Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam

by Gilles Kepel

The late twentieth century has witnessed the emergence of an unexpected and extraordinary phenomenon: Islamist political movements. Beginning in the early 1970s, militants revolted against the regimes in power throughout the Muslim world and exacerbated political conflicts everywhere. Their jihad, or "Holy Struggle," aimed to establish a global Islamic state based solely on a strict interpretation of the Koran. Religious ideology proved a cohesive force, gathering followers ranging from students and the young urban poor to middle-class professionals.After an initial triumph with the Islamic revolution in Iran, the movement waged jihad against the USSR in Afghanistan, proclaiming for the first time a doctrine of extreme violence. By the end of the 1990s, the failure to seize political power elsewhere led to a split: movement moderates developed new concepts of "Muslim democracy" while extremists resorted to large-scale terrorist attacks around the world.

"Jihad" is the first extensive, in-depth attempt to follow the history and geography of this disturbing political-religious phenomenon. Fluent in Arabic, Kepel has traveled throughout the Muslim world gathering documents, interviews, and archival materials inaccessible to most scholars, in order to give us a comprehensive understanding of the scope of Islamist movements, their past, and their present. As we confront the threat of terrorism to our lives and liberties, Gilles Kepel helps us make sense of the ominous reality of jihad today.

Genres: Islam, History, Politics, Nonfiction, Religion, Middle East, Terrorism

364 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2000

About the author

A French scholar and analyst of the Islamic and the Arab world. He has written works on Radical Islam including Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam. He was the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for 2009-10 at LSE IDEAS (Centre for Diplomacy & Strategy, at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Professor Kepel has previously been a visiting professor at Columbia University in New York. He speaks Arabic, French, English and Italian.

Kepel's work has stirred intense debates in the French academia. His analyses of political Islam have notably been criticized by Olivier Roy, François Burgat and Alain Roussillon. These 3 authors however are also quite controversial, with secularists like Caroline Fourest or Mohamed Sifaoui being particularly critical of Roy and Burgat's sympathy towards islamists.

Reviews

[Carles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A escasos capítulos de terminar el libro puedo decir que es una lectura interesante y recomendada. En él, Kepel repasa los acontecimientos históricos relacionados con el Islamismo (como proceso social que surge en los años 60, se expande y se consolida en forma de nuevos Estados -- revolución Iraní, Argelia, etc. -- y se agota a finales de los 80). Este estudio es suficientemente detallado y general como para tener una idea global del proceso histórico; pero a su vez, no excesivamente académico, pudiendo ser un buen libro introductorio.

Respecto al contenido, quiero destacar la importancia que da Kepel a la Ideología, como corpus teórico que construye y asienta un imaginario que describe el mundo. En este sentido, el Islamismo moderno, estrechamente ligado a la Modernidad, no podría entenderse sin las figuras de Qotb, Mawdudi o Wahabi, quienes consolidaron (ya a principios de siglo) el edificio imaginativo que ofrece una base sólida a las diferentes líneas ideológicas. Es a partir de estos cimientos desde donde el proceso social parte: en primer lugar, conquista la hegemonía cultural; posteriormente, toma fuerza sobre la masa social (asentándose sobre dos elementos, el proletariado urbano jóven y la burguesía "piadosa") y estalla como fenómeno político. No obstante, como todo proceso, acaba agotándose fruto de sus contradicciones: los regímenes políticos caen, otros se ven desbordados por las facciones más radicales, etc. La ideología, como un carácter más de esta realidad social, ofrece tanto un lenguaje como un relato sin los cuales el proceso no puede comprenderse en todas su complejidad. ¿Cómo puede entenderse, si no, el triunfo de Jomeini en Irán? ¿Y la radicalización tras la guerra de Afganistán? ¿Por qué cambió la actitud del Islamismo hacia Occidente?

[Mohammed omran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kepel provides a panoramic account of various incarnations of "political Islam" across the Arab and North African world outlining how and why events have unfolded as they did. At the heart of his analysis are two main insights:1) Only when Islamist movements can united the "devout bourgeoisie", the young urban poor (the "disinherited ones") and the religious clerics can they achieve success. Such an outcome is difficult to achieve given the tension inherent between these different groups though one notable past success occurred in Iran where a broad coalition was built under the tutelage of Khomeini. However, Kepel argues, such success has proved fleeting and the Iranian revolution has stagnated ever since.2) The violence of Islamist movements which aim at political power is a sign of their weakness. They lack capacity to mobilise the masses and so must resort to spectacular acts of terrorism to attempt to rally the faithful. This, Kepel thinks, is an approach which is destined to fail. The key example he cites is Algeria, where a military coup to stop an Islamist party gaining power via democratic means occurred; when a full-blown jihad was declared the various Islamist groups descended into bouts of internal violence which led to them ultimately alienating the masses they claim to represent.The book is both an engaging read and dense with detail, which at times can be hard to fully grasp. Nonetheless, his emphasis on the regional dynamics of the middle east in which the Saudis and Iranians vie for hegemony makes for interesting reading as does his emphasis on how Wahhabi teaching and the maddrassa educational system breeds extremism. A compelling read!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of Political Islam. After reading Olivier Roy on the subject I had a good footing in the thinking and philosophical development of Political Islam, but was looking for a more detailed history of the movement, especially in terms of how it evolved and played out in very diverse regions. Kepel provides just that kind of detail. I recommend both this and Roy's "The Failure of Political Islam" and think they dovetail together very well. I'd love to see an updated edition of Kepel's book since he leaves off at the turn of the century, just as the movement was regaining much lost momentum.

