2006/05/01 by Quintan Wiktorowicz · 3 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence #Islamic Studies and History #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Creed #Interpretation (philosophy) #Politics #Movement (music) #Law #Political science #Sociology #Psychology #Criminology #Aesthetics #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/10576100500497004
openalex publication_date 2006/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The Salafi movement (often referred to as the Wahhabis) includes such diverse figures as Osama bin Laden and the Mufti of Saudi Arabia and reflects a broad array of positions regarding issues related to politics and violence. This article explains the sources of unity that connect violent extremists with nonviolent puritans. Although Salafis share a common religious creed, they differ over their assessment of contemporary problems and thus how this creed should be applied. Differences over contextual interpretation have produced three major Salafi factions: purists, politicos, and jihadis.