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This study examines the phenomenon of Global Jihadism through the lens of modern social movement theory. Through an in-depth analysis of its history, beliefs, and practices, the book argues that Jihadism has taken on many of the same characteristics as other social movements of the 20th century, most notably the civil rights movement, the radical environmental movement, the feminist movement, the black power movement, and the anti-globalization movement, all of which are replete with individuals who exist on the radical fringes of the political spectrum and all of which bring together a wide array of political views, ethnic backgrounds, socio- economic statuses, and ideological causes under a master frame in which grievances are identified, blame assigned, solutions suggested, and participants mobilized. By treating Global Jihadism as a social movement and noting the parallels between it and similar movements the book argues that we can more effectively confront the security challenges posed by this little understood but much- feared ideology.

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Dr. Reza Aslan is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside and the author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam, How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror, and Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East.

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