Mujahideen and Berne Convention: Difference between pages

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{{for|the treaty establishing the General Postal Union|Treaty of Bern}}

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{{Islam}}

'''Mujahideen''' ({{lang-ar|مجاهدين}}, ''{{ArabDIN|muǧāhidīn}}''; {{lang-tr| Mücahit}}, literally "strugglers") is a term for [[Muslim]]s fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle.<ref>Oxford American Dictionary</ref> Mujahid, and its plural, mujahideen, come from the same Arabic root as ''[[jihad]]'' ("struggle"). The word is the plural form of {{lang|ar|مجاهد}}, ''{{ArabDIN|muǧāhid}}'', which, literally translated from Arabic means a "struggler". In Islamic scripture, the status of ''mujahid'' is unequal to ''qaid'', one who does not join the jihad.

[[Image:Berne Convention.png|thumb|350px|[[List of countries party to the Berne Convention|Berne Convention signatory countries]] (in blue).]]

''Mujahideen'' is also [[Romanization of Arabic|transliterated from Arabic]] as ''mujahedeen'', ''mujahedīn'', ''mujahidīn'', and ''mujaheddīn''.

The '''Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works''', usually known as the '''Berne Convention''', is an international agreement about [[copyright]], which was first adopted in [[Berne]], [[Switzerland]] in 1886.

==EtymologyHistory==

Arabic words usually have [[triliteral]]s, which are triconsonantal (three-[[consonant]]) [[Root (linguistics)|roots]]. The root of ''mujahidin'' is J-H-D (ج-ه-د), meaning "effort or sacrifice" ("Jihad" can mean to struggle and "Mujahideen" can mean struggler.) However, the particular [[Arabic grammar#Stem formation|verb stem]] of J-H-D from which both ''[[jihad]]'' and ''mujahid'' are derived means "to exert effort against" or "to struggle". ''Mujahid'' is originally, therefore, "someone who struggles". (jihad doesn't mean Holy War as portayed by the US media).term has, even in Arabic, taken on meanings that are specifically religious, or specifically [[military]] or [[paramilitary]], or both.

It was developed at the instigation of [[Victor Hugo]] as the [[Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale]], and was thus influenced by the French "[[French copyright law|right of the author]]" (''droit d'auteur''), which contrasts with the Anglo-Saxon concept of "copyright", which has only dealt with economic concerns. Under the Berne Convention, copyrights for [[creative works]] do not have to be asserted or declared, as they are automatically in force at creation: an author need not "register" or "apply for" a copyright in countries adhering to the Berne Convention. As soon as a work is "fixed", that is, written or recorded on some physical medium, its author is automatically entitled to all copyrights in the work, and to any derivative works unless and until the author explicitly disclaims them, or until the copyright expires. The Berne Convention also resulted in foreign authors being treated equivalently to domestic authors, in any country signed onto the Convention.

Like the concept and title [[Ghazi]], it has been used in formal titles of Muslim leaders who prided themselves on (and legitimated their conquests by) [[Jihad bis saïf]], holy war in the name of establishing Islamic rule, even at very high political level: no lesser ruler than Sultan [[Murad Khan II Khoja-Ghazi]], sixth Sovereign of the [[House of Osman]] (1421–1451), had as full style '''Abu'l Hayrat, [[Sultan ul-Mujahidin]], Khan of Khans, Grand Sultan of Anatolia and Rumelia, and of the Cities of Adrianople and Philippolis'', including the formal title "Sultan of mujahideen".

Prior to the adoption of the Berne Convention, national copyright laws would usually only apply for works created within each country. Consequently, a work published in [[London]] by a British national would be covered by copyright in the [[United Kingdom]], but could be copied and sold by anyone in [[France]]; likewise, a work published in [[Paris]] by a French national would be covered by copyright in France, but could be copied and sold by anyone in the United Kingdom.

In English, the word is recorded since 1958, in a [[Pakistan]]i context, adopted from [[Persian language|Persian]] and Arabic, as the plural of ''mujahid'' "one who fights in a [[jihad]]", in modern use, for "Muslim [[Guerilla warfare|guerilla]] [[insurgency|insurgent]]."

The Berne Convention followed in the footsteps of the [[Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property|Paris Convention]] of 1883, which in the same way had created a framework for international integration of the other kinds of [[intellectual property]]: [[patent]]s, [[trademark]]s and [[industrial design]]s.

In the late 20th century and early 21st century, the term "mujahideen" became the name of various armed fighters who subscribe to militant [[Islamic]] ideologies, although there is not always an explicit "holy" or "warrior" meaning of the word.

Like the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention set up a bureau to handle the administrative tasks. In 1893, these two small bureaux merged and became the [[United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property]] (best known by its French acronym BIRPI), situated in Berne. In 1960, BIRPI moved from Berne to [[Geneva]], to be closer to the [[United Nations]] and other international organizations in that city, and in 1967 BIRPI became WIPO, the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]], which, since 1974, is an organization within the United Nations.

== Mujahideen of Afghanistan ==

The Berne Convention was revised in Paris in 1896 and in Berlin in 1908, completed in Berne in 1914, revised in Rome in 1928, in Brussels in 1948, in Stockholm in 1967 and in Paris in 1971, and was amended in 1979. The UK signed the Berne Convention in [[1887]] but did not implement large parts of it until 100 years later with the passage of the ''Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988''.

The best-known mujahideen were the various loosely-aligned [[Demographics of Afghanistan|Afghan]] opposition groups that fought against the [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] during the 1980s and then fought against each other in the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War]].

