Global Jihad: temi, piste di diffusione e il fenomeno del reducismo ...

Themes of the Culture of Modern Global Jihad
Introduction
Reuven Paz
In the past decade, since the emergence of al-Qa’ida as the leading element of the
Jihadi-Salafi clash with the West and its terrorist arm worldwide, the focus of
Western societies and governments has been on confronting the problem primarily in
the field of terrorism and counter-terrorism. The September 11 attacks in the United
States highlighted the clash and gave it the image of a clash of civilizations, the new
global cold war, a clash between the free world and democracy vis-à-vis “the Axis of
Evil,” and other titles. The Western world found it difficult not only to cope with the
worldwide terrorist operations or Jihadi insurgencies, but also to understand the
motivations, spirit, and state of mind behind this phenomenon.
Many Islamic movements have an unfortunate tendency to portray their struggles as
part of a larger clash between Muslim and Western religions and civilizations. Many
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