Dr. Abdullah Yusuf Azzam was of colossal importance to the development of Islamic militant radicalism and his ideas were a significant foundational support of the establishment and structure of al-Qaeda. Azzam was born in 1941 in Jenin, Palestine, where previously to Azzam’s birth, the British under the Balfour Declaration of 1917 was under the obligation of providing and maintaining in Palestine, a nation for the home of the Jewish people. This declaration was made between the Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Walter Rothschild of the Rothschild magnate, who was a leader of the British Jewish community. This action did not go well with the Arab leaders at the time, and was considered by the Arab community as a betrayal. Jonathan Schneer
…show more content…
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam was known as “the fighting cleric” and the “spiritual founder of al-Qaida”, he was associated with the creation of the Maktab al-khidmat lil Mujahideen, the Special Services Office, for Arab-Afghans that would process logistically fighters into Afghanistan that would fight against the Soviets in the Afghan-Soviet War. During this time Usama bin Laden worked for Azzam bringing in donor money and organizing the development of training camps and logistical services of fighters to and from the training camps. Usama bin Laden used his father’s company to help build the camps and organize flights and passports for the fighters. Azzam also made a new justification in Jihad, stating that the rules of engagement had changed due to new technologies. The most important contribution to earning his name as the “the spiritual founder of al-Qaida”, was formulating the theories of al-Qaida al Sulba (the firm foundation). These theories of al-Qaida al Sulba developed the idea and purpose of al-Qaida. Azzam’s books refer to a foundation, like that of a financial foundation that helps those in need. However, the idea of help was that of Jihad and fighting with weapons. With his view of pure Islamist reign and Qutbist ideas of Islam being under siege by Western economics, culture and military, Azzam was immersed in conflict. It was in this conflict that Azzam wished to show the Arab Palestinians something to look up to and be inspired, that the Afghan Jihad was the same as the
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam was known as “the fighting cleric” and the “spiritual founder of al-Qaida”, he was associated with the creation of the Maktab al-khidmat lil Mujahideen, the Special Services Office, for Arab-Afghans that would process logistically fighters into Afghanistan that would fight against the Soviets in the Afghan-Soviet War. During this time Usama bin Laden worked for Azzam bringing in donor money and organizing the development of training camps and logistical services of fighters to and from the training camps. Usama bin Laden used his father’s company to help build the camps and organize flights and passports for the fighters. Azzam also made a new justification in Jihad, stating that the rules of engagement had changed due to new technologies. The most important contribution to earning his name as the “the spiritual founder of al-Qaida”, was formulating the theories of al-Qaida al Sulba (the firm foundation). These theories of al-Qaida al Sulba developed the idea and purpose of al-Qaida. Azzam’s books refer to a foundation, like that of a financial foundation that helps those in need. However, the idea of help was that of Jihad and fighting with weapons. With his view of pure Islamist reign and Qutbist ideas of Islam being under siege by Western economics, culture and military, Azzam was immersed in conflict. It was in this conflict that Azzam wished to show the Arab Palestinians something to look up to and be inspired, that the Afghan Jihad was the same as the