# Looking for FACTUAL answer regarding radical Islam **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160 "2025-08-17T15:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/1 "2025-08-17T15:30:45Z")
In the strictest, most undebatable terms possible, can anyone explain what the world would look like if radical islamic terrorists had what they want? Would Islam be in all countries everywhere is that what they believe they must do? Or must they just control certain countries that are already Islamic and make sure that they are not invaded or in anyway, touched by other countries or politics or anything? What is the core goal? I believe I understand that there might be some differences between certain groups and factions, but at the core of the radicals who are Islamic what do they agree on? I put this here because of exactly what it says. I’m looking for facts not debate. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/2 "2025-08-17T15:38:06Z")
There is no factual answer to this, so off to #In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/3 "2025-08-17T15:40:17Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I’m looking for facts not debate. There are no facts-_only_ debate. You are literally asking people for their opinions on what might happen. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/4 "2025-08-17T15:41:12Z")
**Moderating:** Please avoid Jr. Modding right, especially right after a Mod has moved the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/5 "2025-08-17T15:42:29Z")
Okay, but there’s got to be some record of some essential statements of goals somewhere that somebody has shared with the world? Aside from “USA go away”. Isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/6 "2025-08-17T15:56:03Z")
According to this, [Islamic extremism - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_extremism), “Radical Islam” is a very broad term with many different origins and many different goals. Could you possibly narrow down which group(s) you are referring to? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/7 "2025-08-17T16:02:43Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Okay, but there’s got to be some record of some essential statements of goals somewhere that somebody has shared with the world? Aside from “USA go away”. > > Isn’t there? Probably dozens of them, if not hundreds. Unfortunately, they’re not all going to say the same thing. And which of them are said for reasons of politics versus which of them would actually be intended versus what might actually happen is a whole nother issue. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/8 "2025-08-17T16:11:02Z")
I am not an Islamic scholar or anything. I get the sense that, like most fundamentalist religions, it is rooted in the notion that we have turned away from God; that although we were never squeaky-clean perfect, we were once reverent and obedient, and then we started doing disobedient and unholy things, and all that must be erased and undone and we must return to how we used to be doing things. I’m open to being corrected on that point. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/9 "2025-08-17T16:46:57Z")
According to CNN, Islamic State’s ultimate goal was a global caliphate: > [@](#): > > ISIS makes no secret of its ultimate ambition: A global caliphate secured through a global war. To that end it speaks of “remaining and expanding” its existing hold over much of Iraq and Syria. It aims to replace existing, man-made borders, to overcome what it sees as the Shiite “crescent” that has emerged across the Middle East, to take its war – Islam’s war – to Europe and America, and ultimately to lead Muslims toward an apocalyptic battle against the “disbelievers.” > **[What does ISIS really want? | CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/11/middleeast/isis-syria-iraq-caliphate/index.html)** > > ISIS makes no secret of its ultimate goal: A global caliphate won through a world-wide war. And in its eyes, there can be only one victor in the fight. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/10 "2025-08-17T16:52:48Z")
Since we’re in the realm of opinion now, here’s mine. It starts in general, and works its way to addressing some of the OP’s question. People who are genuinely interested in being good themselves concentrate on that, whether they are motivated by faith or something else (yes, one does not have to be religious to want to be a better person). Actually being a good person generally takes a lot of energy and commitment. People who focus on how bad/evil the society is and how it needs to be changed are interested in controlling how other people behave, i.e. political power. So, in my view, all such groups as the OP is talking about (no matter the religious affiliation) have only political power as their goal. How much power they would be satisfied with is what varies among them. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/11 "2025-08-17T17:09:02Z")
