On Thursday morning, July 30, 2026, the College of Political Science at the University of Baghdad held a discussion of the master’s thesis entitled “The Intellectual Foundations of Violent Extremism in Contemporary Islamic Political Thought: A Critical Study,” submitted by student Fatima Ali Jabr. The discussion was held in the Dr. Jihad Al-Hassani Hall, in the presence of a number of faculty members, researchers, and academics interested in the field.
The thesis aimed to examine the intellectual foundations of violent extremism in contemporary Islamic political thought through an analytical critical approach. It addressed the concept of violent extremism, its historical development, characteristics, and causes, in addition to analyzing the intellectual foundations upon which extremist groups relied, particularly the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS, while providing a critical examination of their jurisprudential foundations and practical applications. The study also addressed methods of combating violent extremism and evaluated the national, regional, and international efforts undertaken to confront it, ultimately presenting a prospective vision for curbing its spread.
The findings of the study demonstrated that extremist groups relied on selective interpretations of religious texts and reappropriated the concepts of Hakimiyyah (governance), al-wala’ wa al-bara’ (loyalty), and jihad away from their Islamic legal objectives, which contributed to justifying and reinforcing violence. The study emphasized the importance of adopting an integrated critical intellectual approach alongside security and legal measures to confront this phenomenon.
The discussion committee consisted of:
1. Professor Dr. Amer Hassan Fayyad – Chair.
2. Assistant Professor Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali – Member.
3. Assistant Professor Dr. Shahlaa Ridha Mahdi – Member.
4. Lecturer Dr. Nahida Mohammed Zaitoun – Supervisor.
At the conclusion of the discussion, and following extensive academic deliberation, the discussion committee decided to accept the thesis and award the student a Master’s degree in Political Science with a grade of “Very Good”.