[John NM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive scope, covering the emergence of political Islam from the remains of the secular/nationalist governments in the Islamic world. A great introduction.

[Jason Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read. Great detail into the different Islamist movements all over the Muslim world from Palestine to Algeria to Afghanistan to Malaysia, this book is so well-detailed and informative and even for its era, much of the information is still incredibly relevant and with the emergence of even more radical Islamist groups since 2001, it would be interesting to see an updated version of this book. Overall, a good read for those interested in not only Islam but the politics of Islam as well.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kepel provides a panoramic account of various incarnations of "political Islam" across the Arab and North African world outlining how and why events have unfolded as they did. At the heart of his analysis are two main insights:

1) Only when Islamist movements can unite the "devout bourgeoisie", the young urban poor (the "disinherited ones") and the religious clerics can they achieve success. Such an outcome is difficult to achieve given the tension inherent between these different groups though one notable past success occurred in Iran where a broad coalition was built under the tutelage of Khomeini. However, Kepel argues, such success has proved fleeting and the Iranian revolution has stagnated ever since.

2) The violence of Islamist movements which aim at political power is a sign of their weakness. They lack capacity to mobilise the masses and so must resort to spectacular acts of terrorism to attempt to rally the faithful. This, Kepel thinks, is an approach which is destined to fail. The key example he cites is Algeria, where a military coup to stop an Islamist party gaining power via democratic means occurred; when a full-blown jihad was declared the various Islamist groups descended into bouts of internal violence which led to them ultimately alienating the masses they claim to represent.

The book is both an engaging read and dense with detail, which at times can be hard to fully grasp. Nonetheless, his emphasis on the regional dynamics of the middle east in which the Saudis and Iranians vie for hegemony makes for interesting reading as does his emphasis on how Wahhabi teaching and the maddrassa educational system breeds extremism. A compelling read!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly detailed and wide-ranging analysis of the rise and (in the author's opinion) fall of militant Islamism throughout the twentieth century. From Algeria to Malaysia, in Palestine and Sudan, Kepel tracks the emergence of Islamism as colonial empires began to crumble, how and where they were able to gain control of governments, and how and why they failed (often spectacularly and bloodily). My biggest complaint, and this isn't really the author's fault, is that the book only goes up to the beginning of 2002. I'd absolutely love to hear this author's thoughts and conclusions updated to include the last 10 years, especially the Arab Spring and its immediate aftermath.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

The French title sums this book up better then the English: "Jihad, the rise and decline of radical Islam". Kepel details the rise and fall of violent political Islam across the Middle East. His essential point is that violent groups, while representing a valid expression from the populace of change and something different, burns out their popular support through violent activity.

[Juanfran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author spent five years traveling the Islamic world and beyond for fieldwork and brings back a harvest of information and insights. The book is no longer so current, but it gives you a valuable picture from a pivotal period. The book is especially good for insights into life in the francofone Islamic world.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it hard to track exactly what Kepel was saying - he tended to summarize, and then go back in detail. I would have preferred a more narrative approach. Overall, it does provide background on jihadi groups, but I think that there are better options out there.

[Matt Giebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most authoritative historical analyses of Islamist movements, tracing their evolution from post-colonial activism to transnational militancy. Kepel approaches political Islam not as a monolith, but as a dynamic and internally fractured phenomenon shaped by social, economic, and geopolitical forces. Kepel situates jihadist movements within specific historical moments, emphasising their roots in failed modernisation projects, authoritarian governance, and social dislocation. Rather than treating Islamist violence as purely theological, he shows how religious language becomes a vehicle for political grievance and mobilisation. The book’s strength lies in its historical depth. Kepel traces the rise and decline of Islamist movements across regions, highlighting moments of popular support as well as widespread rejection. He demonstrates that jihadist violence often emerges not from strength, but from political marginalisation and ideological exhaustion. Kepel’s tone is analytical rather than alarmist. He resists civilisational narratives and focuses instead on internal debates within Islamism itself. This allows him to explain fragmentation, radicalisation, and eventual backlash with nuance and precision.

Recommended.

Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam remains essential because it treats Islamist extremism as history rather than destiny. Kepel’s work reminds readers that movements rise, mutate, and decline — and that understanding this trajectory is essential to any serious engagement with political Islam.

