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]

  1. ^ Lee, Benjamin. "Why we fight: Understanding the counter-jihad movement". Religion Compass. 10 (10). The clearest case of violence linked to the CJM is that of Anders Breivik; the commonalities between Breivik and the CJM have been noted by several writers (Kundnani, 2012: 4; Jackson, 2013; Meleagrou-Hitchens & Brun, 2013:2; Goodwin, 2013: 4; Titley, 2013).
  2. ^ Zúquete, José (2018). The Identitarians: The Movement against Globalism and Islam in Europe. University of Notre Dame Press. pp. 169–170. ISBN 9780268104214. OCLC 1055656293.
  3. ^ Akbarzadeh, Shahram; Roose, Joshua M. (September 2011). "Muslims, Multiculturalism and the Question of the Silent Majority". Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 31 (3): 309–325. doi:10.1080/13602004.2011.599540. S2CID 145595802.
  4. ^ a b c d Lee 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "Diffus rörelse med muslimer som hatobjekt". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Pentagon suspends "counterjihad" class on Islam". CBS News. 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  7. ^ "The Guardian: Far-right anti-Muslim network on rise globally as Breivik trial opens". The Guardian. 14 April 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  8. ^ Goodwin, Matthew J.; Cutts, David; Janta-Lipinski, Laurence (19 August 2014). "Economic losers, protestors, islamophobes or xenophobes? Predicting public support for a counter-Jihad movement". Political Studies. 64 (1): 4–26. doi:10.1111/1467-9248.12159. S2CID 145753701. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  9. ^ Anna-Lena Lodenius. "Risk att Breivik ses som profet". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  10. ^ Mattias Wåg (28 July 2011). "Den nya högerextremismens terroristiska uttryck". Göteborgs fria (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  11. ^ a b Denes, Nick (2012). "Welcome to the Counterjihad: "Uncivil" Networks and European Social Space" (PDF). Dahrendorf Symposia Series. 2012–12. Berlin: Dahrendorf Symposia. doi:10.1080/17448689.2012.738894. S2CID 144605155. Retrieved 26 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Wolff, Elisabetta Cassina (2 November 2016). "Evola's interpretation of fascism and moral responsibility". Patterns of Prejudice. 50 (4–5): 478–494. doi:10.1080/0031322X.2016.1243662. S2CID 152240495.
  13. ^ Meleagrou-Hitchens & Brun 2013, p. 1.
  14. ^ Taylor, Max; Currie, P.M.; Holbrook, Donald (2013). Extreme Right Wing Political Violence and Terrorism. Bloomsbury. p. 172. ISBN 9781441101839.
  15. ^ Meleagrou-Hitchens & Brun 2013, p. 2: "The popular American Counter-Jihad activists Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer ... EDL leader Tommy Robinson now holds almost legendary status within this nascent movement, and is considered the “rock star” of the ECJM [European Counter-Jihad Movement]."
  16. ^ Aked, Jones & Miller 2019, p. 24: "Dutch politician Geert Wilders – a key European counter-jihad figurehead" Aked, Jones & Miller 2019, p. 26: "both Labour and Conservative Home Secretaries have prevented counter-jihadists from entering the UK: Jacqui Smith stopped a planned visit by Dutch politician Geert Wilders in 2009 and Theresa May denied Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer in 2013."
  17. ^ Nesser, Petter (2018). "Islamist Terrorism in Europe". Oxford University. p. 265. ISBN 9780190934927.
  18. ^ "Breivik: - Jeg leste Hitlers Mein Kampf da jeg var 14 år". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). 16 March 2016.
  19. ^ Cited in Lee (2016):
    • Fekete, Liz (15 December 2011). "The Muslim conspiracy theory and the Oslo massacre". Race & Class. 53 (3): 30–47. doi:10.1177/0306396811425984. S2CID 146443283.
    • Bangstad, Sindre (July 2013). "Eurabia Comes to Norway". Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations. 24 (3): 369–391. doi:10.1080/09596410.2013.783969. S2CID 145132618.
    • Meleagrou-Hitchens, A., & Brun, H. (2013). A neo-nationalist network: The English Defence League and Europe's counter-jihad movement. London: The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisationand Political Violence.
  20. ^ Pertwee 2017, p. 8.
  21. ^ "Diffus rörelse med muslimer som hatobjekt". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2 August 2011.
  22. ^ Lee, Benjamin J. (30 September 2016). "'It's not paranoia when they are really out to get you': the role of conspiracy theories in the context of heightened security". Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. 9 (1): 4–20. doi:10.1080/19434472.2016.1236143.