Reconstruction of Jihadist Discourse in the Middle East After the First World War

Abstract

The politics of the Middle East is occupied by jihadist discourses because of its motivating role in military campaigns. Jihad is a Qur anic term, which means it was determined in the Qur an during period of Prophet Mohammed. However it is always subject to different interpretations according to situations they faced with. The classical military jihad was modified by state leaders in their state actions. The policies of state leaders shape the jihad understanding of Muslim or non-Muslim states. However the criteria of jihad were mostly changed after the First World War within states of the Middle East. Beside state leaders, the actors of non-state actors define their modern understanding of jihad. Different from classical understanding of jihad, contemporary jihad cannot be explained within a legal framework. This is why it is called as jihadism. The discourse on jihadism is constructed by the Middle Eastern actionist groups- whether justified or un-justified in international system.