Islamic Terrorism

Muslim-American Terrorism

Charles Kurzman, “Muslim-American Terrorism: Declining Further,” February 1, 2013: “Fourteen Muslim-Americans were indicted for violent terrorist plots in 2012, down from 21 the year before, bringing the total since 9/11 to 209, or just under 20 per year. The number of plots also dropped from 18 in 2011 to 9 in 2012. For the second year in a row, there were no fatalities or injuries from Muslim-American terrorism. … Sixty-six Americans were killed in mass shootings by non-Muslims in 2012 alone, twice as many fatalities as from Muslim-American terrorism in all 11 years since 9/11.” More, including data…

The Missing Martyrs

Charles Kurzman, The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists. Oxford University Press, 2011.
“The rental car rolled onto the sidewalk behind the registrar’s office and drove slowly down the brick path between a dining hall and the English Department, a few steps from my office. ‘Beyond Time,’ an upbeat German dance song, played in the car’s stereo. The driver, Muhammad Taheri-Azar, had just graduated from the University of North Carolina three months earlier, so he knew the campus well. Beyond the dining hall was a plaza known as the Pit, where students were hanging out at lunchtime on a warm winter day in early 2006. Taheri-Azar planned to kill as many of them as possible.” More…

Islamic Statements Against Terrorism

Charles Kurzman, “Islamic Statements Against Terrorism”: “The undersigned, leaders of Islamic movements, are horrified by the events of Tuesday 11 September 2001 in the United States which resulted in massive killing, destruction and attack on innocent lives. We express our deepest sympathies and sorrow. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the incidents, which are against all human and Islamic norms. This is grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam which forbid all forms of attacks on innocents. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another’ (Surah al-Isra 17:15).” More…

Why Is It So Hard to Find a Suicide Bomber These Days?

Charles Kurzman, “Why Is It So Hard to Find a Suicide Bomber These Days?” Foreign Policy, September/October 2011. “There will be more terrorist attacks, and some could be successful in killing hundreds of people, perhaps even thousands. Last year, Faisal Shahzad almost succeeded in an attack of this scale, filling a vehicle with explosives and parking it just off Times Square in New York City. As with the terrorist who drove through campus in Chapel Hill, incompetence saved the day — Shahzad used faulty firecrackers as his detonator. We may not be so lucky in the future. But even if they succeed in killing thousands of us, attacks like these do not threaten our way of life, unless we let them.” More…

Where Are All the Islamic Terrorists?

Charles Kurzman, “Where Are All the Islamic Terrorists?” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 31, 2011. “Last month, a few hours after a bomb exploded in downtown Oslo, I got a call from a journalist seeking comment. Why did Al Qaeda attack Norway? … I felt a creepy sensation that I have experienced often since 9/11. In the fields of Middle East and Islamic studies, bad news is good for business.” More…

Data Sources and Further Readings

Analyze the data yourself! Data sources include:

Muslim-American terrorism since 9/11
Murders in the United States since 9/11
Terrorist fatalities in each country since 1970
Causes of death worldwide
Wars since 1946
Muslim public opinion

Plus, suggested readings on Islam and terrorism. More…