By Taylor Luck, Jordan Times

AMMAN – Holding sit-ins, raising banners and marching arm-in-arm with pro-reform protesters – aside from the long beards and black flags, Jordan’s salafists barely resemble the jihadists of old.

From Maan to Amman, followers of the jihadist movement are taking a more peaceful approach to promote their demands, the implementation of a strict interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law).

The group is distinct from, and at loggerheads with the mainstream Salafism in that preach against violence and reject as a breach to Islamic teachings revolts to topple existing regimes as long as rulers declare themselves as Muslims and embrace Islam as a source of legislation and the official religion of the state.

Jihadists are also called Takfiris, after takfir, which is their tendency to label as non-Muslim individual and groups who do not follow their interpretation of Islam.

Inspired by the Arab Spring, Takfiris are resorting to 21st century tools such as Facebook and Twitter as part of their drive to become more mainstream than their extremist reputation.

As several individuals continue to work within the jihadist camp to reform the movement, it is left to be seen whether the transition marks a true departure from their violent ideology or merely an attempt to ride the tide of the Arab revolutions to achieve their own ends, observers say. read more