Saer El-Jaichi

Primary research areas

Saer El-Jaichi holds a PhD degree in Islamic Studies and has especially worked with Islamic theology, philosophy and mysticism in connection with the so-called ‘golden age’ of Islamic intellectual life in the Middle Ages, but also with intellectual currents that have pervaded the Arab world over the past 100 years, including Islamic reform and critique of tradition, political Islam and secularism.

Current research 

Saer El-Jaichi’s current research focuses on the theological aspects of transnational jihadism by looking closely into the religious arguments and the worldview of influential jihadist ideologues and movements like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. How do they theologically argue for the urgent necessity to fight beyond national borders? How are they different from national-based jihadist movements? What are the exact theological drivers behind transnational jihad and in what sense do they represent continuity and difference to orthodox interpretations of warfare and governance?

Projects

Saer El-Jaichi is a part of the international research project “Transnational Jihad”, which is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and led by Dr. Mona Kanwal Sheikh. The project aims at advancing our understanding of one of the greatest contemporary challenges on the international agenda for peace and security, namely the ability of transnational jihadist movements to tap into local conflicts, hence escalating violence.