Publication

This paper examines the role of Islamic charities in international terrorist recruitment and financing. The author describes how the roots of contemporary radicalization and support for terrorism can be traced back two decades to the organizational lessons of the Soviet-Afghan war. At that time a number of sympathetic NGOs provided various kinds of assistance to Islamic rebels, which proved to be invaluable in the long-term struggle against the Soviets. By disguising their militant activity with charitable ideals, radical militants discovered that they were able to maintain their level of efficiency while working with very few restrictions on an international level. The paper hence explains how the practice of radical and militant involvement with NGOs and charitable organizations continues, and how an understanding of the linkages between radicalization and the NGO community is necessary when considering development interventions and anti-terrorist measures.