Terror, Islam, and Democracy

Issue Date April 2002
Volume 13
Issue 2
Page Numbers 5-20
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Although Islamist terror groups invoke a host of religious references, the real source of their ideas is not the Koran but rather Leninism, fascism, and other strains of twentieth-century thought that exalt totalitarian violence.

About the Authors

Ladan Boroumand

Ladan Boroumand is honorary professor of history at the University of Parma and cofounder and board member of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.

View all work by Ladan Boroumand

Roya Boroumand

Roya Boroumand, a historian from Iran with a doctorate from the Sorbonne, is a specialist in Iran’s contemporary history and has been a consultant for Human Rights Watch.

View all work by Roya Boroumand

Further Reading

Volume 26, Issue 4

After the Arab Spring: Do Muslims Vote Islamic Now?

Islamic political parties were not especially popular with voters in Muslim-majority countries before the Arab Spring. Has that changed?

Volume 30, Issue 1

Pakistan: Voting Under Military Tutelage

With its recent electoral turnover of power, Pakistan seemingly passed a milestone of democratic consolidation. But beneath the surface, power remains where it long has been—with the military.

Volume 19, Issue 3

Islamist Parties and Democracy

The Editors’ introduction to “Islamist Parties and Democracy.”