#3: Religion and Politics - Al-Qaeda

Discuss the origins and impact of Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda is a global militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and several other militants, in Peshawar, Pakistan, at some point between August 1988 and late 1989, with its origins being traceable to the Soviet War in Afghanistan. t operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical SunniMuslim movement calling for global jihad and a strict interpretation of sharia law. It has been designated as a terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda has carried out many attacks on non-Sunni Muslims, non-Muslims, and other targets. Al-Qaeda has attacked civilian and military targets in various countries, including the September 11 attacks, 1998 U.S. embassy bombings and the 2002 Bali bombings. The U.S. government responded to the September 11 attacks by launching the War on Terror. Characteristic techniques employed by al-Qaeda include suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings of different targets. Activities ascribed to it may involve members of the movement, who have taken a pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden, or the much more numerous "al-Qaeda-linked" individuals who have undergone training in one of its camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq or Sudan, but who have not taken any pledge. They believe that the killing of civilians is religiously sanctioned, and they ignore any aspect of religious scripture which might be interpreted as forbidding the murder of civilians. Al-Qaeda also opposes man-made laws, and wants to replace them with a strict form of sharia law.