Sayyid Qutb's Influence on the 11 September Attacks

ISSN： 0954-6553

Source： Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol.16, Iss.2, 2004-04, pp. : 222-252

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Abstract

The 11 September attacks cannot be understood fully without an understanding of the ideas of Sayyid Qutb, who is widely acknowledged as the intellectual godfather for the various modern radical Islamic movements, including Al-Qaeda. Qutb's writings are important because they define the core elements that have been adopted by all radical Islamic movements. These include: (1) an extreme hostility toward Western culture, especially the role of women and sexual mores in the West; (2) the formation of society under the rule of Sharia, Islamic law; (3) the overthrow of governments not under the rule of Sharia by means of holy war; and (4) an intense hatred of Jews and distrust of Christians. This article also illustrates Qutb's influence on radical Islamic groups.