Religious diversity is a permanent feature of the social landscape of West African States. The relatively low level of socio-economic development, the weakness of State institutions, as well as the configured deep in the African culture of tribalism as a feature of local political systems make these countries vulnerable to the processes of destabilizing and troublemaking. Religious differences in this situation become even one element of building a local identity, which in crisis situations become factors in building up negative images of the enemy, leading to the politicization of religion and impeding the functioning of societies undergoing similar divisions. Civil wars in Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, or the expansion of the political forces that refer to the idea of militant Islam, are examples of such processes, which affect negatively the security of individual countries and the region.
The aim of this article is to present an ironic, grotesque, farcical and tragic dimension of totalitarianism in Martin Amis’s selected works. The author is going to analyse and juxtapose three dictatorial ideologies: Nazism, Communism and Islamic fundamentalism while showing Martin Amis’s distinctive literary techniques, styles and modes used with reference to the examination of each of these three issues. Firstly, the emphasis will be placed on the exploration of those novels of the British writer that present Nazism and Communism and their aftermath, namely Time’s Arrow, House of Meetings and Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million. This section will present ironic, grotesque, satirical as well as tragic facets of these two totalitarian systems depicted by Martin Amis. The subsequent part will focus on the issues of Islamist fundamentalism, terrorism and the relations between Islamist and Western culture at the turn of the third millennium. Here, the author is going to scrutinize Martin Amis’s novel The Second Plane: September 11: Terror and Boredom as well as she will refer to the writer’s miscellaneous interviews, talks and discussions. Similarly to the previous part devoted to the analysis of Nazism and Communism, this one will draw the attention to Amis’s grotesque, farcical and ironic delineation of Islamic fundamentalism, yet here, a special emphasis will be placed on the writer’s description of a political and social aspect of this matter rather than on his concern for linguistic an stylistic innovation. Finally, by juxtaposing these three totalitarian ideologies in Martin Amis’s selected fiction the author is going to show numerous interpretations and sides of this subject matter, ranging from political and social debate to cultural and literary criticism.
The article investigates recent developments and changes to the Middle Eastern regional security complex. The regional security complexes theory (RSCT) assumes that security problems rarely impact on large distances and that similar threats occur mostly in specific regions. According to RSCT, the Middle East is a typical conflict formation, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraqi crisises being the biggest problems and most serious threats to the regional security. The author argues, however, that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does no longer play a major role in the regional security, and the recent crisis in Iraq, although still important, has completely different character than it had previously. Security of the Middle Eastern regional complex is now shaped and challenged by a different set of factors. This includes primarily the impact of the rising Sunni-Shiite hostility, growing popularity and importance of Islamic fundamentalism, as well as the instability and unpredictability of local political regimes.
This age is marked by Islamic fundamentalism that has elements of political ideology. Militancy of this kind of fundamentalism produced a lot of political violence including terrorism. The most dangerous Islamic terrorist groups today, such as “Islamic State” and “Boko Haram” use the Јihadism as ideology.
PL
To stulecie jest naznaczone przez fundamentalizm islamski będący elementem politycznej ideologii. Bojowość tego rodzaju fundamentalizmu przyczyniła się do stosowania na dużą skalę politycznej przemocy, w tym terroryzmu. Najniebezpieczniejsze obecnie grupy terrorystyczne, to Państwo Islamskie i Boko Haram pośługujące się ideologią dżihadyzmu.
The article reflects on the security issues of Russia, China and Central Asia in the context of Islamic separatism and terrorism, which Moscow and Beijing face. Following the Afghan Wars, all Islamic countries have developed Islamic fundamentalist movements that proclaim the ideology of a religious state. Both the authorities of the Russian Federation and the authorities of the People’s Republic of China see the activities of Jihadist organizations as a threat of destabilization throughout the region. The common policy of the Russian Federation and the PRC towards Islamic extremism and terrorism is a necessity for both powers, and they have undertaken a joint effort for regional stability and security policy in 2001 and establishing a Regional Counterterrorism Structure (RATS) under the Shanghai Convention on the Fight against Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism from June 15, 2001
PL
W artykule podjęto refleksję nad problematyką bezpieczeństwa Rosji, Chin i Azji Środkowej w kontekście separatyzmu i terroryzmu islamskiego, z którymi borykają się Moskwa i Pekin. W następstwie wojen afgańskich we wszystkich krajach Azji Środkowej rozwinęły się ruchy fundamentalizmu islamskiego, głoszące ideologię państwa religijnego. Zarówno władze Federacji Rosyjskiej, jak i władze Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej postrzegają działalność organizacji dżihadystycznych jako zagrożenie destabilizacją całego regionu. Wspólna polityka FR i ChRL wobec ekstremizmu i terroryzmu islamskiego jest dla obu mocarstw koniecznością, państwa te podjęły zatem wspólny wysiłek na rzecz polityki stabilizacji i bezpieczeństwa regionalnego, powołując w 2001 r., na mocy zapisów Szanghajskiej Konwencji o Walce z Terroryzmem, Separatyzmem i Ekstremizmem z 15 czerwca 2001 r., Regionalną Strukturę Antyterrorystyczną (RATS).
