Modern Muslim authorities with secular university educations in fields such as natural sciences and engineering are applying their educational background to the religious sciences, a field traditionally requiring decades of training before one becomes authoritative to speak on certain topics. The backgrounds of global jihadists are primarily in practical sciences and professions rather than Islamic scholarship.
Scholars with secular science or engineering educations are becoming new authorities in the religious sciences field, bringing a level of nuance and ambiguity that has not been present in the past. Many leading jihadists come from practical science and engineering backgrounds, rather than traditional Islamic scholarship.
Despite being known as one of the world's most notorious terrorists, Osama Bin Laden had a complex history and background, including ties to his family's engineering construction firm and a mysterious public persona. Questions remain about his true motivations and religious beliefs that drove him to commit acts of terror.
The podcast discusses how the Soviet-Afghan War contributed to the rise of Bin Laden as he saw the cause of the Mujahideen as righteous, pious fighters for jihad against the godless Soviet empire, and how he began to forge a reputation for himself for a global project.