Fatwa and Jihadist Islamist Groups

Abstract

The article analyzes the role of Fatwas or Islamic religious decrees in the ideological and tactical strategies of the radical Islamic Jihadist organizations. It is focused on two significant fatwas of the Al-Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden which are known as the “Ladenese Epistles”. These decrees, issued in 1996 and 1998, became the central documents regulating Al-Qaeda’s ideology and operations. The comparative analysis of these decrees, or Fatwas is based on research of the key concepts, terminologies, and theological underpinning of the texts. The article shows the connection of the texts to the broader narrative of radical Islamist Jihadist organizations which use these decrees to justify their violent activity and shape the worldview of Jihadist movements and their followers.