The idea
The text says that al-Qaeda does not merely rely on a familiar jihadist discourse; rather, it produces a discourse that goes beyond this level and charges well-known religious terms with a new meaning that departs from their original context. What is meant here is not a variety of slogans, but the re-deployment of a classical religious concept to serve a broader vision of violence and rupture. In this way, the discourse appears to be more than a call to fight.
Concise formulation
Al-Qaeda: produces a jihadist-beyond discourse
Its place in the book’s argument
This claim is important in the structure of the argument because it connects religious language with the global political event, especially the events of September 11. The book seeks to explain how religious meaning is reshaped within a shocking act that exceeds the bounds of local conflict. Hence the phrase “jihadist-beyond” is used to designate a kind of semantic expansion rather than mere repetition.
Why it matters
Its importance lies in showing how discourse can become detached from its traditional meaning without losing its religious referent. This helps in understanding Arkoun’s reading of texts and symbols when they enter the sphere of political violence, where the question of use becomes more important than the question of origin alone.
Reading questions
- What makes the discourse “jihadist-beyond” rather than simply jihadist?
- How does this description change the way we read the relationship between the religious concept and the political event?
Degree of documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear place in the book’s material.