The [[United States]] refused initially to become a party to the Convention, since it would have required major changes in [[United States copyright law|its copyright law]] (particularly with regard to [[moral rights]], removal of general requirement for registration of copyright works as well as elimination of mandatory copyright notice). However, on [[March 1]], [[1989]], the US "[[Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988]]" came into force and the United States became a party to the Berne Convention.

The mujahideen were significantly financed, armed, and trained by the [[United States]] [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) during the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] and [[Reagan administration]]s, [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[People's Republic of China]], several [[EU|European countries]], [[Iran]], and [[Pakistan]] (during the [[Zia-ul-Haq]] [[military regime]]). The Pakistani [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (ISI) was the interagent used in the majority of these activities to disguise the sources of support for the resistance.

Since almost all nations are members of the [[World Trade Organization]], the [[Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights|TRIPs Agreement]] requires non-members to accept almost all of the conditions of the Berne Convention.

[[Ronald Reagan]] praised them as [[freedom fighter]]s, and the [[1988 in film|1988]] ''[[Rambo III]]'' portrayed them as heroic.

[[as of 2007|As of April 2007]], there are 163 countries that are [[List of countries party to the Berne Convention|parties to the Berne Convention]].

A wealthy Saudi named [[Osama bin Laden]] was a prominent mujahideen organizer and financier; his [[Maktab al-Khadamat]] (MAK) ''(Office of Services)'' funnelled money, arms, and Muslim fighters from around the world into Afghanistan, with the assistance and support of the Saudi and Pakistani governments<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/profiles/maktab_al-khidamat.htm Maktab al-Khidamat]; [http://www.globalsecurity.org/ www.globalsecurity.org]</ref>. In [[1988]], bin Laden broke away from the MAK.

==Content==

Afghanistan's resistance movement was born in chaos, spread and triumphed chaotically, and did not find a way to govern differently. Virtually all of its war was waged locally by regional [[warlord]]s. As warfare became more sophisticated, outside support and regional coordination grew. Even so, the basic units of mujahideen organization and action continued to reflect the highly segmented nature of Afghan society<ref name="loc1">[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+af0101) The Path to Victory and Chaos: 1979-92 - Library of Congress country studies](Retrieved thursday 31, 2007) </ref>.

The Berne Convention requires its signatories to recognise the copyright of works of authors from other signatory countries (known as members of the ''Berne Union'') in the same way it recognises the copyright of its own nationals, which means that, for instance, French copyright law applies to anything published or performed in France, regardless of where it was originally created.

In the course of the guerrilla war, leadership came to be distinctively associated with the title of "commander". It applied to independent leaders, eschewing identification with elaborate military [[bureaucracy]] associated with such ranks as general. As the war produced leaders of reputation, "commander" was conferred on leaders of fighting units of all sizes, signifying pride in independence, self-sufficiency, and distinct ties to local community. The title epitomized Afghan pride in their struggle against an overwhelmingly-powerful foe. Segmentation of power and religious leadership were the two values evoked by nomenclature generated in the war. Neither had been favored in ideology of the former Afghan state.

In addition to establishing a system of equal treatment that internationalised copyright amongst signatories, the agreement also required member states to provide strong minimum standards for copyright law.

[[Olivier Roy]] estimates that after four years of war, there were at least 4,000 bases from which mujahideen units operated. Most of these were affiliated with the seven expatriate parties headquartered in [[Pakistan]], which served as sources of supply and varying degrees of supervision. Significant commanders typically led 300 or more men, controlled several bases and dominated a district or a sub-division of a province. Hierarchies of organization above the bases were attempted. Their operations varied greatly in scope, the most ambitious being achieved by [[Ahmed Shah Massoud]] of the [[Panjshir valley]] north of [[Kabul]]. He led at least 10,000 trained troops at the end of the Soviet war and had expanded his political control of [[Tajiks|Tajik]] dominated areas to Afghanistan's northeastern provinces under the Supervisory Council of the North<ref name="loc1"> </ref>.

Copyright under the Berne Convention must be automatic; it is prohibited to require formal registration (note however that when the United States joined the Convention in [[1988]], they continued to make [[statutory damages for copyright infringement|statutory damages]] and [[attorney's fees]] only available for registered works).

Roy also describes regional, ethnic and sectarian variations in mujahideen organization. In the [[Pashtun]] areas of the east, south and southwest, tribal structure, with its many rival sub-divisions, provided the basis for military organization and leadership. Mobilization could be readily linked to traditional fighting allegiances of the tribal ''lashkar'' (fighting force). In favorable circumstances such formations could quickly reach more than 10,000, as happened when large Soviet assaults were launched in the eastern provinces, or when the mujahideen besieged towns, such as [[Khost]] in [[Paktia]] province. But in campaigns of the latter type the traditional explosions of manpower--customarily common immediately after the completion of harvest--proved obsolete when confronted by well dug-in defenders with modern weapons. Lashkar durability was notoriously short; few sieges succeeded<ref name="loc1"> </ref>.

The Berne Convention states that all works except photographic and cinematographic shall be copyrighted for at least 50 years after the author's death, but parties are free to provide longer terms, as the [[European Union]] did with the [[1993]] [[Directive on harmonising the term of copyright protection]]. For photography, the Berne Convention sets a minimum term of 25 years from the year the photograph was created, and for cinematography the minimum is 50 years after first showing, or 50 years after creation if it hasn't been shown within 50 years after the creation. Countries under the older revisions of the treaty may choose to provide their own protection terms, and certain types of works (such as phonorecords and motion pictures) may be provided shorter terms.

Mujahideen mobilization in non-Pashtun regions faced very different obstacles. Prior to the invasion, few non-Pashtuns possessed firearms. Early in the war they were most readily available from army troops or [[gendarmerie]] who defected or were ambushed. The international arms market and foreign military support tended to reach the minority areas last.

