1. “Al Qaeda Global Revolution”
Robert Silva
Professor Fisher
Terrorism and Covert Political War
May 2006

2. Introduction:
This paper will be exploring Al Qaeda as a political and social movement using and
comparing with Maoist revolutionary thought. Al Qaeda has a comprehensive political
ideology with financial and economic system. Al Qaeda is using guerrilla methods and
terrorist tactics to deter foreign liberal activities in the Middle East countries, for the
purpose to allow Islamic companies and political practices to flourish to protect Islamic
tradition. Al Qaeda is a political movement that uses guerrilla warfare to promote its
political and social interests that is comparable to Maoist revolution. Al Qaeda is creating
a global network to combat liberalism since liberalism is global ideology that threatens
Islamic tradition because of the sociological effects of liberal economic practices. Al
Qaeda should be considered a movement like communism because it is transnational and
offers alternative way of structuring society.
Al Qaeda Movement and Motivations
The ideology of Al Qaeda in a nutshell is to free the followers of Islam from
oppression. This is done through violent revolutionary methods including terrorism and
guerilla warfare, this is called the Jihad.1
The book that the ideology stems from is the
Quran. Al Qaeda movement wishes to have the Quran as the guiding principals of their
political institutions and financial system. The oppressor’s of Islam is the ancient rivals
1
Javier Jordan, Manuel Torres, Nicola Horsburgh . The Intelligence Services' Struggle Against al-Qaeda
Propaganda. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, Volume 18, Number 1
(January-March), pp. 35-36,
2

3. the "Crusaders and Jews."2
The Crusaders and Jews influence Islamic society through
western business and finance. The Crusaders and Jew’s ability to control economic
development gives the ability to control society and politics. The Jihadist view liberalism
as a tool of oppression of Islam and the Islamic community. The Middle East
governments that allow western companies to control the business and finances that
oppress and undermine the Islamic tradition can be considered apart of the oppressors
and not part of the community because they are profiting from the oppression of fellow
Muslims. They are considered enemies with the "Crusaders and Jews.” The revolution of
Al Qaeda is calling for a holy war or Jihad, this a rallying cry for Muslims of the world to
unite and remove the oppressors by any means possible, for the freedom of Islam before
the Islamic culture is assimilated into a new consumer culture of the west.
The tool the Crusaders and Jews use is liberal economic practices. This allows for
foreign nationals to own business in foreign countries without living or being a citizen of
the domestic country. The liberal economic practice is seen by Al Qaeda a tool that
disrupts the community, and undermines Islam in the Middle East. Qtub an Al Qaeda
philosopher writes about his observations about American culture the decadence and the
hedonism.3
Qtub does not want the Middle Eastern culture become as American culture
has become because of liberal economic practices. This is what the Jihad is trying to
subvert.4
2
Kohlmann, Evan F.,” Al-Qaida’s Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network”(Berg Oxford New
York 2004) p 79
3
Paul Berman, The Philosopher of Islamic Terror, Magazine Desk, March 23 2003 paragraph 11-14
4
Ibid
3

4. Why the Muslims views modern liberalism as a tool of oppression and separates
people from Islam is through the western influence over their lives through economic
practices.5
The reason is economic behavior is social behavior. The behavior and the
socialization in the work place seeps into the home and private life. Liberalism promotes
foreign control over domestic companies and the foreign beliefs and practices in the work
place is not Muslim. The Muslim is being social condition to be western or foreign in the
work environment and therefore the Muslim takes these practices and beliefs to his home
and community. This changes the culture and society. If the Muslim owns the work
place then Muslim practices of work is the norm and this will protect the culture and
promote the dignity of Muslim traditions. The direct connect with western culture
influence the Muslim to change because the need to adapt.
Liberalism is known to promote disunity in the community according to Mao Te
Tung.6
Liberalism turns people against each other for wealth and position in the
company, neighbors and family become secondary, this promotes individualism, not the
community or the “Umma.” This relates to the Islamic duty to the “Umma.” The liberal
practice threatens the Muslim traditions because the Muslim relies on the company and
not the community for survival this changes the authority structure of the community.
The authority of the community becomes the business not the Mosque. The foreign
company is not reliant on the host community therefore it is not loyal to the community
and this shows the Muslim the Mosque’s authority is limited. The company becomes the
focus of life and not the Mosque. This creates division because the authority of the
5
Paul Berman, The Philosopher of Islamic Terror, Magazine Desk, March 23 2003
6
Hachey, Thomas, “ The awakening of a Sleeping giant: third world leaders and national liberation”
(Robert E Krieger Publishing Company Huntington, New York 1981) p. 66
4

