The extent of how Ideology matter for Rebel groups
Ideology is a collection of ideas or beliefs shared by a group of people. It may be a connected set of ideas, or a style of thought, or a world-view. Throughout the world, ideology has been put on various emphasis and use on various governments, rebel groups, and individuals. Ideology is the motivation that brings people together for a given set of activities, as experienced by the various rebel groups that exist. In most nations, it gathers people together. This is because the people end up being driven by a common goal making them live a better life.as a result, all over through the various practices, institutions, groups, people have adopted the need to have ideologies for they know the importance. In this case, the rebel groups that ideology does matter for them in doing their various activities are Al-Qaida and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham). They are religious zealots, putting a great emphasis on the Islamic religion (Seliger 2019, p.20).
Al-Qaida rebel group
This is a rebel group that in throughout its activities and missions, has been driven by Ideology.it originally began as a logistical network to support Muslims fighting against the Soviet Union during the Afghan War were members were recruited from the Islamic nations. When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the organization did continue to oppose even when the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in the year 1989. the reason was that their leaders viewed the Islamic regimes were corrupt and foreign. In its official establishment, it was settled in Sudan in the early 1990s before moving to Afghanistan, where they formed the headquarters.
Ideology in Al-Qaeda
Generally, the rebel group has always been a threat to America, neighboring countries, and on a global scale. As a result, in their form of practice and coming up with suitable soldiers, the rebel group was tasked to training its members to become how they wanted them. In the year 2001, according to Western Intelligence Community, the group did train 4000 members, and throughout their period in their camps, they trained 70,000 members. The ideology in this is the fact that they did believe in coming up with their soldiers. This gave them great energy making them conduct one major attack every year during their active period (Blanchard 2007, p.32) Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Ideology does matter for Al-Qaeda; this is seen through their campaign of the Holy War, which they got deeply involved showing a sign that is likely to outlive itself and the current generation of Islamists. This shows the highly appealing ideology the rebel group has. It is driven with the aim of inspiring and motivating the various Islam movements and people in promoting Islam and show opposition to those who are the enemies. This was one of the main aims that kept them going. Although the majority of Muslims worldwide do no support al-Qaeda, the group is constantly seeking to reinvigorate the global jihad movement by exploiting the widespread suffering, resentment, and anger in the Muslim world and turning it against the United States and its allies. Throughout their activities to support what they have been doing, they tried to gather recruits from Islamist groups in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere. This was to support the ideological campaign they had unleashed, which ended up as a partial success.
When Osama Bin Laden was killed, there was new leadership. Under Zawahiri’s leadership, the new ideology of al-Qaeda became entirely focused on supporting and promoting Islam. As a result, it marked by a willingness to carry out armed struggle against all who they perceived to be the enemies of Islam. This was in reference to Wahhab, the eighteenth-century reformer, who claimed that Islam had been corrupted a generation or so after the death of the Prophet Mohammed. He denounced all theology and customs that developed after that period as un-Islam. This lead to the rebel group having problems with the western, for they considered them the enemies of Islam and denounced leaders of Muslim nations as “apostates” for not following the tenets of Islam closely enough. As a result, in their push for the ideology, they preached that “defensive jihad” should be undertaken not just to defend Islam, but also to purify Islam of all un-Islamic beliefs.
It began a massive ideological campaign to rally support for the cause of jihad against Islam’s enemies. The arguments articulated in support of their ideology provide momentum for it to travel far and wide. Theologically, they legitimate their struggle against fellow Muslims as a struggle between “true Islam” or “pure Islam” and heresy. The former can only be implemented if an actual Islamic society and the rule of Sharia can be established. As a result, they ended up having challenges, for them to achieve it, they lacked a militant Islamic movement to provide leadership and spiritual guidance, and to check the threat posed by the global conspiracy that was trying to eradicate Islam by spreading godless and atheistic views among the Muslim masses, although this did not happen in many parts
Al Qaeda, in its Jihadi ideology, they did support it with martyrdom. This is because they had firm beliefs that Allah guides and rewards those who sacrifice themselves for a noble and holy cause. Looking into the 9/11 hijackers’ psyche before the suicide attack revealed that they were willing to sacrifice their lives without hesitation. None of them had second thoughts; they viewed their acts as a sacrifice necessary to achieve the goal of establishing the religion of majestic Allah on earth (Moghadam 2009, p.3). Their struggle yields either one of two things—victory or martyrdom.as a result, in their attacks, mostly through suicide bombers, this was a driving factor for they believed in a bright future and rewards they were going to receive. This steered them to make various killings in different places.
Al-Qaeda is driven by a particular ideology that purification of Islam, can be done through violent struggles. As a result, in facing the Soviets, the many factions, even though they had differences, joined together to meet the Soviets, a common enemy. The whole experience showed them how to work toward achieving a common objective. Regardless of individual affluence, education, or nationality, the Afghan Jihad showed that Muslims could fight side by side and attain victory for all provided, it meant well for the Islam religion. The individuals that filled the ranks of the mujahidin during this War came from all strata of society and proved that more significant achievements could be attained through unity based on a common objective. The battle concept was total War. Recreating the Caliphate thereby uniting the whole Muslim world into a single entity is a logical conclusion drawn by al-Qaeda to help bring the Muslim communities out of this dilemma
Through their beliefs and practices in ideology, the group was able to achieve some of the objectives they did want. Even with the change in leadership, they remained in practice as part of what their ideology showed them. But being a terror group, there is a need to defeat them by countering the extremist ideology that triggers, drives, and justifies it. Defeating al-Qaeda completely requires unconventional methods. Only by using military force in conjunction with a concerted effort to offer an ideological alternative to extremism can a wedge be driven between actual terrorists and potential terrorists and supporters. The counter-terrorism community must understand that without marrying hard power with soft power, the al-Qaeda-led jihad movement will not be defeated.