The author of the article presents a phenomenon of terrorism in the Balkans throughout the 19th, 20th an 21st centuries. She highlights a thesis that specific phenomenon of terrorism in the region requires additional studies, mostly of heuristic nature. Among the types of Balkan terrorism there is terrorism connected to national and liberation movements and political terrorism. Furthermore, terrorist actions in Romania and Bulgaria, terrorism of the Ustashe and terrorism of the anti-Yugoslav emigration and other its forms have been indicated. A particular attention has been paid to terrorism connected to extreme streams of Islam, which appeared in the Balkans as the aftermath of the civil war (1992–1995). In the post-Cold War era Islamic terrorism in the Balkans is linked to a growth of influences of Muslim fundamentalists. The author proves a thesis that due to their topography the Balkans create a great possibility for the development of training camps and bases for terrorists linked to a global jihad. It poses a threat to the security of Europe and its democratic societies because of the probability of incitinga conflict, not only on a local but also broader, even non-European scale.
PL
Autorka artykułu prezentuje zjawisko terroryzmu na Bałkanach na przestrzeni wieków XIX i XXI, zwracając uwagę, że ekspansja terroryzmu w tym regionie wymaga podjęcia odrębnych badań, przede wszystkim o charakterze heurystycznym. Wśród nurtów terroryzmu bałkańskiego został wymieniony terroryzm związany z ruchami narodowowyzwoleńczymi i terroryzm polityczny. Ponadto autorka wskazała na akcje terrorystyczne prowadzone w Rumunii i Bułgarii, terroryzm ustaszy i emigracji antyjugosłowiańskiej oraz inne jego formy. Szczególną uwagę poświęciła terroryzmowi związanemu z ekstremalnymi nurtami islamu, który pojawił się na Bałkanach jako dziedzictwo wojny domowej (1992–1995). W epoce postzimnowojennej terroryzm islamski na Bałkanach wiąże się ze wzrostem wpływów fundamentalistów muzułmańskich. Autorka udowadnia hipotezę, że Bałkany ze względu na warunki naturalne stwarzają znakomitą możliwość rozwoju baz i obozów treningowych dla terrorystów powiązanych z globalnym dżihadem. Rozwój terroryzmu na Bałkanach wywołuje zagrożenie dla bezpieczeństwa Europy i jej demokratycznych społeczeństw z powodu prawdopodobieństwa wzniecenia nie tylko konfliktu lokalnego, lecz także o szerszym zakresie, na skalę pozaeuropejską.
Terroryzm islamski jest formą walki fanatyków i fundamentalistów islamskich, przypisujących sobie reprezentacyjność świata islamskiego, z cywilizacją zachodnią oraz wszystkimi, którzy skłonni są cywilizację tę akceptować. Jego geneza tkwi w konflikcie cywilizacji muzułmańskiej z zachodnią, a zwłaszcza lękiem przed utratą tożsamości, w sporze na temat wkładu świata arabskiego w sferę cywilizacji zachodniej, w podobieństwach islamu z judaizmem i chrześcijaństwem oraz innej jej roli, którą przypisuje się religii w życiu społeczności i jednostki. Brak argumentów, wizji zwycięstwa ze strony muzułmanów aktywizuje 0,01-0,03% społeczności islamskiej i prowadzi do działań terrorystycznych. Walka w imię źle pojętych ideałów przynosi katastrofalne skutki będące przyczyną tragedii niewinnych ludzi.
EN
Islamic terrorism is a form of fight between a group of Islamic fundamentalists and fanatics, who claim they represent the Muslim world, and the Western civilisation and all those who are willing to accept this civilisation. The origins of this terrorism can be found in the conflict of the Muslim civilisation with the Western world, especially the fear of losing one’s identity, in the dispute concerning the contribution of the Arab world to the growth of the western civilisation, in the similarities between Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and in different roles of religion in the life of an individual and community. A lack of arguments and no vision of Muslim victory activate 0.01-0.03 of the Islamic community and make people engage in terrorist activities. Fighting in the name of wrongly understood ideas has disastrous effects and results in the tragedy of many innocent people.