5. community is divided. This causes the Muslim to choose loyalty between economic
needs and cultural loyalty.
Liberalism allows foreign cultures to influence Islamic culture because of the lack
of control of Muslim business practices. If Muslim are not in the decision making process
of business the Islamic beliefs are not being practices. The decision makers are not
making decisions to promote Islam but to promote profit maximization. The traditional
Islamic business practices take Islamic community into consideration. The Loyalty to the
Muslim and Islamic culture ends with profit. The Muslim is viewed as tools of
production, this dehumanizes the Muslim and this is counter productive to Islam because
Islam promotes the importance of the individual to the community. Liberal business
practices could be perceived by the Muslim as degrading because decision making
process is not about the promotion of Islam but a few individuals. The Muslim is used to
promote a new culture and this weakens the Islamic identity. The Muslim is used in
counter productive to the teachings of Islam because it is promoting profit over
community well being. This in return weakens the Islamic community because traditions
are marginalized. This could be a reason why the Al Qaeda movement views liberalism
as a tool of the “Crusaders and Jews” to oppress Muslims.7
The liberal practices, promotes dependency on money and, this isolates the
Muslim from community. The business practices are not about the community or the
7
BRIGITTE L. NACOS. The Terrorist Calculus behind 9-11: A Model for Future Terrorism?. Studies in
Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 26, Number 1 (January-February 2003), pp. 11-12
This was to define the clash of the civilization and how one culture changes into another.
5

6. Muslim but individual profit of the company at the expense of Muslim. When the Muslim
works for the company the Muslim is not working for the community but western
business interest. This creates as concentration of wealth in a few owners hand, and this
gives the ability of the owners to expand influence.8
This supports and promotes the
submissive position of the Muslim with in its own society. The dependency is created
when liberal practices expand to each aspect of the economy forcing the Muslim to work
for foreign companies. Muslim institutions become weaker because the focus is economic
wealth creation and not the teachings of Islamic community building. This creates an
external dependency on money because the resources are control by foreign interest and
not local community interest. This can weaken the Islamic traditions as the economy
becomes more liberal, because of the need to have the right currency to operate in the
society.
Mao Te Tung writes about liberalism derives from the selfishness of the pseudo-
bourgeois.9
That Liberalism promotes selfishness in the individual. The ability to isolate
is driven by the selfish nature to gain wealth. This creates vulnerability, and vulnerability
leads to slavery. This is a method to turn Muslim against Muslim by promoting
selfishness. This is the internal struggle that Liberalism creates with in Islamic society a
struggle for an overseer class in Muslim society for the foreign business holders. This
changes Islamic society tremendously because decision and the authority of the
community starts deriving from economic influence and matters become economic in
nature and not from Allah or the teachings of Islam. The Muslims that are under
8
Lenin’s theory
9
Hachey, Thomas, “The awakening of a Sleeping giant: third world leaders and national liberation”
(Robert E Krieger Publishing Company Huntington, New York 1981)
6

7. influence of the foreign capital become arguers for the western influence because they
have an interest to expand their power, they are going to influence society that promotes
the individual power base. This leads to changing traditions because the division with in
the community. This can be viewed as a divide and conquer technique with the use of
liberalism economic practices. This can be a reason why Al Qaeda target western friendly
Middle East governments because allowing these influences to take hold.
The practices of Liberalism could have caused Al Qaeda movement to target
civilian liberal institutions of finance, and political power because the liberal practice can
lead to the same results of a conquering military because the Muslim not controlling their
home land and resources. The Muslim is subjugated to foreign influence because the lack
of control over business, politics and finances. The Muslims is at the whim of the new
power structure, marginalized and excluded. This is no different if conquered by a
military force. It is the civilian liberal institutions that create the situation, because it
transfers control through legal means with the use of finance. Liberal institutions do
exclude those who do not follow the rules and methods in return if the individual Muslim
does not conform they are marginalized and lose power, and becomes subjugated to the
liberal system for the need for survival. The exclusion is in the name of productivity and
efficiency the result the need to create greater profits. Al Qaeda might have this
perception and perceives it as a threat to Islamic society, because of the colonization
process.
7

