At its zenith, the Islamic State was one of the most developed and powerful of the various militant organisations that have emerged within the Middle East in recent decades. Not limiting its objectives to organising mass casualty attacks, it constructed a complex system of administration, including an outreach department, which produced a large body of film, social media and literature. Of these, its flagship publication, Dabiq (later renamed Rumiyah), has been its most s...

This book examines and interprets a wide range of approaches to the causes of violence and conflict.The causes of violence and conflict are often left untheorized, or they are discussed as an existent problem assumed to be an inevitable part of human interaction. Adopting an accessible approach, this volume presents readers with a clear understanding of the causes of violence and conflict by highlighting their evolutionary roots and illustrating them with in-depth case studies and ...

This book focuses on the historical sociology of the Turkish state, seeking to compare the development of the Ottoman/Turkish state with similar processes of large scale historical change in Europe identified by Michael Mann in The Sources of Social Power. Jacoby traces the contours of Turkey's 'modernisation' with the intention of formulating a fresh way to approach state development in countries on the global economic periphery, particularly those attempting to effect closer tie...

Peace in Turkey 2023: The Question of Human Security and Conflict Transformation, by Tim Jacoby and Alpaslan Özerdem, explores how the Kurdish conflict could possibly be transformed towards positive peace. By drawing on peace, conflict transformation and human security theories, Peace in Turkey 2023 seeks to redress a long-felt concern in Turkey: how to address the current challenge of establishing sustainable peace in the country. What will Turkey look like at its Republic’s centenary cel...

Violent conflict brings together two seemingly disparate groups: humanitarians and soldiers. This mixes and convolutes agendas, blurring lines that are often perceived to be sacrosanct. Delving deeply into the history and reasons of why these two groups work in close proximity, this study provide a unique insight into the history, ethical dilemmas and policy conundrums when aid workers operate close to the military. Using Afghanistan as a case study, analytical rigour, deep primary researc...

Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) was an influential Egyptian ideologue credited with establishing the theoretical basis for radical Islamism in the post colonial Sunni Muslim world. Lacking a pure understanding of the leader's life and work, the popular media has conflated Qutb's moral purpose with the aims of bin Laden and al-Qaeda. He is often portrayed as a terrorist, Islamo-Fascist, and advocate of murder. This book rescues Qutb from misrepresentation, tracing the evolution of his thought withi...

In this ground-breaking Australian book, a diverse group of international writers, scholars and commentators shed light on some of the most pressing human rights and public policy challenges of our time. Contributors include thinkers of Muslim background with extensive personal experience in developing countries, and Western writers of both secular and religious orientation. Individual essays deal with the human rights of Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in areas ranging from women's rights ...

Security Studies: An Introduction, 4th edition, is the most comprehensive textbook available on the subject, providing students with in-depth coverage of traditional and critical approaches and an essential grounding in the debates, frameworks, and issues of the contemporary security agenda.This new edition has been completely revised and updated, to cover major developments such as COVID-19, the rise of populism, climate change, China and Russia’s place in the world, and ...

Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding? The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community a...

The war in Afghanistan has been a major policy commitment and central undertaking of the Canadian state since 2001: Canada has been a leading force in the war, and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on aid and reconstruction. After a decade of conflict, however, there is considerable debate about the efficacy of the mission, as well as calls to reassess Canada’s role in the conflict. An authoritative and strongly analytical work, Empire’s Ally provides a much-needed critica...

In The Making of a Human Bomb, Nasser Abufarha, a Palestinian anthropologist, explains the cultural logic underlying Palestinian martyrdom operations (suicide attacks) launched against Israel during the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000–06). In so doing, he sheds much-needed light on how Palestinians have experienced and perceived the broader conflict. During the Intifada, many of the martyrdom operations against Israeli targets were initiated in the West Bank town of Jenin and surrounding v...