Institutionalizing Violence

Jérôme Drevon is senior analyst on Jihad and Modern Conflict at the International Crisis Group (ICG) and research associate at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) (Centre on Conflict, Development & Peacebuilding (CCDP)). He was previously advisor for Non-State Armed Groups at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Jerome has undertaken extensive field research and interviews with salafi jihadi militants in Egypt and Syria.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Arabic Glossary Arabic Transliteration CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1. How Important are Jihadi Groups' Strategic Developments? 1.2. Jihad and its Aftermath in Egypt 1.3. The Concepts of Radicalization and Institutionalization 1.4. The First Argument: Jihadi Groups' Radicalization and Institutionalization 1.5. The Second Argument: Jihadi Groups' Institutionalization and Long-Term Strategic Evolution 1.6. The Scope of the Model and Contribution to Existing Research 1.7. Overview of the Chapters CHAPTER 2 Institutionalizing Violence 2.1. Jihadi Groups' Relational Radicalization 2.2. Comparative Mechanisms of Radicalization and Beyond 2.3. Jihadi Groups' Institutionalization 2.4. Radicalization and Institutionalization 2.5. Institutionalization and Long-Term Strategic Evolution CHAPTER 3 Two Trajectories to Jihad 3.1. The Seeds of Violence Before and After Nasser's Free Officers 3.2. Religion and Politics Under Sadat 3.3. Covert Jihad Group Mobilization 3.4. From Mass Movement Proselytization to Jihad 3.5. Towards an Armed Confrontation: Killing Pharaoh 3.6. ConclusionCHAPTER 4 Strategy Institutionalization 4.1. Cementing the Roots of Salafi Jihadi Opposition to the Regime in Prison 4.2. Early Institutionalization after Sadat's Assassination Trials 4.3. Denouncing Other Islamists and Religious Institutions 4.4. A Contentious Exile to Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Cradle of al-Qaeda 4.5. Ideological Radicalization in Exile? 4.6. A Strategic Deadlock and the Transnationalization of Jihad 4.7. Reinterpreting Salafi Jihadi Ideology 4.8. Conclusion CHAPTER 5 Confronting the Regime and Fighting the Far Enemy 5.1. Reacting to Repression 5.2. The Militarization of the Conflict 5.3. A Fight for Survival 5.4. Relocating Jihad Abroad 5.5. Conclusion CHAPTER 6 The Emergence of Non-Violent Political Alternatives 6.1. What Happened to the Other Islamists? 6.2. The Institutionalization of Jihadi Groups' Collective Identities 6.3. Responding to a Short-Lived Democratization 6.4. Conclusion CHAPTER 7 Conclusion 7.1. The Institutional Trajectories of the Islamic and Jihad Groups 7.2. Armed Violence Beyond Egypt7.2.1. The Strategic Development of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State 7.2.2. Political Violence and Democracy 7.2.2. The Role of Ideas 7.3. Understanding Jihadi Groups as Groups Annex: Methodology and Field Research Bibliography

Jerome Drevon's Institutionalizing Violence is a remarkable piece of scholarship. It advances our theoretical understanding of Salafi groups' radicalization and de-radicalization, and the centrality of institutionalization to groups' strategic choices. Its empirical chapters, focused on Egyptian Salafi-Jihadi groups, are fascinating, the result of exceptional access to important figures in these organizations. Drevon also has a unique ability to breathtakingly tell their story. This book is a must read for students of social movements, terrorism studies, and the Jihadi movement.