The Charismatic Leadership Phenomenon in Radical and Militant Islamism

263 Pages·2013·1.96 MB·English

by  Haroro J. Ingram

The CharismaTiC Leadership phenomenon
in radiCaL and miLiTanT isLamism
The charismatic leaders of the radical Islamist movement – from Sayyid Qutb to Osama
bin Laden – are analysed in this intriguing study. It shows how they build on chains of
charismatic leadership in order to craft their own authoritative images. This is a study
that tells us much about the human side of radical Islamist ideology, and about the role of
leadership in social movements in general.
mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Usa
religion and international security
series editor: Lee marsden, University of east anglia
In the twenty-first century religion has become an increasingly important factor
in international relations and international security. Religion is seen by policy
makers and academics as being a major contributor in conflict and its successful
resolution. The role of the ashgate series in religion and international security
is to provide such policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students with a
first port of call in seeking to find the latest and most comprehensive research on
religion and security. The series provides established and emerging authors with
an opportunity to publish in a series with a reputation for high quality and cutting
edge research in this field. The series produces analytical and scholarly works
from around the world that demonstrate the relevance of religion in security and
international relations. The intention is not to be prescriptive or reductionist in
restricting the types of books that would be appropriate for the series and as such
encourages a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches. International security
is broadly defined to incorporate inter and intra-state conflict, human security,
terrorism, genocide, religious freedom, human rights, environmental security, the
arms trade, securitisation, gender security, peace keeping, conflict resolution and
humanitarian intervention. The distinguishing feature is the religious element in
any security or conflict issue.
Other titles in the series:
Radicalism Unveiled
Farhaan Wali
978-1-4094-6371-9
The Ashgate Research Companion to Religion and Conflict Resolution
Edited by Lee Marsden
978-1-4094-1089-8
Religious Transnational Actors and Soft Power
Jeffrey haynes
978-1-4094-2508-3
Religion, Conflict and Military Intervention
Edited by Rosemary Durward and Lee Marsden
978-0-7546-7871-7
The Charismatic Leadership
phenomenon in radical and
militant islamism
haroro J. ingram
Australian National University (ANU), Australia
© haroro J. ingram 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Haroro J. Ingram has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company
Wey Court east 110 Cherry street
Union road suite 3-1
Farnham Burlington, VT 05401-3818
surrey, gU9 7pT Usa
england
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
ingram, haroro J.
The charismatic leadership phenomenon in radical and militant Islamism / by Haroro J.
ingram.
pages cm. -- (Religion and international security)
ISBN 978-1-4094-4984-3 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-4094-4985-0 (ebook) -- ISBN
978-1-4724-0269-1 (epub) 1. Islam and politics. 2. Islamic leadership. 3. Radicalism--
Religious aspects--Islam. I. Title.
Bp173.7.i55 2013
320.55'7--dc23
2013007974
ISBN 9781409449843 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409449850 (ebk – PDF)
ISBN 9781472402691 (ebk – ePUB)
III
This book is dedicated to my parents
This page has been left blank intentionally
Contents
List of Figures and Table ix
Introduction 1
Part I EstablIshIng thEory
1 Literature Review: Charismatic Leadership Theory 11
2 A Theoretical Framework of Charismatic Leadership 27
3 A Theoretical Framework of Identity and the ‘Architects of
Identity’: Merging Identity and Charismatic Leadership Theory 49
4 The Radicalisation Process and the Role of the Charismatic Leader:
Merging Radicalisation and Charismatic Leadership Theory 63
Part II EstablIshIng ContExt
5 Islam as Centre and the Charismatic Leaders of Islamist
Radicalism and Militancy: Exploring the Islamic ‘Toolkit’ 77
6 The Transformative Charisma Phenomenon in Islamist Radicalism and
Militancy: A Framework of Macro-level Trends and Characteristics 95
Part III CasE studIEs
7 The Colonial Period (late 1800s-1945): The Roots of the
TCPIRM: Hassan al-Banna 107
8 The Post-Colonial Period (1945-1970): From the Chasm
between Hope and Reality: Sayyid Qutb 121
9 The Modern Period I: Islam’s Resurgence (1970-1989) The Dawn of
Perpetual Crisis, the Beginning of Perpetual War: Abdullah Azzam
139
viii The Charismatic Leadership Phenomenon in Radical and Militant Islamism
10 The Modern Period II: Post-Afghan Jihad to the 9/11 Decade
(1990-2000s): From the Depths of Islam’s Modern Crisis:
Osama bin Laden 165
11 The Modern Period III: The 9/11 Decade (2001-2011), Crisis on the
Frontiers of the Muslim World: Anwar al-Awlaki (1971-2011) 199
Conclusion 225
References 231
Index 251
List of Figures and Table
Figures
I.1 Theory, Context and Case Studies 5
2.1 Recognition of Charismatic Authority 28
2.2 The Charismatic Relationships 30
2.3 Relationship Triangle 1 31
2.4 Relationship Triangle 2 32
2.5 Perceptual Triangle 32
2.6 Manipulation Triangle 33
2.7 The Charismatic Relationships 34
2.8 The Three Dimensions of Routinisation 40
2.9 The Routinisation of Charisma 41
2.10 Centring 43
2.11 The Transformative Charisma Phenomenon 43
3.1 Identity Formation and Production 51
3.2 Cyclical Cognitive Reinforcement: The Drivers of Identity,
Perception of Crisis, and the In- and Out-group Identity Paradigms 55
3.3 The Identity Formation/Production Process 57
3.4 Spheres of Identity 57
3.5 Primacy of an Identity 59
3.6 The Uni-polarisation of Identity 60
4.1 The Radicalisation Process 66
5.1 Four Ideal Types of Islamic Orientation 79
5.2 Cognitive Transitions in the Radicalisation Process 81
6.1 Chains of Transformative Routinisation 96
6.2 Typologies of Charismatic Leadership in Modern Islamist Militancy 101
9.1 Abdullah Azzam 147
10.1 The Al-Qaeda Embryo 172
10.2 The Al-Qaeda Charismatic Adhocracy 173
10.3 The Impact of the War on Terror on Al-Qaeda 176