8. Al Qaeda views the liberal institutions of banking, transportation as a threat to
Muslim society thus attacking of these civilian targets could be justified because these
institutions change the Muslim and Islamic society, through coercive means. By
destroying western liberal practices through terrorist attacks on the institutions that
promote liberalism is for the protection Islamic beliefs and traditions. This is a radical
approach to deter negative influences upon the Muslim society by extending and
declaring the war to civilian targets that promote liberalism. The reason could be, through
liberal practices a foreign country does not need to conquer a nation militarily to gain
control of the every day running of the country and the control over the resources.
Through the liberal philosophy, a company just needs agreement to do business in the
country. Open warfare is not needed because the situation of the international economy
allows transnational business the leverage to begin to operate in less developed countries
because the country needs development. The military conquest is not needed to gain
control over the country’s resources. This could be the perception that transnational
corporations are actually practicing mercantilism in the name of liberalism. The result is
the Al Qaeda is attacking the institutions that are implementing the colonization process
to the Muslim populace. 10
The Al Qaeda belief is for the removal of western influence for the purpose of
Islamic traditions to flourish in their own country. The liberal market creates a reliance
on foreign currency to trade and this creates a dependency to foreign companies and
markets for survival. As western business establishes in the Middle East this lessen the
10
This paragraph is to explain, how business can conquer, and can be consider a tool or conquering
therefore, subject to attack like a military unit.
8

9. ability for Muslims to enter into key economic industries. This creates dependency on the
Muslim to foreign companies and powers in the Muslims homeland. This could create a
need for a movement to stop western liberal business practices to promote Islamic
businesses in the Middle East to promote and protect the rights of the Muslim.11
Terrorism is to create an unsafe place for western business in the Middle East, and
this would hopefully stop foreign businesses from starting operation in the region for the
fear of being subject to a terrorist attack.12
The attacking of transportations is to stop the
movement of resources, information and business activity. This can be viewed as a tactic
Sun Tzu explain by cutting resources, and information this is also to deter western own
business in the Middle East. The attacking can cost the business resources, finances and
opportunity this is no different in war. This is a guerilla tactic to disrupt the everyday
operations of business, and this also creates fear in the west to stop liberal business from
entering the Middle East, which are the weapons of the Crusaders and Jews. The warfare
is being waged is against the western civilian institutions because they are the frontline
on the assault of Islamic culture.
How can the Al Qaeda justify the terrorism, the concept of belief is the realm of
the spirit or metaphysical. Thoughts, beliefs and concepts of tradition are in the realm of
the metaphysical. Liberal institutions change the mental outlook in the individual
11
XAVIER RAUFER. Al Qaeda: A Different Diagnosis. Studies in Conflict and
Terrorism, Volume 26, Number 6 (November-December 2003), pp. 395-396,
12
BRIGITTE L. NACOS. The Terrorist Calculus behind 9-11: A Model for Future Terrorism?. Studies in
Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 26, Number 1 (January-February 2003), pp. 5-6
9

10. Muslim and this can be viewed as the realm of the spirit. The spirit can be considered the
non-physical aspect of our being. To change the mental and/or spiritual aspect of the
Muslim can cause changes physically because the mental directs the physical. This
could justify in the mind of the Al Qaeda movement that attacking these targets is a part
of a spiritual war because of the metaphysical aspects of the physical activities of these
institutions affect the Muslim mind. Al Qaeda attacks on civilian targets could be viewed
as a part of the spiritual war because the institutions sculpt the culture and thought, and
this can remove Islamic beliefs. To attack the physical institution is to remove the
negative spiritual influence upon the Islamic society.
Al Qaeda movement’s ideology and motivations does have some similarities with
other revolutionary movements, calling for global revolution, offering alternatives to
politics, economics, siding with the powerless. This is comparable to Maoist revolution.
Mao in China was fighting Japanese imperialism, which had a military presence in China.
China was in active in revolutionary war against Japan. This is different in a since with
Al Qaeda, but has some similarities if you look at Afghanistan fight against the Soviets,
and Bosnia against Serbians. The struggle was for a homeland against a foreign military
invader. The Bosnia was creation of an Islamic state in Central Europe and freeing from
another nationality control. 13
Afghanistan was about self determination from an empire.
This can fall under the revolutionary category.
Mao believed that any revolution needs the people support to help the
revolutionaries combat the imperialist colonizing power. This means the revolution is
13
Gunaratna, Rohan, “Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror” (Columbia, New York 2002)
10

