Al Qaida may call itself a regional organization, but the terrorist attacks it is linked to have severed the global Islamic community

Friday, March 5, 2021

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Al Qaida may call itself a regional organization, but the terrorist attacks it is linked to have severed the global Islamic community, Religion and Politics Institute President Alexander Ignatenko said Wednesday at a press conference. "Despite Al Qaida presenting itself as a regional Islamic organization, its international terrorist activities have caused a divide in the Islamic world," Ignatenko said. Ignatenko cited data published by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, showing that in the majority of Muslim countries, apart from Jordan and Pakistan, the number of Bin Laden supporters has markedly dropped, as has the number of suicide bombings. Nearly two-thirds, or 60 %, of Jordanians questioned in the agency's poll trust Osama bin Laden as a religious leader (vs. 55% in 2003), and 51% in Pakistan (vs. 45%). However, in Indonesia this figure has dropped to 35% from 58% in 2003, to 26% from 49% in Morocco, and to 2% from 14% in Lebanon. The danger with Al Qaida is that it develops on a principal by which any willing individuals can form a cell of the organization so local terrorist groups can become a part of this international network, Ignatenko said. "Currently Al Qaida develops on the principal of cloning. Any small terrorist unit can call itself a part of Al Qaida and act in its name." He cited the fact that three different organizations claimed responsibility for the recent Sharm el Sheikh attacks, including the formerly unknown group "One God and Jihad". The group said in a statement that the attacks were carried out on the orders of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri. "The goal of terrorist attacks is to solve international political issues by violent means; the perversion of Islamic principles leads to groups of new volunteers in various terrorist groups," he said.

Bookmark Al Qaida may call itself a regional organization, but the terrorist attacks it is linked to have severed the global Islamic community