religious motivation; political conflicts; Islam; jihad; branding; Patani
摘要
The collective term “jihadist conflict” is used widely in academia, policy, and the media to describe a range of different political and religious conflicts. While all these conflicts are fought by Muslim groups who in one way or another regard their struggle as a jihad, the goals, motivation, and interpretation of jihad differ significantly from one conflict to another. The branding of movements as jihadist is driven by analysts, governments, and the media on the one hand, and by violent extremist groups with a transnational agenda on the other. While this branding is often embraced by those who pursue violent means, be they militant groups engaged in intrastate conflicts or disenfranchised individuals carrying out terrorist acts, the brand itself does not help us understand the fundamental conflict dynamics. Using the example of the Patani conflict in southern Thailand, this article illuminates how a political conflict may be misinterpreted if the religious motivation of militants is generalized rather than analyzed in its own terms.
目次
Abstract 291 The Jihadist Brand 292 Thailand and the Patani Insurgency 294 Who Are the Jihadists? 297 What’s Religion Got to Do with It? 299 Branding The Patani Jihad 300 Politics And Religion 303 Conclusion 306 References 307
