BRANDING THE ENEMY: THE “KHARIJITE” LABEL AND THE LEGITIMATION OF STATE POWER

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dc.contributor.advisorHafez, Mohammed M.
dc.contributor.authorPenland, Jordan T.
dc.contributor.departmentNational Security Affairs (NSA)
dc.contributor.secondreaderOstovar, Afshon P.
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-14T03:50:54Z
dc.date.available2021-05-14T03:50:54Z
dc.date.issued2021-03
dc.description.abstractWithin the Islamic world, the religious past often plays a formative role in our understanding of contemporary issues. One such rhetorical idiom from the past, the label “Kharijite,” has been, and is still, used as a pejorative by both state and non-state actors against myriad Islamist organizations and entities. Through an intensively researched description of historical, religious, and contemporary literature, this thesis examines the historical origins of the ancient Kharijite narrative and the manner in which the historical precedence of the term and its associated imagery have been applied to recent history. Research indicates that the Kharijite label has been used as and remains a legitimizing instrument with the power to imbue its user with Islamic credentials and authority while marginalizing opposition movements. As exemplified in post-colonial Egypt, states use the Kharijite epithet during periods of state formation or weak government rule to solidify the state’s monopoly of the use of violence within an Islamic context. Similarly, non-state actors use the charge to create political and religious legitimacy for their movement to the detriment of rival factions. This common utilization of the Kharijite epithet by both state and non-state actors demonstrates the political power of the Islamic lexicon and underscores the legitimacy crisis of nascent regimes and the potential risk for Western states that support regimes who employ the “Kharijite” epithet.en_US
dc.description.distributionstatementApproved for public release. distribution is unlimiteden_US
dc.description.recognitionOutstanding Thesisen_US
dc.description.serviceLieutenant Commander, United States Navyen_US
dc.identifier.curriculumcode681, Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
dc.identifier.thesisid34295
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10945/67164
dc.publisherMonterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesNPS Outstanding Theses and Dissertations
dc.rightsThis publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.en_US
dc.subject.authorKharijiteen_US
dc.subject.authorIslamic extremismen_US
dc.subject.authorPolitical Islamen_US
dc.subject.authorIslamic Stateen_US
dc.subject.authorMuslim Brotherhooden_US
dc.subject.authorIslamen_US
dc.subject.authorIslamismen_US
dc.subject.authorWeberen_US
dc.subject.authorEgypten_US
dc.subject.authorNasseren_US
dc.subject.authoral-Hudaybien_US
dc.subject.authorQutben_US
dc.subject.authoral-Qaradawien_US
dc.titleBRANDING THE ENEMY: THE “KHARIJITE” LABEL AND THE LEGITIMATION OF STATE POWERen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
etd.thesisdegree.disciplineSecurity Studies (Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa)en_US
etd.thesisdegree.grantorNaval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
etd.thesisdegree.levelMastersen_US
etd.thesisdegree.nameMaster of Arts in Security Studies (Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa)en_US
relation.isSeriesOfPublicationc5e66392-520c-4aaf-9b4f-370ce82b601f
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryc5e66392-520c-4aaf-9b4f-370ce82b601f
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