Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) - Term Paper Example Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of such organizations. This paper will discuss PIJ within the context of its organization, origins, ideology, goals, and objectives. In addition, it will discuss its leadership, funding, and capabilities such as physical bases or support/operating location(s), communications methods, training programs, and personnel strengths. The paper will finally provide a description of suspected and known lethal agents/weapons and delivery methods, as well as surveillance methods, propaganda, procedures in prior attacks, and significant dates/events that may be used in planning attacks. The PIJ was founded in the late 1970s by three radical Palestinian students, Bashir Moussa, Fathi Shikaki, and Abdul Aziz Odeh, who were studying in Egypt (Alexander 2002). This group was an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist and Sunni religious movement which origin lies in Egypt. It aims at seeking broad moral, political, and social reforms based upon the Islamic principles (Hatina 2001). The founders of this group believed that the Muslim Brotherhood had abandoned the Palestinian cause and that they had become very moderate. The formation of PIJ was inspired by the Shi’a Islamic revolution that had taken place in Iran. He PIJ blended Sunni Islamic fundamentalism, Shi’a revolutionary thought, and Palestinian nationalism into its ideological agenda. The United States has designated this group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (Rashid 2003). This group believed that the liberation of Palestinians and annihilation of Israel are prerequisites for the creation of a pan-Islamic empire. The group further stressed that the conflict between Israel and Arabs is over a fundamentally religious conflict and not so much over territory (Cook 2009). It is against this background that the group rejected any diplomatic activity or political arrangements aimed