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Jihad & Co.
Book

Jihad & Co.

Black Markets and Islamist Power

Oxford UP, 2017 plus...


Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Eye Opening
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Aisha Ahmad, assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto, says policymakers should be aware of the business community’s power to influence political outcomes and battlefield results – in other words, they should follow the money. She provides a rich, instructive history of Islamist jihad business activity during the Afghan and Somalian civil wars. She says these conflicts led businessmen to grow beards, wear traditional Muslim clothing and support Islamic charities to project an identity that cut across factions and reached more customers. Some Islamist groups established order by drawing support from opposing factions – even during civil wars – and lowering the cost of doing business. 

Take-Aways

  • Civil wars in Afghanistan and Somalia led to the establishment of Islamist proto-states.
  • Business owners in Afghanistan and Somalia polish their reputations as Islamists so they can operate across ethnic and tribal boundaries with minimal security costs.
  • Armed Islamist non-states represent “a new social construct on the world stage.” 

About the Author

Aisha Ahmad, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto, is a senior researcher at the Munk School of Global Affairs.


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