Two years after the outbreak of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen continues chaotic transition to democracy. Fighting Intensifies in Syria, while in other countries (Mali, Morocco, Jordan) situation also becomes more and more tense. Although their regimes hold fast to protest movements have not been entirely suppressed. In Mali, the Tuareg secession intensifies. Azawad state emerged. Western states are considering various options to resolve the conflict, more and more talk of military intervention. The disintegration of Mali, as well as before the division of Somalia and Sudan dramatically shows the fragility of the limits imposed on Africa by the colonial powers. So how do we react to the movements for independence in the Sahel. Heads of states grouped in the Community of West African States in favour of retaining power by Mali. In this region of Africa we still have to deal with the whole “system conflicts” pervasive across national borders. Thus, the real threat for Europe and one of the reasons for the intervention of French forces in the Republic of Mali.
Autorka artykułu prezentuje zjawisko terroryzmu na Bałkanach na przestrzeni wieków XIX i XXI, zwracając uwagę, że ekspansja terroryzmu w tym regionie wymaga podjęcia odrębnych badań, przede wszystkim o charakterze heurystycznym. Wśród nurtów terroryzmu bałkańskiego został wymieniony terroryzm związany z ruchami narodowowyzwoleńczymi i terroryzm polityczny. Ponadto autorka wskazała na akcje terrorystyczne prowadzone w Rumunii i Bułgarii, terroryzm ustaszy i emigracji antyjugosłowiańskiej oraz inne jego formy. Szczególną uwagę poświęciła terroryzmowi związanemu z ekstremalnymi nurtami islamu, który pojawił się na Bałkanach jako dziedzictwo wojny domowej (1992–1995). W epoce postzimnowojennej terroryzm islamski na Bałkanach wiąże się ze wzrostem wpływów fundamentalistów muzułmańskich. Autorka udowadnia hipotezę, że Bałkany ze względu na warunki naturalne stwarzają znakomitą możliwość rozwoju baz i obozów treningowych dla terrorystów powiązanych z globalnym dżihadem. Rozwój terroryzmu na Bałkanach wywołuje zagrożenie dla bezpieczeństwa Europy i jej demokratycznych społeczeństw z powodu prawdopodobieństwa wzniecenia nie tylko konfliktu lokalnego, lecz także o szerszym zakresie, na skalę pozaeuropejską.
EN
The author of the article presents a phenomenon of terrorism in the Balkans throughout the 19th, 20th an 21st centuries. She highlights a thesis that specific phenomenon of terrorism in the region requires additional studies, mostly of heuristic nature. Among the types of Balkan terrorism there is terrorism connected to national and liberation movements and political terrorism. Furthermore, terrorist actions in Romania and Bulgaria, terrorism of the Ustashe and terrorism of the anti-Yugoslav emigration and other its forms have been indicated. A particular attention has been paid to terrorism connected to extreme streams of Islam, which appeared in the Balkans as the aftermath of the civil war (1992–1995). In the post-Cold War era Islamic terrorism in the Balkans is linked to a growth of influences of Muslim fundamentalists. The author proves a thesis that due to their topography the Balkans create a great possibility for the development of training camps and bases for terrorists linked to a global jihad. It poses a threat to the security of Europe and its democratic societies because of the probability of incitinga conflict, not only on a local but also broader, even non-European scale.
Within two years of intense activity, the Islamic State has grown to become the most dangerous Islamic terrorist organization, able to administer a quasi-state, established by it in Syria and Iraq. The success of the Islamic State became possible due to the well- organized propaganda. The idea of a state governed by the principles of Sharia law also seduced Islamic radicals in: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Islamic radicalism in the Balkans developed during the civil war of 1992-1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was due to thousands of mujahedeen fighting on the side of the Bosnian army and Arab charity organizations that the Salafist ideology was distributed before spreading among the young generation of Bosnian and Kosovar Muslims, disappointed with socio-political processes after the war. Following the attacks on the World Trade Center, Bosnian Salafists limited their activities to sharing their ideology in selected mosques. The emergence of the Caliphate and the war in Syria and Iraq gave a new impulse to the continuation of the Holy War in the Middle East and reinvigorated fundamentalists in the Balkans. The Balkan Daesh militants, trained in Bosnian and Kosovar villages, are fighting in Syria and Iraq. They move freely between the Middle East and the Balkans. Trained in the techniques of guerrilla warfare and carrying out their activities underground, they pose a real threat to the communities to which they return. They participate in the preparation of terrorist attacks in Europe.
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