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Getting Religion? The Puzzling Case of Islam and Civil War

Citation:

Toft, Monica Duffy. 2007. “Getting Religion? The Puzzling Case of Islam and Civil War.” International Security. International Security. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/lv4awqj

Date Published:

Mar 3, 2007

Abstract:

In this article I argue that overlapping historical, geographical, and, in particular, structural factors account for Islam’s higher representation in religious civil wars. Together, the historical absence of an internecine religious war similar to the Thirty Years’ War in Europe (1618–48), the geographic proximity of Islam’s holiest sites to Israel and large petroleum reserves, and jihad—a structural feature of Islam—explain why so many civil wars include Islamic participants.

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