This statement refers to what action by the Soviet Union that sparked a number of radical Islamic movements? A) the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan B) the sale of Soviet weapons to the revolutionaries in Iran C) the deployment of Soviet troops in Poland due to worker unrest D) the sale of Soviet weapons to Egypt to support the military government of Anwar Sadat

The correct answer is A. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the action that sparked a number of radical Islamic movements.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was the first time since the fall of European empires that a foreign nation invaded a Muslim-majority country. The USSR became the object of hatred of all the Islamist movements of the world for their actions in the invasion. The international Salafism arose in response to the perceived Soviet threat, and was consolidated precisely after the intellectual vacuum that brought the fall of the USSR. In this way, groups like Al-Qaeda began their violent actions in response to this invasion.