ABSTRACT
What Do We Know about Militant Muslims? 1. Religious Narrative. The militants’ reading of Islam as enunciated in its Holy Book, the Qur’an, and the Sunna or traditions of the Prophet Mohammed, is that it is the perfect religion, culminating and subsuming all other monotheistic religions-i.e. Judaism and Christianity. Its uniqueness lies in its simplicity and lucidity, as it needs no clergy to mediate between the Creator God Almighty and the believers. Islam’s claim to superiority draws from its comprehensiveness as a belief system, a worship system, and a transactional system of rules and regulations to guide Muslims in everyday life. The militants further believe that strict adherence to its precepts and rules (the shari’a), ensures a perfect community (Umma) in this world, and access to Heavenly Paradise in the Hereafter.
