A Small Subset? Measuring Social Support for Islamist Terrorism in the Middle East, South Asia, And Southeast Asia‪.‬

A widespread belief exists in the West that support for Islamic terrorists and their cause is slender throughout Islamic countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This article argues that the genuine enemy is far broader than has commonly been identified. Specifically, a political ideology, Militant Islamism, unites the enemy. Militant Islamism is a broad yet scattered ideological movement with branches in dozens of countries, some well organized, some secret; some linked to legitimate political parties, others autonomous. Everywhere it exists, Militant Islamism is more than a political label, more than a vehicle through which elites select who among them is to rule. In other words, it differs in form and function from the narrow tasks political parties fulfill in democratic societies through elections. Yet, as do some political parties, Militant Islamism is a movement that in many places enjoys very substantial levels of popular support. Introduction