Although the Berne Convention states that the copyright law of the country where copyright is claimed shall be applied, article 7.8 states that "unless the legislation of that country otherwise provides, the term shall not exceed the term fixed in the country of origin of the work", i.e. an author is normally not entitled a longer copyright abroad than at home, even if the laws abroad give a longer term. This is commonly known as "the [[rule of the shorter term]]". Not all countries have accepted this rule.

In the northern regions, little military tradition had survived upon which to build an armed resistance. Mobilization mostly came from political leadership closely tied to [[Islam]].

==See also==

Roy convincingly contrasts the social leadership of religious figures in the [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Turkic languages|Turkish]] speaking regions of Afghanistan with that of the Pashtuns. Lacking a strong political representation in a state dominated by Pashtuns, minority communities commonly looked to pious learned or charismatically revered ''[[pir]]s'' (saints) for leadership. Extensive [[Sufi]] and [[maraboutic]] networks were spread through the minority communities, readily available as foundations for leadership, organization, communication and indoctrination. These networks also provided for political mobilization, which led to some of the most effective of the resistance operations during the war<ref name="loc1"> </ref>.

* [[Berne three-step test]]

Many Muslims from other countries volunteered to assist various mujahideen groups in Afghanistan, and gained significant experience in guerrilla warfare. Some groups of these veterans have been significant factors in more recent conflicts in and around the Muslim world (e.g. [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]]).

* [[Buenos Aires Convention]]

* [[Copyright treaty table]]

* [[Official text copyright]]

* [[Public ___domain]]

* [[Rome Convention]]

* [[Universal Copyright Convention]]

==External links==

The mujahideen won when the Soviet Union pulled troops out of Afghanistan in 1989, followed by the fall of the [[Mohammad Najibullah]] regime in 1992. However, the mujahideen did not establish a united government, many of the larger mujahideen groups began to fight each other, and they were in turn ousted from power by the radical splinter group known as the [[Taliban]] in 1996. After several years of this fighting, a village [[mullah]] organized religious students into an armed movement, with the backing of Pakistan, who was being funded by the United States, which found the existing government to be too Russian-influenced, even following the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]]. This movement became known as the [[Taliban]], meaning "students", and referring to the [[Saudi]]-backed religious schools known for producing extremism. With each success the Taliban had, their popularity and numbers grew.

{{Wikisource}}

* [http://www.law-ref.org/BERN/index.html The 1971 Berne Convention text] - fully indexed and crosslinked with other documents

* [http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/index.html The current Berne Convention text]

* [http://www.wipo.int WIPO]

* [http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ Intellectual Property Protection Treaties]

* [http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ38a.pdf U.S. Copyright office list of countries having copyright relations with the United States (including list of Berne Union countries)]

* [http://www.peteryu.com/intip/bciahr.pdf House Report of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, H.R. Rep. No. 100-609 (1988)] gives a brief overview of the successive modifications to the Berne Convention.

[[Category:Intellectual property treaties]]

By 2001, the Taliban, with backing from the Pakistani ISI (military intelligence) and possibly even the regular Pakistan Army, had defeated most of the militias and controlled most of Afghanistan. The remaining militias were in the north-east of the country. The opposition allied themselves together and became known as the National Islamic United Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan &mdash; the United Front, or [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|Northern Alliance]]. In 2001 with U.S. and International military aid, they ousted the [[Taliban]] from power and formed a new government under [[Hamid Karzai]].

[[Category:Copyright treaties]]

[[Category:Treaties]]

[[Category:Treaties administered by WIPO]]

[[Category:1886 in law]]

[[cs:Bernská úmluva o ochraně literárních a uměleckých děl]]

The Afghan mujahideen also participated in the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]], aiding the Azeri forces in their war against the separatist [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] [[Armenian people|Armenian]] forces.

[[da:Bernerkonventionen (ophavsret)]]

[[de:Berner Übereinkunft zum Schutz von Werken der Literatur und Kunst]]

== Mujahideen in the Balkans ==

[[es:Convenio de Berna]]

[[Image:Kmuslim.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The Islamic flag of Albanian Mujahideen’s]]

[[eo:Konvencio de Berno]]

[[Image:Mujahadeen.jpg|right|150px|thumb|'''Murad Muhammed Ali''' and Algerian Mujahideen who fought and died in [[Kosovo]] in the battle of ''KOSHAR 1999'' The stone says '''“Do not consider the ones who were killed in the path of ALLAH as dead, as they are alive and in haven being fed by their lord”''' ]]

[[fr:Convention de Berne pour la protection des œuvres littéraires et artistiques]]

===Bosnia===

[[ko:베른 협약]]

During the [[Yugoslav wars]], [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] forces received financial and military aid from Islamic countries. This military aid was partially sent in the form of experienced mujahideen troops. Organized in special units (like [[El Mujahid]]), they were known for their bravery and highly experienced personnels mostly from the Soviet war in Afghanistan. A number of these mujahideen fighters stayed in Bosnia when the war ended. They attained Bosnian citizenship, and are now living in several villages throughout Bosnia, where life is organized after the Islamic laws.<ref name=HIDDEN-ARMY-OF-RADICAL-ISLAM>{{cite news

[[id:Konvensi Bern tentang Perlindungan Karya Seni dan Sastra]]

|title=The Hidden Army Of Radical Islam

[[it:Convenzione di Berna per la protezione delle opere letterarie e artistiche]]

|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,91134-bosnia_p3705,00.html

[[nl:Conventie van Bern (1886)]]

|publisher=[[Sky News]]

[[ja:文学的及び美術的著作物の保護に関するベルヌ条約]]

|accessdate=2007-02-04 }}</ref> It is known that those who remained are concentrated around the city of [[Zenica]] and in villages near [[Brcko]].

