Acknowledgements -- Introduction global crisis : insecurity, terrorism, and human rights -- Islamism, al Qaeda, and takfir -- Iraq, 2003 : the Shia resurgence, Zarqawi's legacy, and the Islamic state -- Syria, 2011 : convoluted loyalties, a chaotic insurgency, and the revival of the caliphate -- Afghanistan 2001 : centuries of imperialism, the rise of the mujahidin, and the taliban -- Pakistan, 2004 : blasphemy, tribalism, and a state of insecurity -- Al Qaeda's global crisis : defending takfir, losing relevance and the rise of the Islamic state -- Bibliography -- Index.