11. wanted by the people and the people help with aid and hiding of the revolutionaries from
the oppressing regime. Al Qaeda tries to create a unity among the people using the
religion of Islam to create a commonalty and purpose for the people. Religion gives an
instant history and heritage between people when they become believers. Al Qaeda use of
religion creates a transnational culture. Like the Communist uses culture the worker and
the history of workers rights, to create a common heritage and culture, this is the same
with Al Qaeda use of religion. The Communist rally the workers around the world to call
to arms against the Imperialist as Al Qaeda calls upon Muslims to revolutionize against
the Crusader and Jew influence around the world. They are both struggling against a
banking system to promote their right to their culture and identity.
Al Qaeda and communist revolution has commonality because they both offer
alternatives to mercantilist practices, which were enabled by the liberal economic system.
Maoist Communist offer democracy for the populace and centrally command driven
economy that is control by the democracy to ensure foreign influences do not gain control
over the traditions and people of China. While, as Al Qaeda offers the Caliphate type of
political system that has the Quran as the guiding principal which can be argued against
the Caliphate to limit the Caliphate power to ensure the rights of the Muslim. The
finances are control by the community and banking practices are different that interest is
not collect, but banks become partners in business venture, by profit sharing.14
This is
regulated by the community. The bank does not have the power of debt over the business,
plus the bank has an interest to ensure the business prospers because it is the only way the
bank will be paid back. The two have a centralize approach to economic development
14
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/economics/islamic_banking2.htm
11

12. because the community is involved in the development process and the financing. The
political and economic and finance structure is to ensure community development
through economic practices, not just profit for the individual interest. This way is to
ensure resources are being used to promote the local community and not foreign interest.
To control the financing of economic development locally through community agencies,
being the government in the communist way, or the community with the Quran or the
Islamic way. The method is third party government community involvement of economic
development control by the people or the local populace. This is one of commonality of
the two ideologies in practice.
The second commonality is, Osama Bin Laden calls for Muslims around the
world to revolt,15
is comparable to the call of Maoist Communist supporting the social
revolution around the world. The Maoist and Osama see liberalism as a global threat.
Osama Bin Laden is actively pursuing to develop a network of cells through out the
world.16
Maoist philosophers give moral support for revolution. They both believe a
counter movement is needed to offset the view threat of liberalism. The hope is
spontaneous revolution would develop and evolve into major conflicts, as described in
guerrilla war manuals, the ultimate goal is full scale war. This would derail global
expansion of the liberal economic model. This would lessen the power and reach of
liberal economic system by closing geographically access to resources and markets.
15
XAVIER RAUFER. Al Qaeda: A Different Diagnosis. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 26,
Number 6 (November -December 2003), pp. 394
16
Gunaratna, Rohan, “Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror” (Columbia, New York 2002)
12

13. Al Qaeda and the old Maoist revolution goals are to enable self determination
through self governance. The movements are non-state actors, but the goal was to control
the state with their ideology. They both have guiding principals and visions for society.
Their goals are encompassing plans for states and society from, simple marriages rights,
to property usage. They offer the individual an active role in society and government.
This is what stirred the people to join the American Revolution, representation in the
political and economic processes. The American Revolution was the Liberal against the
Mercantilist. The reason the Communist and Al Qaeda wages war is because of the
mercantilist practices dictate, control and manage the native people for resources and
security. This creates a reason for rebellion or revolution because the native people like
in Al Qaeda and Communist movements want freedom and control over their destiny. Al
Qaeda and Communist movements offer a vehicle to achieve this, and they preach it.
One could argue that Al Qaeda and Maoist in practice limit the self-determination
of the individual. The precepts that each movement offers is the ability to protect and
argue individual rights. Either with the religious doctrine is to limit and define the prince
role in society to protect the citizen in Islamic society, or a Communist democracy allows
the individual to express views, it is no different when someone argued their rights from
United States Constitution in the United States. In theory, it is how each system was
supposed to work, and this is the guiding principal and vision for society. The groups
offer self-determination and rights protection, they have perceived liberal practices limit
their rights because the business owner controls the mechanisms in the society for right
protection for the argument of survival and profit. This Muslim and Communist does not
13

