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Islamic terrorism
Islamic terrorism, often referred to as Islamist terrorism, radical Islamic terrorism, Jiahdist terrorism, or Jihadi terrorism, encompasses terrorist acts perpetrated by militant fundamentalist Islamists and extremists within the Islamic faith. Since at least the 1990s, incidents of Islamist terrorism have been reported globally, primarily aimed at non-Muslim populations. The number of fatalities resulting from such attacks surged significantly between 2011 and 2014, peaking at 33,438 deaths before decreasing to 13,826 in 2019. Between 1979 and April 2024, five major Islamic terrorist groups—namely the Taliban, Islamic State, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, and al-Qaeda—accounted for over 80% of all victims of Islamic terrorist activities.
Islamic terrorist groups often cite various justifications for their attacks on civilians, drawing from interpretations of the Quran, hadith, and sharia law. These justifications include the idea of armed jihad as a means of retribution for what they perceive as injustices inflicted by non-believers on Muslims; the conviction that numerous self-identified Muslims have breached Islamic law and are thus considered disbelievers (takfir); the perceived need to restore Islam through the implementation of sharia law, which includes the re-establishment of the Caliphate as a pan-Islamic entity (as seen with ISIS); the allure of martyrdom and its promised rewards in the afterlife; and the belief in the supremacy of Islam over all other faiths.