Just sharing – Al-Qaida at the Crossroads by Fawwaz A. Gerges

admin on 05 22, 2009

15 May 2009

Al-Qaida at the Crossroads

What is happening to al-Qaida: does it still constitute a threat to its adversaries, and if so how grave? Fawaz A Gerges, author of “The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global,” examines the movement’s standing for openDemocracy.

By Fawaz A Gerges for openDemocracy.net

If you wonder what has happened to al-Qaida, follow the trail of Arab and Muslim public opinion, and you’ll get a clear picture of its massive crisis of authority and legitimacy.

The balance of forces in the world of Islam has shifted dramatically against al-Qaida’s global jihad and its local manifestations.

Now, more and more Muslims view al-Qaida through a prism that focuses on the monstrosity of killing of non-combatants in general, not just Muslim civilians. Recent opinion surveys and my own field-research confirm that an overwhelming majority of Muslims are more than just unsympathetic to the ideology of Osama bin Laden and his followers; they place the blame squarely at his f…