Quora Answer: Could Al-Qaeda Make a Comeback in the Middle East?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Could Al-Qaeda make a comeback in the Middle East?”

The underlying ideology of Al-Qaeda is Wahhabism, which is the state ideology of Saudi Arabia.  Al-Qaeda will evolve, it will have more off shoots such as ISIS, it might even rename itself; but the underlying ideology, the goals and the methodology are essentially the same.  As long as there is Wahhabism, and it is treated as a legitimate offshoot of Sunni Islam, or even mistaken as a “purified” version of it, there will be Al-Qaeda and groups like it.  This current state of destabilisation of the Greater Middle East and North Africa, and the disenfranchisement of millions, is fertile recruiting ground for these groups.  This cycle of violence is not going to end anytime soon, and with the added pressures of increased wealth disparity, and climate change, this might even be exacerbated.  There is no happy ending here.