Islamic terrorism is, by definition,
terrorist acts committed by
Muslim groups or individuals who profess
Islamic or
Islamist motivations or goals. Islamic terrorists have relied on particular interpretations of the tenets of the
Quran and the
Hadith, citing these scriptures to justify violent tactics including
mass murder,
genocide,
child molestation and
slavery. In recent decades, incidents of Islamic terrorism have occurred on a global scale, occurring not only in
Muslim-majority states in Africa and Asia, but also abroad in Europe, Russia, and the United States, and such attacks have targeted Muslims and non-Muslims. In a number of the worst-affected Muslim-majority regions, these terrorists have been met by armed, independent resistance groups, state actors and their
proxies, and politically
liberal Muslim protesters.