Hegemonic International System and Perceptual, Organizational and Operational Transformation of Salafi-Jihadi Groups; From Al-Qaeda to ISIS

Concepts of Salafi-Jihadi extremism such as monotheism, religious understanding of the Salaf and such beliefs as innovation and ignorance generate certain rules and norms of behavior including excommunication (Takfir) and Jihad. But this semantic core and internal consolidator of the identity of Salafi Jihadi activists enters into a construction process in interaction with external structures, especially at the international level. Therefore, what determines the perception, operational orientation, organizational model, religious boundaries and targeting of Jihadi Salafi groups is the interaction of their internal structures and external structural pressures, especially at the level of the international system. For this reason, the contemporary Salafi-Jihadi current, while based on the foundations of a stable and uniform identity, has changed due to different perceptions of the surrounding situation. The main question of this research is: “How can we explain the identity change, the change of activism and the goals of the Salafi-Jihadi groups from al-Qaeda to ISIS?” To answer this question, the theoretical framework of the structure-agent. The main hypothesis of the research is presented as follows: “The mutual consistency of the internal Salafi identity and the hegemonic structure of the international system have led to the formation of three intersubjective perceptions including oppression, Crusade and emigration among the Salafi-Jihadist current. Corresponding to this perceptual transformation, three types of operational actions including solidarity Jihad, spatial Jihad and triumph Jihad, and three types of institutions, the Jihadist movement, the Islamic Emirate, and the establishment of the institution of the caliphate have been formed. These components can be identified as elements of identity-historical transformation in the form of three Salafi-jihadi generations from al-Qaeda to ISIS.”