Political Islamism—A Vital Hybrid Threat/Challenge

This article aims to assess the radical ideological movement of Political Islamism through the lenses of hybrid threats/warfare. It provides first inspiration about how to apply the concept of hybrid threats/warfare as a unifying analytical instrument to improve the understanding of Political Islamism as a broad and complex hybrid threat/challenge. Based on its comprehensive nature, it would be too short-sighted to only or primarily address Political Islamism through concepts such as terrorism. Such approaches would leave the bigger part of this threat unaddressed and prevent the creation of a comprehensive picture regarding this multifaceted, unorthodox and partly invisible phenomenon. The concept of hybrid threats/warfare may help to uncover the hidden strategies as well as the long-term indirect and covert methods behind the Political Islamist movement.