14. have a legitimate forum to defend their rights, thus they use war. Al Qaeda should be
viewed as a revolutionary group that uses guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics that views
liberalism as a tool of conquering.
.
Conclusion
Al Qaeda and the leaders chose to use guerrilla warfare tactics, because they were
successful in Vietnam against the French and United States, the Vietnamese obtain their
self-determination.17
To look at Al Qaeda as a single purpose organization as a terrorist
group will limit the ability to deal with Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda goal is to revolutionize the
Muslim in all countries to overthrow existing regimes, to replace with the Caliphate or
ruled by Islamic Law. The movement is based on principals and goals for society,
therefore the methods to obtain are not set in a distinct pattern or methodology. Al Qaeda
could be viewed as pragmatic. The spreading of propaganda is to inspire Muslims to take
action with out having a central authority, when the organization grows it is approached
by Al Qaeda for funding and training. This is a method of franchising and spontaneous
revolution it is almost like when Lenin wrote about the concept of the Spark, about
communist revolution. This ensures the revolution or movement does not decay but can
also rise like a virus in society. The use of terrorism is a great deterrence to states and is
used for the psychological affect to limit behavior of private liberal expansion, by
17
AVID MARTIN JONES, MICHAEL L. R. SMITH, MARK WEEDING. Looking for the Pattern: Al
Qaeda in Southeast Asia--The Genealogy of a Terror Network. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume
26, Number 6 (November-December 2003), pp. 443-457,
14

15. creating a state of fear, by discrediting the state’s ability to protect the citizens. This
proves the effectiveness of Al Qaeda.
Is Al Qaeda a product of Liberalism, I would say no, it is a product of mercantilist
practices because liberalism provides a forum for discussion of rules between states,
enables the expression and the protection of rights, and encourages mutual benefit from
trade a peaceful co-existence. The problem with the expansion of globalization in the
1990s it was not followed without rules of trade and economic practices, which allow
non-state actor Multi National Corporations (MNC) to act on their own self interest. With
no rules to follow they did what they did to maximize profits, the MNC desire to control
the environment they operate in. Robert Gilpin writes about the need for a global
governance to ensure proper business practices so the system will work. Adam Smith said
it was necessary because people are self interested and desire to limit competition. The
behavior of multinationals corporations could be viewed as mercantilist in nature,
exploitive and oppressive acting in a manner that is self interested and trying to limit
competition. This created a backlash because there was no forum to discuss rights and
methods of the rule of conduct of capital. Al Qaeda actions are not justifiable but I do
not think liberalism is the cause for their action but mercantilist practices through
liberalism.
15

16. Summary
Bibliography
Books
Griffith B. Samuel, “Mao Tse-tung On Guerrilla Warfare” (Dover Publications New
York, 2005)
Gunaratna, Rohan, “Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror” (Columbia, New York
2002)
Schanzer, Jonathan,” Al Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups& The Next
Generation of Terror” (Washington Near East Studies, Washington D.C 2005)
Schram, Stuart, “The Thought of Mao Tse-Tung” (Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge 1989)
Kohlmann, Evan F.,” Al-Qaida’s Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network”(Berg
Oxford New York 2004)
Hachey, Thomas, “The awakening of a Sleeping giant: third world leaders and national
liberation” (Robert E Krieger Publishing Company Huntington, New York 1981)
Conclusion Al Qaeda is waging war to promote Islamic culture through promoting
Islamic business practices.
Scholarly Journals
AVID MARTIN JONES, MICHAEL L. R. SMITH, MARK WEEDING. Looking for the
Pattern: Al Qaeda in Southeast Asia--The Genealogy of a Terror Network. Studies in
Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 26, Number 6 (November-December 2003), pp. 443-
16

17. 457,
This article traces how Al Qaeda used existing groups to integrate with in the Al Qaeda
cell network. The article explains some recruiting tactics and long term strategy of Al
Qaeda.
BRUCE HOFFMAN. The Changing Face of Al Qaeda and the Global War on Terrorism.
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 27, Number 6 (November-December 2004),
pp. 549-560,
BRIGITTE L. NACOS. The Terrorist Calculus behind 9-11: A Model for Future
Terrorism?. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 26, Number 1 (January-February
2003), pp. 1-16,
Javier Jordan, Manuel Torres, Nicola Horsburgh . The Intelligence Services' Struggle
Against al-Qaeda Propaganda. International Journal of Intelligence and
CounterIntelligence, Volume 18, Number 1 (January-March), pp. 31-49,
XAVIER RAUFER. Al Qaeda: A Different Diagnosis. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism,
Volume 26, Number 6 (November-December 2003), pp. 391-398,
17