Islamism (original) (raw)

Encyclopedic Entry See Islam: A Worldwide Encyclopedia -ABC-CLIO A general term describing the ideology and the movement that properly came into existence after the First World War, with the emergence of organized movements that reached beyond the limited circles of Muslim scholars, writers, and journalists in modernizing Muslim countries relatively more exposed to the cultural and political impact of the West. Central and prominent figures of modern Islamism include Sayyid Qutb, Hasan al-Banna, Abul Ala Mawdudi and Ruhollah Khomeini. Islamism takes different forms and may use a wide range of strategies and tactics. Thus, it is not a united ideology or movement. Nevertheless Islamism presupposes a pure Islam, knowable despite the historical corruptions, deviations by small or large Muslim groups from the norm. Islamists believe that Islam has the answer for all aspects of life should be the guide for social, political and personal matters. Despite the differing views, certain definitions of Islamism are suggested: For example, according to Kara, Islamism aims at “making Islam, once again, dominant in life in its entirety [...] save the Islamic world from exploitation of the West, tyrannical and oppressing administrators, enslavement, imitation, superstition [...] make it civilized, united, developed”. In other words, Islamists demand a greater say in politics, major issues, form and substance of modernization policies. Islamist movements seek cultural emancipation from the West and reconnection with the pre-colonial pure symbolic universe. Moderate and reformist Islamists accept and work within the democratic process Others like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine have both political and armed wings. Radical Islamist organizations like al-Qaeda, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, ISIL or groups such as the Taliban reject democracy and the West. However, Roy has described Islamism as "increasingly interdependent" with democracy in much of the Arab Muslim world, such that "neither can now survive without the other." Islamists need democratic elections to maintain their legitimacy and no government that excludes mainstream Islamist groups can be considered democratic (Wikipedia) https://www.academia.edu/9130642/Islamism