"The America That I Have Seen:" The Effect of Sayyid Qutb's Colorado Sojourn on the Political Islamist Worldview (original) (raw)

This paper explores the impact of Sayyid Qutb's experience in America, particularly during his time in Greeley, Colorado, on his political Islamist ideology. It examines how Qutb's observations led to a profound mistrust of Western societal values, particularly the perceived separation of religion from political life, and how these experiences shaped his later views articulated in his influential work, Milestones. The paper argues that Greeley served as both a confirmation of Qutb's pre-existing biases against the West and a catalyst for his radical thoughts regarding the importance of establishing an Islamic political system.