The term was coined by Jarret Brachman in his 2008 book '' Global Jihadism : Theory and Practice '' . Brachman is the former director of research at the United States Military Academy 's Combating Terrorism Center . He explains in his introduction to the book that he coined the new term to describe people who , without the support of al-Qaeda or other jihadist organizations , come of their own accord to support the aims of those groups . Jihobbyists " are fans in the same way other people might follow football teams . But their sport is Al-Qaeda , " he explained in an interview after the 2009 Fort Hood shooting by Nidal Malik Hasan , a Muslim American soldier who showed an interest in '' jihadist '' websites and views in the months prior to the shooting . In his book , Brachman says a jihobbyist " may be an enthusiast of the global Jihadist movement , someone who enjoys thinking about and watching the activities of the groups from the first and second tiers but generally they have no connection to al-Qaida or any other formal Jihadist groups . " He explained in a '' PBS NewsHour '' interview by Gwen Ifill in January 2010 that a jihobbyist is usually " somebody who cheers from the sidelines as nothing more than a hobby " . A few have perpetrated actual attacks as well
2009 Fort Hood shooting
2009 Fort Hood shooting
Jihobbyist