Class position determines whether Islamists adopt moderate or radical tactics

Evidence

The devout middle class, which sometimes has the backing of other segments of society, typically tends to be more conservative in its orientation and constitutes the “moderate” Islamist wing. While members of this class share the vision of creating an Islamic state, they prefer to do so under conditions of social stability that advance their economic interests. Urban youth displaced from the middle class due to a lack of opportunity, on the other hand, tend to be open to more confrontational and violent tactics; they constitute the “radical” wing of the Islamist movement. At times these two groups have cooperated with each other; at other times they have gone their separate ways. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 346

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Gallup polling shows Muslim religiosity correlates with rejecting rather than supporting terrorism — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 674; In general, disagreement among Muslims regarding the use of jihad has been deeply influenced by social and political contexts. In fact, in recent decades, many Muslims believe it is their right or obligation to wage jihad against religious, political or social oppression.; Islamist movements draw recruits from specific oppressed classes, not a monolithic bloc — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 345 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Islamist groups arise from local conditions, not from anti-American plots #expands (0.50) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 376
• Arab regimes in the 1970s deliberately backed Islamists against secular nationalists and the left #exemplifies (0.50) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 372
• Israel licensed Hamas’s predecessor because Islamists opposed the secular left #exemplifies (0.45) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 399