[[no:Bernkonvensjonen]]

[[pl:Konwencja berneńska o ochronie dzieł literackich i artystycznych]]

===Kosova & Macedonia===

[[pt:Convenção de Berna]]

Around 400 or more Mujahideen fighters from Bosnia and more than 2,000 from the Middle East and other parts of the world later joined the ranks of [[Kosovo Liberation Army|KLA]] in its fight against Serbian and Macedonian occupying authorities in [[Kosovo war]] [[1997]]–[[2000]] and [[2001 Macedonia conflict]].<ref name=BIN-LADENS-BALKAN-CONNECTIONS>{{cite web

[[sv:Bernkonventionen]]

|title=Bin Laden’s Balkan Connections

[[vi:Công ước Bern]]

|url=http://www.balkanpeace.org/index.php?index=/content/analysis/a09.incl

[[tr:Edebi ve sanatsal eserlerin korunmasına dair Bern Konvansiyonu]]

|date=[[September 2001]]

[[uk:Бернська конвенція про охорону літературних і художніх творів]]

|accessdate=2007-02-04

[[zh:伯尔尼公约]]

|publisher=[[The Centre for Peace in the Balkans]] }}</ref>

There is still little reliable information about the size and the structure of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The clandestine group first emerged in [[1996]], when it claimed responsibility for a series of bomb attacks in Kosovo. In the past year before the NATO intervention, the KLA is believed to have killed dozens of Kosovo Serbs and Albanians whom it accuses of collaborating with the Serbian authorities.

Members of the KLA were rarely seen in public until late last year, when three heavily-armed and masked men appeared at a funeral of a [[Kosovo]] [[Albanian]] shot by Serbian police. The KLA says it has captured a large amount of military equipment, including a helicopter, during clashes with Serbian police and army units.

Until recently, the main support - both political and financial - for the KLA came from Kosovo Albanian emigres in Western Europe and the US. However, as the long-standing tensions in Kosovo increasingly erupted into open clashes, the support for the KLA among Kosovo Albanians started to grow. Many of them have become impatient with the failure of the peaceful resistance advocated by their political leadership.

==Mujahideen in Tajikistan==

A former Soviet republic, Tajikistan plunged into civil war almost as soon as it became independent from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991. An Islamic party operates freely and according to its leader, Said Abdullah Nuri, it does not support any sort of holy war. The Tajiks have long fought a civil war themselves.

Many have spent years fighting in mountains and most have had more than enough. Besides, most Tajiks are suspicious of the Taliban. They greatly admired [[Ahmed Shah Masood]], the military leader of the anti-Taliban alliance who was assassinated by the regime.

==Pakistani-Kashmiri Mujahideen==

{{main|History of the Kashmir conflict}}

In [[Pakistan]] and the former [[princely state]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir|(Jammu and)]] [[Kashmir]] (disputed with India), militants opposing Indian rule are often known as ''mujahideen''.

In 1947, the armed Mujahideen (Razakars), mostly [[Pashtun people|Pashtun]] supported by the Pakistani Army, tried to force the annexation of Kashmir by Pakistan, as part of the population desired. Pakistan claimed the fighters were independent mujahideen helping a local insurgency, while India claimed that the invaders were Pakistani irregulars supported by the Pakistani Army.

The ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, [[Maharaja]] [[Hari Singh]] called upon help from India and the then Indian Prime minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] airlifted Indian troops to the region and tried to drive off the insurgents.

The Kashmiri and Pakistani Mujahideen since then, with support from Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] and Army (see [[Operation Gibraltar]]), have been waging an armed campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. This resulted in India moving over half a million troops into Kashmir to suppress the insurgency and the ensuing violence has claimed more than 80,000 lives so far.

Several different militant groups have since taken root in Indian Kashmir. Most noticeable of these groups are [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Al-Umar Mujahideen (AuM) and Harkat ul-Mujahideen (HuM).<ref name=KASHMIR-MILITANT-EXTREMISTS-CFR>{{cite web

|title=Kashmir Militant Extremists

|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/9135/

|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]

|date=[[2006-07-12]]

|accessdate=2007-02-09}}</ref> A 1996 report by [[Human Rights Watch]] estimated the number of active militant extremists at 3,200.<ref name=HRW-VII-VIOLATION-MILITANT-ORGANIZATIONS>{{cite web

|title=VII. Violations by Militant Organizations

|url=http://www.gharib.demon.co.uk/reports/milvio.htm

|date=[[May 1996]]

|work=Human Rights Watch/Asia: India: India's Secret Army in Kashmir, New Patterns of Abuse Emerge in the Conflict

|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]

|accessdate=2007-02-09 }}</ref>

===Mujahideen in Waziristan===

{{main|2004-2006 Waziristan conflict}}

Waziristan's new landmarks speak eloquently of the intensity of the conflict that still rages between Taliban and al-Qaeda militants and the Pakistani security forces.

== Mujahideen in Somalia ==

[[Image:Sharifah.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Chairman of the [[Islamic Courts Union|ICU]], Sharif Ahmed.]]

