When Insularity Becomes a Problem: The Literature on Jihadism in Jordan

Abstract

This article offers a review of the literature on Jordanian jihadism. While excellent work has been done, particularly on the phenomenon’s history and ideologues such as Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, several topics remain unexplored. The main explanation for the literature’s shortcomings is that it has been too inward-looking. I argue that this insularity has led to three problems: first, the literature sometimes recycles observations already made; second, it fails to show how Jordan presents specificities in terms of jihadism; and third and most importantly, it misses insights from the literature on political violence about radicalization and terrorist attack activity. As a result, it fails to address key questions about Jordanian jihadism, such as why, when, and how terrorist attacks happen.