential threat to Western civilization. Consequently, counter-jihadists consider all Muslims as a potential threat, especially when they are already living within Western boundaries.^[2] Western Muslims accordingly are portrayed as a "fifth column", collectively seeking to destabilize Western nations' identity and values for the benefit of an international Islamic movement intent on the establishment of a caliphate in Western countries.^[3][4] The counter-jihad movement has been variously described as anti-Islamic,^[5][6][7] Islamophobic,^{[8][9][10][11]} inciting hatred against Muslims,^[12] and far-right.^[5][11][13] Influential figures in the movement include the bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer in the US, and Geert Wilders and Tommy Robinson in Europe.^[14][15][16]

While the roots of the movement go back after the Iranian Revolution, it did not gain significant momentum until after the September 11 attacks.^[17] As far back as 2006, bloggers such as Fjordman were identified as playing a key role in forwarding the nascent counter-jihad ideology.^[4] Bat Ye'or's Eurabia conspiracy theory published in her eponymous book in 2005 also played an important factor in influencing the movement. The first official counter-jihad conferences were held in 2007. The movement received considerable attention in 2011 following the lone wolf attacks by Anders Behring Breivik, a neo-Nazi who disguised himself with a manifesto that exploited and extensively reproduced the writings of prominent counter-jihad bloggers,^[18] and following the emergence of prominent street movements such as the English Defence League (EDL) and Pegida.^[4] The movement has adherents both in Europe and in North America. The European wing is more focused on the alleged cultural threat to European traditions stemming from immigrant Muslim populations, while the American wing emphasizes an alleged external threat, essentially terrorist in nature.^[5]

According to academics, conspiracy theories are a key component of the counter-jihad movement.^[19] The movement is also strongly pro-Israel,^[4][20] praising the country as a bastion of Western culture against its surrounding Muslim countries.^[21] On a day-to-day level, it seeks to generate outrage at perceived Muslim crimes.^[22]