The [[Somali Civil War (2006)]] changed radically due to [[War in Somalia (2006–present)|Ethiopian involvement]]. Before their entry into the conflict in [[July]], [[2006]], the struggle between the [[Islamic Courts Union]] (ICU) and the warlord-based [[Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism]] (ARPCT) and the fledgling [[Transitional Federal Government]] (TFG) was an internal struggle between Islamic Somalis, particularly those who preferred a secular state to one ruled by [[sharia]] law. Now faced with the presence of forces from the historically Christian kingdom of Ethiopia, the ICU began to frame the war as one of [[jihad]], and called its citizens to rise in arms to throw the Ethiopians out of the country. This threat had been made as early as [[2005]]<ref name=SOMALI-JIHAD-ON-FOREIGN-TROOPS>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4382311.stm Somali 'jihad' on foreign troops] BBC</ref>.

On [[July 1]], [[2006]], a Web-posted message purportedly written by [[Osama bin Laden]] urged Somalis to build an Islamic state in the country and warned western states that his [[al Qaeda]] network would fight against them if they intervened there.<ref name=BIN-LADEN-MESSAGE-IRAQ-SOMALIA>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-01-bin-laden-plans-message_x.htm Bin Laden releases Web message on Iraq, Somalia] USA Today</ref> Foreign fighters began to arrive, though there were official denials of the presence of mujahideen in the country.

Even so, the threat of jihad was made openly and repeatedly in the months proceeding the [[Battle of Baidoa]].<ref name=SOMALIS-VOW-HOLY-WAR-ON-ETHIOPIA>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6032907.stm Somalis vow holy war on Ethiopia] BBC</ref>

On [[December 23]], [[2006]], Islamists, for the first time, called upon international fighters to join their cause stating "We're saying our country is open to Muslims worldwide. Let them fight in Somalia and wage jihad, and God willing, attack Addis Ababa".<ref name=SOMALI-ISLAMISTS-URGE MUSLIM-FIGHTERS-TO-JOIN-JIHAD>[http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-12-23T092033Z_01_L23670097_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOMALIA-CONFLICT-ISLAMIST.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-newsOne-2 Somali Islamists urge Muslim fighters to join jihad] Reuters</ref> The term ''mujahideen'' is now openly used by the ICU, such as in this quote: "Janakow said the international community remained silent as fighting rages in Somalia today, but promised that world governments will speak out 'when our Mujahideen (holy warriors) reach parts of Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa.'"<ref name=SOMALI-ISLAMISTS-ACCUSE-ETHIOPIA-OF-EXCESSIVE-FORCE>[http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6630.shtml Somali Islamists accuse Ethiopia of using excessive force] Garowe Online</ref>

On [[December 27]], Ethiopian Prime Minister [[Meles Zenawi]] was quoted saying up to 1,000 Islamist forces, mostly foreign nationals, had been killed in the fighting, "The only forces we are pursuing are Eritreans who are hiding behind the skirts of Somali women, and terrorist mujahideen."<ref name=>[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26357493.htm Up to 1,000 Islamists dead in Ethiopia offensive-Meles] Reuters</ref>

==Iraqi Insurgency==

[[Image:Shosei Koda.jpg|thumb|[[Al-Qaeda in Iraq]] members with [[Shosei Koda]] and with the banner in the background]]

The term ''mujahideen'' is sometimes applied by sympathizers and regional experts to the [[Iraqi insurgency]] against the US-led allies whose invasion destroyed [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Ba'athist]] republic, and against the subsequent Iraqi regimes in need of allied military support, while the insurgents comprise a wide, incoherent spectrum of forces, with or without crucial Islamic ideology.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

A wide range of armed groups are operating in Iraq, feeding into violence which has prompted fears of civil war. Much insurgent and militia activity is shadowy and difficult to trace, but here is a guide to the main players.

===Sunni Mujahideen===

[[Image:IAILogo.gif|thumb|left|Islamic Army in Iraq Logo]]

A section of the insurgency comprising former elements of Saddam Hussein's regime, [[Baath party]] supporters, former Iraqi soldiers and secular Sunnis is often referred to as "Sunni nationalists". Analysts believe that in the wake of the US-led invasion, some former regime figures provided the nascent insurgency with access to regime funds and weapons caches.

In September 2005, an Iraqi court convicted a nephew of the deposed leader of funding insurgents. Commentators have also blamed much of the violence on the decision by former US governor [[Paul Bremer]] to disband the Iraqi army in 2003, without disarming it.US forces have faced their greatest challenges in areas of central Iraq - such as the city of Falluja - that had a strong tradition of military service.

Since late 2005, the US has said it is trying to drive a wedge between the more extreme Islamist groups and the more secular and moderate nationalists. Sunni insurgent groups were split over participation in elections in December 2005, although support from some boosted significant Sunni turnout and thus Sunni influence on the new government. But a report by Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said even Sunni leaders who were participating in - rather than attacking - the political process, were forming their own forces to counter the existing Shia militias.

===Shia Mujahideen===

Some Iraqi political parties have armed wings, despite US pressure to disband militias.A growing trend of sectarian killings in Baghdad and other mixed Sunni and Shia areas of the country has prompted fears of civil war. Groups of corpses, typically with hands bound and gunshot wounds to the head, sometimes bearing signs of torture, have regularly been found. In some cases gunmen, sometimes dressed in the uniforms of government security forces, abduct victims or pull them from cars at checkpoints.There are widespread suspicions that militias linked to two key Shia parties are involved in targeting Sunnis. While the allegations have not been proven, these militias are becoming increasingly prominent as sectarian divisions grow.

The US ambassador to Iraq, [[Zalmay Khalilzad]], has described such groups as "the infrastructure of civil war". Separately from the main militias, some Shia have also formed informal defence forces which provide security for local neighbourhoods, with armed guards carrying out patrols and manning roadblocks.