[Jon Norimann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kepel is a renowned scholar on the politics of modern Islam. In this book he goes through political developments from about 1960 to 1995 in the islamist movements in the countries most renowned for mixing polticis and the muslim faith. It gives the reader a nice primer how the stage was set for the current political islam.

Then after 6-7 hours of reading about the past, one arrives at the 20 page conclusion. Here Kepel speculates about the future of political islam. Remarkably 20 years after Kepel wrote his conclusion it turns out his speculations at least so far have been both misguided and erroneous, just totally wrong. This at least makes me question the whole book, however it was an interesting read while it lasted.

[Amine Seghir · Rating 4 out of 5]

The funny and ironic thing is the last part called "the decline" of Islamic terrorism which is just before 9/11 which is the real beginning of the war against terrorism.
As someone from Muslim tradition , I must confess the book is very good and interesting and explore different topics related to the rise of radical islamism.
I found few religious-historical mistakes but this is a must read.
And I know it's won't be the last Gilles Kepel book I will read... Inshallah.

[Kurishin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One could be forgiven for thinking this is dated but I would argue that it's not. I couldn't help thinking of larger parallels to social movements that devolve to violence and what that means for the given social movement. Observers tend to think that the violence is the beginning of something rather than an approaching end. Kepel successfully wades through the emotion and provides perspective and analysis.

[Lela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult to read without much knowledge of the topics discussed in the book as the research is very thorough and detailed. The book is more suitable for specialists than curiosity-driven readers.
Interesting to read the continuation as the conclusion here is very positive, without anticipation of ISIS.

[Hugues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publié un an avant le 11 septembre 2001, ce livre pèche un peu par optimisme quand au déclin de l'islamisme, sous-estimant la capacité de nuisance de sa composante salafiste-jihadiste, de la capacité de résilience du régime iranien et des réactions occidentales face à celles-ci, même si les dernières lignes de la conclusion se veulent prudentes et évoquent les possibles explosions populaires du monde musulman (ici l'auteur pourrait se targuer d'avoir anticipé les Printemps arabes). Les perspectives contenue dans Jihad: expansion et déclin de l'islamisme lui ont valu maintes critiques après les attentats de 2001. L'auteur a revu sa copie dans l'édition de poche qui est, du coup, un livre différent.
C'est dans le chapitre sur la Turquie qu'il me semble le plus incapable d'anticiper sur l'avenir. Alors qu'il conclut à l'échec de l'islamisme turc à s'imposer au pouvoir sans mettre de l'eau dans son vin (sic), Gilles Kepel n'a pas vu venir l'émergence de l'AKP ni son accès au pouvoir. Le nom d'Erdogan n'apparaît jamais dans Jihad: expansion et déclin de l'islamisme.
Je remarque que Gilles Kepel, prompt à utiliser l'argument générationnel pour expliquer l'émergence de l'islamisme dans les sociétés musulmanes, peine à l'utiliser pour imaginer le renouvellement de ce mouvement. Les enfants des déçus de l'islamisme pourraient bien devenir islamistes aussi.
La version pré-11 septembre n'en reste pas moins très intéressante à lire par son analyse des événements du dernier quart du XXIe siècle.

[Ibo Mazari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein Meisterwerk. Es zeigt in einem großen Bogen von den 1920ern bis zur Jahrtausendwende die Entstehung des Islamismus in diversen Ländern, erläutert politische, ökonomische und kulturelle Faktoren. Mit viel Details und Sachkenntnis erfährt der Leser über bisher wenig bekannte Verbindungen zwischen Islamisten weltweit. Sollte jeder lesen!
Als Fazit: der Autor sieht im Terror der letzten 15 Jahren ein Zeichen des Niedergangs islamistischer Ansätze. Es gelingt ihnen, den Islamisten, nicht, alle, teilweise sich widersprechende Gruppen in der Gesellschaft (etwa das fromme Bürgertum und die mittellose Jugend) zusammen zu bringen für eine langfristig tragbare Revolution.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overall history of the social, economic, and political factors since WWII that gave rise to political Islam from Europe to Indonesia. Only one problem: he thinks Islamism peaked with the Afghan jihad and is now on its way out...

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read about Islamists and how they developed. Very well written and readable. However, he is French and that sometimes shows. It is probably one of the most respected works on the subject.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched, but somewhat dry and confusing. Also dated (published just after 9/11 which seems to have been woven in as an afterthought) and full of (sadly) overblown predictions of the demise of militant Islam.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also, an extremely dense book but covered in excruciating detail what he believes was the rise and what was the fall of reactionaly jihadists.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but it seemed to offer suggestions based on assumptions and not on facts - specifically regarding the decline of islamist politics.

[Max Osini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro fondamentale per capire l'islam politico. Ancor più impressionante pensare che è stato scritto prima del 2001.

[Joe Donohue · Rating 4 out of 5]

the contradictions of Islamism

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit dry and technical...did not find it as illuminating as I'd hoped on today's situation.