Another view of Islamic State’s goals and objectives: "Islamic State rejects existing national borders and opposes elected governments, seeking to remove them through violence.” “Islamic State adheres to the extreme Salafi interpretation of Islam which regards all who fail to follow its religious doctrine as apostates and infidels. Seeking to emulate the expansive success of Islamic conquests during the 7th to 10th centuries, Islamic State seeks to subjugate through terror and establish a pan-Islamic imperialist theocracy, with a view of ultimately dominating the globe. In prosecuting this agenda, it has commissioned numerous crimes against humanity, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, summary execution (including public beheading, crucifixion, stoning, hanging, burning, mutilation and dismemberment), mass rape, paedophilia, sexual slavery, forced marriages (including minors), theft, extortion, kidnaping and trafficking.” _oh, but they’re cool people_ - The Standells [http://nationalsecurity.gov.au/what-australia-is-doing/terrorist-organisations/listed-terrorist-organisations/islamic-state](http://nationalsecurity.gov.au/what-australia-is-doing/terrorist-organisations/listed-terrorist-organisations/islamic-state) ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/12 "2025-08-17T18:31:59Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Would Islam be in all countries everywhere is that what they believe they must do? Or must they just control certain countries that are already Islamic and make sure that they are not invaded or in anyway, touched by other countries or politics or anything? What is the core goal? I’m not sure there is a clearly stated goal, and there seem to be several factions of Islam who disagree with each other. But it does seem that Islam generally supports ‘conquering by the sword’? At least that’s what I get from a not-very-comprehensive reading so far of the koran. All I can say is I do not wish to live in a society like that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/13 "2025-08-17T21:33:52Z")
There seems a bit of conflating Islam with Radical Islam here. Could the OP clarify, please? ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/14 "2025-08-17T23:11:07Z")
I got to say my Muslim brother-in-law who attends weekly mosque is so different from one in this thread. He attends to most of the pillars but is really more interested in brewing smooth coffee by the exit doors. I love the guy! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/15 "2025-08-17T23:52:27Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > I’m not sure there is a clearly stated goal, and there seem to be several factions of Islam who disagree with each other. Islam isn’t unified; there’s no “Islamic Pope” dictating official dogma. It’s broken into two big factions (Sunni and Shia), which are further broken up into smaller factions. Right down to individual religious leaders proclaiming their own personal religious edicts (fatwas). Which is why the extremists can always get some fatwa to support them, there’s always going to be some bloodthirsty religious leader willing to issue one with nobody in charge to tell them to shut up. Much like how in the US you can always find a leader of some small Protestant denomination willing to support any craziness you can name. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/16 "2025-08-18T14:06:50Z")
I did in the OP: " **radical** Islamic **terrorists** ” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/17 "2025-08-18T14:25:57Z")
I would say that Muslims ALL believe… perhaps, that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet. “Radical Islamic terrorists”, well, I suppose you cannot even count on that. Therefore, there is nothing that they ALL agree on. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/18 "2025-08-18T14:33:24Z")
Yeah there are countless different organizations that count as “radical islam”, with as many different aims and ideas on how things should be run. Most of which have no chance of achieving power so can be happily vague about the details of what they want to achieve, just alude to a “caliphate” where everything will be awesome and God fearing muslims will have a great time, without worrying about the pesky details of exactly what that means (just as Communist revolutionaries can happily long for a utopian workers paradise, without actually getting into the details) Probably the closest thing to a common aim would be a return to something like the Abbasid Caliphate. But that’s more a mythical “back in the day when everything was great” rather than a concrete plan (like American conservatives wanting to return to the good old days of the 1950s without worrying too much about tricky details like a 91% marginal tax rate). There is also some nostalgia for the Ottoman empire but that’s tempered by the fact that it was ruled by Turks and Arab subjects were not actually treated particularly well. > **[Abbasid Caliphate](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasid_Caliphate)** > > The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (/əˈbæsɪd, ˈæbəsɪd/; Arabic: الْخِلَافَة الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, romanized: al-Khilāfa al-ʿAbbāsiyya) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes its name. After overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE (132 AH), they ruled as caliphs based in modern-day Iraq, with Baghdad being their ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/19 "2025-08-18T14:37:58Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I did in the OP: " **radical** Islamic **terrorists** ” You need to specify who you’re talking about, because that’s a completely subjective label. It’s been applied to Hamas, Salafis, Wahhabis, Hezbollah, Islamic State, and many other groups who have different motives and aims, and only occasional overlap. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160/20 "2025-08-18T14:43:26Z")
You have repeated, but you have not clarified and/or defined. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-factual-answer-regarding-radical-islam/1022160.md?page=2)