===Azeri Aid===

The Afghan mujaheddin also participated in the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]], aiding the Azeri forces in their war against the separatist [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] [[Armenian people|Armenian]] forces. They did not aid much and the separtists gained independence.

===Kurdish Islamist===

====Ansar al-Islam====

Ansar al-Islam or Supporters of Islam is a radical Kurdish Islamist that is supportive of Saddam Hussein's regime. This group is located in the pseudo-autonomous Northern Iraq. This group has ties with Taliban and al-Qaeda. It is the most radical group operating in the [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] region.

The group was established in December 2001 after a merger between Jund al-Islam, led by Abu Abdallah al-Shafi'i and the Islamic Movement splinter group led by Mullah Krekar. Both leaders are believed to have served in [[Afghanistan]]. The group is based in Biyarah and surrounding areas near the border with Iran.

Ansar al-Islam recent activities include: razing of beauty salons, burning a schools for girls, and murdered women in the streets for refusing to wear the burqa. It has seized a Taliban-style enclave of 4,000 civilians and several villages near the Iranian border. It is also responsible for ambushing and killing of 42 Kurdish soldiers. Ansar al-Islam is in a state of war with the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]] (PUK). It was responsible for the assassination in 2001 of a senior official of the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]] (KDP), Franso Hariri, and for the attempted killing of Burhan Salih, head of the PUK-led Iraqi Kurdistan regional government. However, Ansar al-Islam is not in armed confrontation with the KDP.

According to some reports, the group has received $600,000 from al-Qaeda, and a delivery of weapons and Toyota Land Cruisers. There are also reports stating that Ansar al-Islam received $35,000 from the Mukhabarat branch of [[Iraqi Intelligence Service]], in addition to a considerable quantity of arms. The leader of Ansar al-Islam, [[Mullah Krekar]] is receiving financial and legal support from the norwegian government, and is enjoying full freedom in Norway.

In early [[March]] [[2003]], the air attack pulverized the mountain base of Ansar al-Islam by US troops. US officials were triumphant last spring, even as the broader Iraq invasion was still underway, after a three-day assault. Gen. Tommy Franks declared that a "massive terrorist facility in northern Iraq" had been "attacked and destroyed" by a joint US-Kurdish operation.Lengthy interviews with several Ansar members in custody, and with officials and intelligence sources of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in northern Iraq, however, yield a more ambiguous picture.These sources describe a group now so decimated and demoralized that even true believers admit it is unlikely to be reborn according to its old template.Instead, they say, elements of the group have begun operating in smaller cells.

The strength of this group estimated about 700 members.

==Mujahideen in Chechnya==

In the case of the [[Chechen War|Chechen-Russian conflict]], the term Mujahideen has often been used to refer to all separatist fighters. In this article however, it will be used to refer to the foreign, non-Chechen fighters who joined the separatists’ cause for the sake of [[Jihad]]. In other literature dealing with this conflict they are often called [[Ansar (Islam)|Ansaar]] (helpers) to prevent confusion with the native fighters.

Foreign Mujahideen have played a part in both Chechen wars. After the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|collapse]] of the [[Soviet Union]] and the subsequent [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Chechen declaration of independence]], foreign fighters started entering the region and allied themselves with local [[Islamist]] rebels (most notably [[Shamil Basayev]]<nowiki>)</nowiki>. Most of them were veterans of the [[Soviet war in Afghanistan|Soviet-Afghan war]] and prior to the [[Russia]]n invasion, they used their expertise to train the Chechen separatists. During the [[First Chechen War]] they were notorious and feared for their ‘hit and run’ [[guerilla warfare|guerilla tactics]]. Ambushing military convoys and raiding bases, they inflicted severe casualties on the badly prepared [[Armed Forces of the Russian Federation|Russian Army]]. The Mujahideen also made a significant financial contribution to the separatists’ cause. With their access to the immense wealth of [[Salafism|Salafist]] charities like [[al-Haramein]], they soon became an invaluable source of funds for the Chechen resistance, which had little resources of its own.

After the withdrawal of Russian forces from [[Chechnya]] most of the Mujahideen decided to remain in the country. In 1999, foreign Mujahideen would play an important role in the ill-fated Chechen [[Dagestan War|incursion]] into [[Dagestan]], where they suffered a decisive defeat and where forced to retreat back into Chechnya. The incursion provided the new Russian government with a pretext for intervention and in December 1999 Russian ground forces invaded Chechnya again.

In the [[Second Chechen War]] the separatists were less successful. Faced with a better prepared and more determined Russian army, the Chechens were unable to hold their ground and in February 2000, Russian officials claimed the separatists had been defeated. The Russians also succeeded in eliminating the most prominent Mujahideen commanders (most notably [[Ibn al-Khattab]] and [[Abu al-Walid]]).

Although the region has since been far from stable, separatist activity has decreased dramatically and although some foreign fighters are still active in Chechnya, interest seems to have shifted to other conflicts like the [[Iraqi insurgency]], the [[War in Somalia (2006–present)|War in Somalia]] and the [[Taliban insurgency]] in [[Afghanistan]].

==Hezbollah==

[[Image:Nasrallah on al-Manar television.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[Hassan Nasrallah]]]]

Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a powerful political and military organisation of Shia Muslims in Lebanon. It emerged with financial backing from [[Iran]]

in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive Israeli troops from [[Lebanon]].

Hezbollah presents itself as a force of resistance for Lebanon and the region. In May 2000 this aim was achieved, thanks largely to the success of the party's military arm, the Islamic Resistance.

