C. Christine Fair 
In Their Own Words [PDF ebook] 
Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba

This path-breaking volume reveals a little-known aspect of how Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a jihadist terrorist group, functions in Pakistan and beyond by translating and commenting upon a range of publications produced and disseminated by Dar-ul-Andlus, the publishing wing of Le T. Only a fraction of Le T’s cadres ever see battle: most of them are despatched on nation-wide "prozelytising" (dawa) missions to convert Pakistanis to their particular interpretation of Islam, in support of which Le T has developed a sophisticated propagandist literature. This canon of Islamist texts is the most popular and potent weapon in Le T’s arsenal, and its scrutiny affords insights into how and who the group recruits; Le T’s justification for jihad; its vision of itself in global and regional politics; the enemies Le T identifies and the allies it cultivates; and how and where it conducts its operations. Particular attention is paid to the role that Le T assigns to women by examining those writings which heap extravagant praise upon the mothers of aspirant jihadis, who bless their operations and martyrdom. It is only by understanding Le T’s domestic functions as set out in these texts that one can begin to appreciate why Pakistan so fiercely supports it, despite mounting international pressure to disband the group.