The Lesser Jihads: Bringing the Islamist Extremist Fight to the World

The Lesser Jihads examines conflict through the lens of Islamist terrorist groups. It outlines how terrorists see war, as well as what historical and current events and ideas they use not only to justify violence, but also encourage others to participate. Following a brief examination of recent wars in which Islamist terrorist groups played a significant role (Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Syria), the text describes ongoing conflict in 22 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe. It shows how Jihadists use their propaganda to continue what they see as their obligation to fight to protect Islam, and how extremist messaging interprets these conflicts. It identifies and explains the connectivity of these conflicts, framing them into a global world view.  In light of the ongoing war in Syria, the text provides a timely warning that other wars may grow in lethality and scope, arguing that there is enough Muslim suffering and perceived international aggression against Islam to feed future conflict. Bringing together in one volume different conflicts where terrorist groups are active worldwide, it introduces the world and thinking of Jihadists while highlighting a number of seldom reported cases.