What happens when external forces are brought to bear on domestic grievances and governance institutions? In environments profoundly affected by both violent extremist organizations and powerful international actors, what attributes characterize local governments that can maintain peace and stability? Addressing these questions, Zacharias Pieri and Kevin Fridy demonstrate the surprising linkages between global strategic competition and local counterinsurgency in West Africa and show how resilient local governance structures have effectively managed the consequent challenges.

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This book analyzes the factors that drive Boko Haram’s violence, arguing that the movement is rooted in the historical and religious context of west Africa. The data presented is based on extensive research, including fieldwork in Nigeria, primary source analysis, archival work, and large-scale survey analyses. Each chapter deals with a different case-study that showcases a driver of Boko Haram’s violence, including how the jihad of Usman dan Fodio is used as a source of contemporary inspiration to Boko Haram; how the extrajudicial killing of its then leader Mohammad Yusuf spurred the group to violence; why the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls was motivated by both ideology and strategy; how the formation of a caliphate and pledging of allegiance to ISIS gave Boko Haram an amplified presence; and how the issue of takfir led to the fracturing of the movement. To succeed in the fight against Boko Haram, this book argues, the Nigerian state needs to couple military advances with deep social changes, such as combatting corruption, reforming the police, and investing equitably across the country.

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The book charts the attempts of Islam's largest missionary movement, the Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), to build Europe's biggest mosque in London – the so-called Mega Mosque. The book follows TJ from its founding in India in 1926, to its establishment in Britain during the 1940s, to its plans for construction of a controversial mosque in London. The book addresses the issues emerging at the forefront of national debates across liberal democracies: the role of Islam in the west, conceptions of changing citizenship and national identities, and how best to integrate increasingly diverse populations. What happens to illiberal and politically disengaged groups that wish to segregate themselves from what they regard as corrupt and immoral wider societies? How do these groups engage with government policy that seeks to define good citizens as those that are actively engaged in the socio-political life of the community? Zacharias Pieri provides context and insight to answer these and other important questions.

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This book introduced the Tablighi Jamaat movement in Britain. It explores the TJ’s history, its structure, ideologies, financing, and activities. The book also looks at some of the controversies surrounding the movement, and makes predictions as to the future of the group. The book is aimed at policymakers, students and the interested public.

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