In return, the movement, which represents Lebanon's Shia Muslims - the country's single largest community - won the respect of most Lebanese. It now has an important presence in the Lebanese parliament and has built broad support by providing social services and health care. It also has an influential TV station, al-Manar but it still has a militia that refuses to demilitarise, despite UN resolution 1559, passed in 2004, which called for the disarming of militias as well as the withdrawal of foreign (i.e about 14,000 Syrian) forces from Lebanon.

As long ago as 2000, after Israel's withdrawal, Hezbollah was under pressure to integrate its forces into the [[Lebanese army]] and focus on its political and social operations. However, while it capitalised on its political gains, it continued to describe itself as a force of resistance not only for Lebanon, but for the region.

==Palestinian Militant==

===Hamas===

[[Image:Hamas flag2.png|thumb|right|200px|Flag frequently used by Hamas supporters]]

In January 2006, Hamas translated its widespread popularity among Palestinians into a dramatic win in the Parliamentary elections. Its new-found political status did not make it any less controversial, however. Branded a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the EU, it is seen by its supporters as a legitimate fighting force defending Palestinians from a brutal military occupation.

It is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organisation, formed in 1987 at the beginning of the first intifada, or Palestinian uprising against Israel's occupation in the [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza]]. The group's short-term aim has been to drive Israeli forces from the occupied territories. To achieve this it has launched attacks on Israeli troops and settlers in the Palestinian territories and against civilians in Israel.

King Hussein was outraged by Israel's action and was only placated when Prime Minister [[Binyamin Netanyahu]] released Hamas's jailed spiritual leader and founder [[Sheikh Ahmed Yassin]]. While King Hussein tolerated Hamas's presence, his successor, King Abdullah II had the group's headquarters closed down and senior figures expelled to [[Qatar]].

===Islamic Jihad===

Islamic Jihad may be one of the best known names associated with Palestinian militancy, but it has always been a relatively small and shadowy organisation.

The group - made up of a handful of loosely affiliated factions divided up into cells - has traditionally concentrated on attacking Israel, eschewing the prominent social, welfare and political role taken on by other Islamist groups like Hamas or the Lebanon's Hezbollah. This is a reflection of Jihad's ideological stance which holds that the Arab-Israeli conflict will only be resolved through armed confrontation.Israel is considered - along with pro-Western, secular Arab regimes - as a manifestation of Western imperialism in the Islamic lands; going into battle against it is therefore the first step to fulfilling the goals of Islam.

Members of Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks since the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, ranging from armed infiltrations of Jewish settlements in occupied lands and ambushes to [[car bombs]] and [[suicide bombings]] on Israeli buses.

==Islamist Insurgency in Philippines==

===Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)===

Followers of Islam - called Moros or Moors by the Spanish - make up a sizeable population of the region.

The Moro National Liberation Front first appeared in the early 1970s, fighting for an independent Moro nation. The group signed a peace agreement with the [[Manila]] Government in 1976, but this failed to stick. Another agreement, signed in 1996, gave predominantly Muslim areas a degree of self-rule, setting up the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The ARMM is composed of the mainland provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, and the island provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. As part of the deal, the MNLF chairman and founder of the group, [[Nur Misuari]], was installed as the new regional governor.But his rule ended in violence in November 2001, when he led a failed uprising. He is now in jail.Another MNLF leader, Parouk Hussin, took over as ARMM governor in 2002.

Parouk Hussin still retains a loyal support base, but the MNLF has become weaker over the years, and many factions have splintered from the main group. Nur Misuari still has a small band of followers, who remain actively opposed to the current situation.

In February 2005, supporters loyal to Misuari launched a series of attacks on army troops in Jolo, the largest of the Sulu islands. The trigger for the violence was thought to be the launch of a huge military operation to target the armed Muslim group Abu Sayyaf - which is alleged to have ties with the Misuari faction.

===Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)===

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a more militant rebel group, which split from the MNLF in 1977. The MILF has a long-term aim of creating a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippines, but analysts say the group may well settle for a certain degree of Muslim autonomy.

The MILF puts more emphasis on its Islamic roots than the MNLF. Many of its senior figures are clerics. Based in central Mindanao, the MILF has broad popular support in rural areas, where the lack of economic development has encouraged dissent. In 2000, the army under then-President Joseph Estrada launched a crackdown on the 12,500-strong group. The following January Mr Estrada was deposed amid popular protests, and his successor, Gloria Arroyo, revived talks.

The situation worsened in February 2003, when the Philippine military accused the MILF of harbouring members of the Pentagon kidnap gang, and launched a new offensive. The small but militant Pentagon gang, which both the US and the [[Philippines]] class as a terrorist group, had been accused of kidnapping foreigners. The MILF denied providing sanctuary to Pentagon members. It also denied being behind a bomb blast at Davao City airport in March 2003 which killed 21 people.

The police blamed the MILF for the blast, and filed multiple murder charges against the group's founder and then leader, Salamat Hashim.But as 2003 wore on, there were signs of a breakthrough in relations between Manila and the MILF. Shortly before his death from a heart attack in July, Salamat Hashim issued a statement renouncing terrorism and underlining the MILF's commitment to achieving a peace settlement.

A ceasefire was agreed, and both sides are currently trying to negotiate a peace deal.One factor which is complicating this process is the allegation that MILF has links with foreign terrorists -including [[Jemaah Islamiah]] , the South East Asian group blamed for the [[2002 Bali bombings]] . The MILF denies the claims. Despite the truce, skirmishes continue between troops and MILF militants.

In January 2005, security personnel used helicopter gunships and heavy artillery to defend themselves against 200 MILF fighters.

===Abu Sayyaf===

Abu Sayyaf is the smallest and most radical of the Islamic separatist groups in the southern Philippines.

