The response must be 250 words and use at least 2 scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include texts, articles, presentations, the Bible, blogs, videos, etc.

Textbook: Taylor, R. W., & Swanson, C. R. (2019). Terrorism, intelligence, and homeland security (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson. ISBN: 9780134818146.

***EDWARD***

The growth of radical Islam has become a growing concern for Europe and the United States as they both must endure the emerging threat to their national and regional security interests (Khan, 2016). However, is radial Islam any more dangerous than the domestic radical religious threats we encounter here in the United States? Taylor and Swanson (2019) offer for consideration the right-wing Christian extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and others, as similar in construct to those radical Islamic organizations. The commonality between the two is their selective interpretation of religious doctrine in the Quran and Holy Bible as a foundation for the religious extremism they exude to justify their hatred of people. Radical Christians often cite their Bible interpretation and tie it to the United States Constitution as a source of their destiny (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). Similarly, radical Islamists often misinterpret or selectively interpret the Quran to fuel their hatred and religious and political ideologies.

     The Muslim Brotherhood started in Egypt during the 1920s to liberate Egypt from foreign rule and influence (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). Over the years, the Muslim Brotherhood has grown both in its power and social, political, and religious impact throughout the Muslim world (Counter Extremism Project, 2021). The goal of the Muslim Brotherhood is to ensure the spread and implementation of sharia law across all Islamic nations around the world. The Muslim Brotherhood’s influence extends to more modern Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda, Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), and al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). As an ideology, the Muslim Brotherhood advocates for violence across the region despite their insistence that they are a non-violent organization. The Muslim Brotherhood also has a long history of association with splinter organizations and violence towards the Egyptian, Syrian, and Israeli governments.

     Within the radical Islamic movement, several influential leaders have been responsible for the rise of anti-western and Israeli sentiment throughout the Middle East and world. Considered the father of modern terrorism, Sayyid Qutb was a significant Islamic revolutionary who helped redefine Islamic values and extremist theories towards the west and was particularly influential to many radical Islamic groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood (Taylor & Swanson, 2018). The Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas, made the tactic of using suicide bombers a standard upon the urging of its founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). Usama Bin Ladin is infamously known as the founder of al-Qaeda and the mastermind of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the United States (Taylor & Swanson, 2018). The implications of these attacks continue today, but more importantly, they have given Western countries concern for their protection from asymmetric adversaries like al-Qaeda.

     We no longer live in a world of tranquility and peace from aggressors. The attacks of 9/11, and many other attacks since then across the world, show us that we must adapt to the threat and accept that another attack can occur at any time. This emerging enemy is resilient and determined to attack us on our soil. We have a long way to go, as this is just the start of a multi-generational war of ideologies.