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There are very few books that try to understand the process and stages through which terrorism has spread in various parts of the world. We don’t have materials that tell you the distinguishing features that characterise the internationalisation of terrorism — from local to global. Terrorism-Patterns of Internationalization by Jaideep Saikia and Ekaterina Stepanova provides a systematic analysis of the concepts of internationalisation of terrorism. The book challenges a number of conventional patterns of analysis and underlines the importance of visualising terrorism as an act driven by political motivation, notwithstanding the fact that it is manifested through ideological or religious sentiments. It also analyses the various tactics used by different terrorist organisations in different regions and distinguishes terrorists from other non-state actors. It dwells on the dangerous implication of the internationalisation of terrorism and emphasises the need to develop a research methodology, which can help understand the current conceptualisation of the phenomenon and bring forward analytical solutions. The book has well researched chapters by leading experts on terrorism from across the five continents. In the chapter Jihad or Joi Bangla: Bangladesh in Peril veteran journalist Subir Bhaumik underlines the “imperatives that closely link military dictatorships in South Asia to Islam, and the manner in which the “barrac politics” of Dhaka-betraying the secular and nationalist sentiments that liberated Bangladesh from Pakistan — began not only to systematically rehabilitate pro-Pakistan forces and enshrined Islam as the state religion, but also paved the way for the current Islamist upheaval”. Jennifer Lynn Oetken’s examination of the insurrection in Kashmir provides a “unique progression of a homegrown movement’s transformation to a full bloodied international one”. He says that the movement is guided by an “international ideology”; its agenda and activities are confined to a particular area, but the “external links that engender the movement is maximum”. On Al-Qaeda, Stepanova analyses the role played by the extremist ideology of the group and the al-Qaeda inspired cells and networks in shaping their unlimited, global goals- centred on establishing Islamic rule world wide. Stepanova argues that “this ideology gives a radical, quasi-religious response to the challenges of the modern, globalising world”. Published by Sage, the book tries to address many issues from a new perspective and approach. The editors of the book Jaideep Saikia (guwahati) and Ekaterina Stepanova (Stockholm/Moscow) are terrorism and conflict analysts. They had earlier worked ona project on “Spoiler and Devious Objectives in Peace Processes” for the United Nations university.
— ANI
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