It is best-known for a series of kidnappings of Western nationals and Filipinos, for which it has received several large ransom payments. [[Gloria Arroyo]] restarted negotiations with the MILF.In June 2002, US-trained Philippine commandos tried to rescue three hostages being held on Basilan island. Two of the hostages - one an American citizen - were killed in the resulting shootout. Abu Sayyaf's stated goal is an independent Islamic state in Mindanao and the Sulu islands, but the government views the rebels as little more than criminals, and refuses to hold any form of talks with them.

Abu Sayyaf - which means "Sword of God" in Arabic - split from the MNLF in 1991, under the leadership of [[Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani]], who was killed in a clash with Philippine police in December 1998. His younger brother,[[Khadafi Janjalani]], took over as leader, although he was killed by Philippines troops in September 2006.

Philippines troops also claimed to have killed another senior Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sulaiman, also known as Jainal Antal Sali, in January 2007.Nationwide support for Abu Sayyaf is limited, but analysts say many locals in its stronghold areas of Jolo and Basilan tolerate the rebels and even work for them, attracted by the prospect of receiving lucrative ransom payments.

Both the MNLF and MILF have condemned the Abu Sayyaf's activities, and the US has included the group in its list of "terrorist" organisations, saying it has links with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. US troops have been deployed to help the Philippine army stamp out the group, but the future extent of the American role remains unclear.

So far the US troops are restricted to a training and advisory position, as the Philippine constitution bans foreign troops from taking part in actual combat but the issue is a subject of ongoing debate between Manila and Washington. Sporadic fighting continues between Abu Sayyaf gunmen and Philippine troops, and the group has claimed responsibility for a series of bomb attacks in recent years.

In October 2004, six members of Abu Sayyaf were charged with murder and attempted murder over an attack the preceding February on a passenger ferry in Manila Bay.

More than 100 people were killed when a bomb went off on the Superferry 14 - making it the worst known terrorist attack in the Philippines.

Abu Sayyaf is thought to number fewer than 500 core fighters, but the group continues to present enough of a problem to lead the government to launch occasional major offensives in an effort to wipe the rebels

==Mujahideen in Myanmar==

A sizable number of mujahideen are present and concentrated in the province of [[Arakan]], [[Myanmar]].<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CJ10Df01.html THE ROVING EYE

Jihad; The ultimate thermonuclear bomb by Pepe Escobar] Oct 2001, Asia Times.</ref> They were much more active before the 1962 coup d'etat by General [[Ne Win]]. [[Ne Win]] carried out some military operations targeting them over a period of two decades. The prominent one was "[[King Dragon operation in Arakan|Operation King Dragon]]" which took place in 1978. As a result, many Muslims in the region fled to neighboring country [[Bengladesh]] as refugees. Nevertheless, the [[Myanmar]] mujahideen are still active within the remote areas of Arakan.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/NEWS-14.htm Global Muslim News (Issue 14)] July-Sept 1996, Nida'ul Islam magazine.</ref> Their associations with Bangladeshi mujahideen were significant but they have extended their networks to the international level and countries such as [[Pakistan]], [[Malaysia]], etc during the recent years. They collect donations, and get religious military training outside of [[Myanmar]].<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CJ10Df01.html THE ROVING EYE

Jihad; The ultimate thermonuclear bomb by Pepe Escobar] Oct 2001, Asia Times.</ref>

==Gallery==

<center>

<gallery>

Image:Zarqawi1.jpg|[[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]

Image:Ind2.jpg|[[Movsar Barayev]]

Image:Khalid Shaikh Mohammed after capture.jpg|[[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]]

Image:MahdiArmy.jpg|[[Mahdi Army]]

Image:Hezbollah1.jpg|[[Hezbollah]]

Image:Odred el mudzahedin17.jpg|[[Arab]] Mujahideen in [[Kosovo]] 1999

Image:Storiesthabit2.jpg|[[African]] Mujahideen [[Kosovo]] 1999

Image:49127392.jpg|[[Fehmi Lladrovci]] a Muslim Albanian fighter (he housed 300 foreign Mujahideens when they first came to Kosova Drenica region)"died 1998 along side his wife '''Gjeva''' in battle"

Image:Jakup asipi isni shaqiri.jpg|Albanian Mujahideens in [[2001 Macedonia conflict]] “Left: [[Jakup Hasipi]] (an Albanian Imam & Mujahideen died 2006 car crash) middle: [[Hisni Shaqiri]] and Albanian fighter, right: unknown [[KLA]] soldier.

Image:Kla members.jpg|[[Kosovo Liberation Army]] (KLA)

Image:Biyara.jpg|[[Ansar al-Islam ]]

Image: | [[Maulana Masood Azhar]], Pakistan.

</gallery>

</center>

== Notes and references ==

<div class="references-small">

<references />

</div>

== See also ==

* [[Hadith]]

* [[Qur'an]]

* [[Reagan Doctrine]]

* [[Sharia|Shari'a]]

* [[Jihad]]

* [[Itmam al-hujjah]]

Persons:

* [[Sayyid Qutb]]

* [[Hassan al Banna]]

* [[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]]

* [[Abdullah Yusuf Azzam]]

* [[Khurshid Ahmad]]

* [[Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi]]

* [[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi]]

Organisations:

* [[Egyptian Islamic Jihad]]

* [[Ansar al-Islam]]

* [[Muslim Brotherhood]]

* [[Jamaat-e-Islami]]

* [[South Thailand insurgency ]]

* [[Abu Sayyaf]]

* [[Jaish Ansar al-Sunna]]

[[Category:Islam]]

[[Category:Warriors]]

[[Category:Arabic words and phrases]]

[[Category:Jihadist organizations]]

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