In this day and age, the Islam religion expands over the majority of Northern Africa, and the Middle East. It has a strong influence in these areas, and a number of different Islam groups and denominations are in these areas. In this essay, it will be evaluated whether or not the use of the term ‘Islamism’ can be used for all of these movements/groups. Furthermore the essay will distinguish between violent and non-violent Islamist groups in a structured way. Roger explains these groups must either make Islam more modern to work alongside the West in democracy, or they must defend culture in their religion by creating a ‘protective umbrella’ (Roger, 2004, p158).
It is best to first define the term ‘Islamism’ and how it relates to Islam. The term ‘Islamism’ is a development from the Islam religion. It requires us to look deeper into Islam, and pick out certain parts of the religion which define ‘Islamism’. Islamism today is seen more as an ideology rather than a religion. It contains social, political, and religious aspects. Furthermore, Islamism is much more structured than the other religious denominations of Islam. It can easily be noticed because it is coherent, and easily noticeable (Mozzafari 2007). Further definition shows Islamism to, “bring all elements of social, economic, and political life into harmony with what its adherents believe is “true Islam” (Richards 2013, p363)
Firstly in the essay, peaceful Islam ideas will be look at, especially of ‘New Islamists’. Richards describes one of the groups of ‘New Islamists’ to be the intellectuals in Egypt. These people are called ‘Salafis’, they follow after the Prophet Muhammed. These Islamists are concerned with smaller aspects of life, for example the state of how t...
... middle of paper ...
...democratic means.
Works Cited
Fuller, Graham E. ‘The Future of Political Islam.’ Foreign Affairs. Vol. 81, No. 2 (March/April 2002) 48-60.
Richards, Alan, and John Waterbury. A Political Economy of the Middle East, Boulder, CO/Oxford: Westview, third edition 2008: 362-384.
Owen, Roger. State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, London: Routledge, (3rd ed.) 2004: 154-177.
Mozaffari, M. (2007). What is Islamism? History and Definition of a Concept. Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions. 8 (1), p17–33.
Green, J. (.). In Islam, What Is a Covenant With Allah?. Available: http://people.opposingviews.com/islam-covenant-allah-4766.html. Last accessed 20th March 2014.
Hardy, R. (2003). Islam and the West: Bridging the divide. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/special/islam/3182669.stm. Last accessed 20th March 2014.
Hinson, Kathy. "Book Review: 'Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes'" The Oregonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
Cobb, Paul. "Introduction." Ibn Munqidh, Usama. Book of Contemplation Islam and the Crusades. New York: Penguin Books, 2008. xv-xlii.
Print. Doak, Robin. Empire of the Islamic World. Rev. ed.
Yapp, Malcolm. The Near East since the First World War: A History to 1995. London: Longman, 1996. Print.
Lewis, Bernard. The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years. New York: Scribner,
Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
The culture of Islam has its positive aspects, as well as its negative aspects. Islam bestowed many unfortunate people the opportunity to gain more knowledge about their surroundings, and the adversities that they may face on a daily basis. Islam also created alliances, and trade contracts with other surrounding countries, allowing them to receive resources that other religions and groups could not envisage. However, to gain these privileges, Islam had to first fester the lives of many civilians that dared step in its path. Islam not only ruined the lives of people, but it ruined whole kingdoms. Many people felt an...
Maynes, Charles. "The Middle East in the Twenty-First Century." Middle East Journal 52.1 (1998): 9-16. JSTOR. Web. 6 June 2011.
Thomas W. Lippman gives an introduction to the Muslim world in the book Understanding Islam. He has traveled throughout the Islamic world as Washington Post bureau chief for the Middle East, and as a correspondent in Indochina. This gave him, in his own words, "sharp insight into the complexities of that turbulent region." However, the purpose of the book is not to produce a critical or controversial interpretation of Islamic scripture. It is instead to give the American layman an broad understanding of a religion that is highly misunderstood by many Americans. In this way he dispels many myths about "Muslim militants," and the otherwise untrue perception of Islamic violence. In this way the American reader will become more knowledgeable about an otherwise unfamiliar topic. However, the most significant element of Lippman’s book is that it presents Islam in a simple way that makes the reader feels his awareness rise after each chapter. This encourages him to continue learning about the world’s youngest major religion. Understanding Islam dispels many misconceptions about the Muslim world, and presents the subject in a way that urges his reader to further his understanding of Islam through continued study.
Gerner, Deborah J., and Philip A. Schrodt. "Middle Eastern Politics." Understanding the contemporary Middle East. 3rd ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008. 85 -136. Print.
Robinson, B.A. (2002, October 14). Islam: Is it a religion of violence or of peace.
...nd Politics." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Philip Mattar. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 890-895. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
In both given articles, “The Roots of Muslim Rage” by Bernard Lewis, and “The Roots of Muslim Rage Revisited” by Nicolaas J.E. van der Zee, argue about the enhancement of the Muslim fundamentalism with different perspectives; however, I believe that Lewis’ view may be quiet misleading to the actual perception. Lewis indicates that Muslim fundamentalism is conceived through the Muslim community’s oppression and dissatisfaction with the West’s political involvement, as well as “Islam is a source of aggression” . In defiance of Lewis’ opinion, the word ‘Islam’ comes from the word peace as well as the will of submission to God. The notion of aggression and violence that Lewis conceptualizes to be the headline of Islam does not have any supporting
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.