ISIS rebel group
The Islamic State, or ISIS, is a militant organization that emerged as an offshoot of al Qaeda in 2014. ISIS was founded by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an Iraqi during that period. It quickly took control of large parts of Iraq and Syria, raising its black flag in victory and declaring the creation of a caliphate and imposing strict Islamic rule. It emerged from Al Qaeda due to differences in ideologies; each had some driving force and need to achieve something contrary to the other. The rebel group consist of Sunni militants from Iraq and Syria but has also drawn thousands of fighters from across the Muslim world and Europe.in its operation to win the opponent, it uses beheadings, the taking of slaves and bans on “un-Islamic” behavior such as music and smoking, which are quite different from Al Qaeda.
Ideology in ISIS
The militants’ goal is an ultra-conservative unity that strictly enforces Shariah, or Islamic, law. This was an ideology that made them quite different from other rebel groups. On their way to implementing this, they began on the first day of Ramadan, a holy and symbolic day for Muslims. What followed was inviting western Muslims to get into Iraq and join them, at this time they already had control of extended territory in Iraq and claiming to have taken at least partial control of various oil revenues, as a result through their multiple attempts and effort, hundreds of western youths already joined them from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. On the other hand, this has not brought positivity, for they are believed to have always wanted to Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina squarely in their sights and will want to destabilize Jordan, destroy the government of Israel, and make their march into Saudi. This is something that is negative and instilling a sense of fear among the various people.
The ISIS does value their religion so much; as a result, ISIS ideology holds that Islam must be cleansed from within and that Muslims who do not strictly follow their ISIS-authorized interpretation of Islam should be declared apostates and put to death, they do engage in sectarian killings for defiled Islam (O’Shea 2018, p.43). They do consider Islam very special; as a result, they do not even entertain the acts of various Muslim members engaging in impure activities, for they consider them punishable. In multiple periods they have been advocating for the spread of Muslims in different parts and even known to participate in the killing of non-Muslim members whenever something arises.
ISIS was focused on expanding its influence by gaining territory and calling on Muslims to join the caliphate. Their famous motto ‘baaqiya wa tatamaddad’ (remaining and expanding) attracted thousands of Muslims who wished to live in a caliphate system, governed by the sharia law in support of this, and they did carry out activities that were aimed at making sure they gain more people which was also a sigh of competition to Al Qaeda. As a result, there began pledges of allegiance (bayat) to ISIS that was flowing from a growing number of venues such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Yemen, the Philippines, and Libya, which confirmed its increasing popularity and appeal on the jihadist market.
According to their ideology, the final Day of Judgment by God is near and will follow the defeat of the army of “Rome.” that strict adherence to following the precepts “established by the Prophet Muhammad and his earliest followers” is necessary, surpassing even that of other Salafi groups. This shows that in their various practices are aimed at making good for the preparation of ‘the day of judgment’.it is due to exclusiveness in this ideology that even marks the difference with Al-Qaeda
As a result, on an emphasis on using ideology, ISIS thrived independently without also the support of Al Qaeda. It was essential for it to help the rebel group acquire more people to join and progress with the activities. Acted as a motivation for it showed them what they were required to undertake in their various activities.it is seen in their desire to make Islam higher with many people; besides, it commands great respect.
In conclusion, the aspect of ideology has been seen in the various rebel groups. Throughout their practices, they were led by given ideologies that did dictate how and what they did. As a result, this led to adverse effects to those of the groups and somehow benefited the groups. Countries such as America were those affected by the negative activities carried by the groups in their pursuit of religion, the other hand, the groups did have a positive part, for they were able to get more followers and also inflict pain to those they did consider ‘rebellious’ to them. But all in all, these groups over a number of years have been fought, and efforts have been made to shut them completely. However, when ideology is used for the good, it does bring something positive on the table; it is, therefore, vital it be used whenever necessary.
References
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Harris, L.G., 2018. ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: an ideological comparison. US Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth United States.
Hvenmark, J., 2016. Ideology, practice, and process? A review of the concept of managerialism in civil society studies. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 27(6), pp.2833-2859.
Jasko, K., Kruglanski, A.W., Hassan, A.S.R.B., and Gunaratna, R., 2018. ISIS: Its History, Ideology, and Psychology. Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives, pp.1-25.
O’Shea, J., 2018. ISIS: The Role of Ideology and Eschatology in the Islamic State. The Pardee Periodical Journal of Global Affairs. Accessed.
Moghadam, A., 2009. Motives for martyrdom: Al-Qaida, Salafi jihad, and the spread of suicide attacks. International Security, 33(3), pp.46-78.
Seliger, M., 2019. Ideology and politics. Routledge.
Waldeck, A., 2015. The Ideology of ISIS: A Motivation for Europeans to Become Foreign Fighters.