- Key People:
- Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali
- Related Topics:
- Islam
- fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
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What is Islamic fundamentalism?
Islamic fundamentalism is an expression of Islam that emphasizes strict and literal adherence to fundamental principles. It is rooted in the belief that religion encompasses all aspects of life, so religion and politics cannot be separated.
Though the term carries negative connotations and neglects underlying nationalistic and social grievances, "Islamic fundamentalism" has been current in popular and scholarly literature since the late 20th century.
Notably, Islamic fundamentalist movements vary significantly. Some movements resort to terrorism, while others do not. Some support leftist political and economic programs, while others favor free-market capitalism.
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How does Islamic fundamentalism relate to the religion of Islam?
Islamic fundamentalism is an expression within Islam that advocates a strict, literal adherence to fundamental principles. It is not a monolithic movement but includes diverse groups with varying interpretations and goals. Some differentiate themselves from established Islamic practices, seeking a return to what they consider the original, pure form of the religion.
While some fundamentalists resort to terrorism, others do not. Some advocate leftist political and economic programs, while others favor free-market capitalism. However, most insist that religion encompasses all aspects of life and, therefore, politics cannot be separated from religion. Islamic fundamentalist movements often voice political and social grievances and see themselves engaged in a holy war against those they perceive as enemies.
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In what ways can Islamic fundamentalist beliefs influence political systems?
Islamic fundamentalist beliefs can significantly influence political systems in various ways. Many fundamentalists believe that religion should encompass all aspects of life, including politics. This perspective often leads to the insistence that religion and politics cannot be separated.
Islamic fundamentalist movements often articulate political and social grievances more effectively than established secular parties. Some movements resort to terrorism, while others engage in legal electoral politics. Mainstream Islamist parties often mobilize voters through social and charitable work, advocating for good governance and fighting corruption.
Some fundamentalists aim to moralize public and political life by protesting against "indecent" entertainment and behaviors and demanding accountability from political authorities. While some advocate for implementing Sharia law, others focus on addressing social and economic issues through an Islamic lens.
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Why do some groups promote Islamic fundamentalism in government or society?
Islamic fundamentalism is an expression of Islam that emphasizes strict adherence to basic principles. Some groups promote Islamic fundamentalism in government and society because they articulate political and social grievances better than established secular parties. These movements insist that religion encompasses all aspects of life and that religion and politics cannot be separated.
These groups also believe they are engaged in a holy war against their enemies, often portraying them as pawns of Jewish and Masonic conspiracies. Some groups resort to terrorism, while others espouse leftist political and economic programs or favor free-market capitalism. Many insist on conformity to a code of conduct based on a literal interpretation of sacred scripture.
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What are some examples of countries or groups affected by Islamic fundamentalism in politics?
Islamic fundamentalism is an expression of Islam that stresses strict adherence to basic principles. Political significance is seen in many Muslim countries because these movements articulate political and social grievances.
Examples of countries and groups affected by Islamic fundamentalism:
* Iran The Iranian Revolution of 1978–79 established an Islamic republic.
* Nigeria Boko Haram is an Islamic fundamentalist movement in Nigeria.
* Afghanistan The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist movement in Afghanistan.
* Tunisia Ennahda is a localized movement that has responded to current issues through an Islamic lens.
* Palestinian territories Hamas is a localized movement that has responded to current issues through an Islamic lens.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Islamic fundamentalism influenced debates about religion and politics around the world?
Islamic fundamentalism, which calls for strict adherence to basic Islamic principles, has significantly influenced global debates on religion and politics. These movements often voice political and social grievances more effectively than secular parties.
Across the Islamic world, fundamentalist movements vary, with some resorting to terrorism while others engage in political processes. Many insist on religion encompassing all aspects of life, blurring the lines between religious and political spheres. They share a dualistic worldview, often engaged in what they perceive as a holy war against enemies, sometimes influenced by anti-Semitic ideas.
The Iranian Revolution of 1978–79 and the September 11 attacks brought Islamic fundamentalism to Western attention. While some movements have become mainstream, participating in legal electoral politics, others pursue revolutionary change, sometimes through violence. Despite the diversity, a common thread is the rejection of secularism and emphasis on traditional religiosity.
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Islamic fundamentalism, expression of Islam that stresses strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles. As with other religions, multiple fundamentalist movements have taken form throughout Islamic history, the earliest of which may have been the Kharijites of the 7th century. While these movements may share characteristics and draw on common religious materials and motifs, they are often disparate movements without direct connection to one another and occasionally at odds. Among the most influential Islamic fundamentalist movements in modern times are the Islamist movement, the Wahhābī movement, the Salafi movement, the Principlist faction in Iran, Boko Haram in Nigeria, and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In fact, the character of Islamic fundamentalism varies greatly throughout the world. Some fundamentalists resort to terrorism, and some do not. Some espouse leftist political and economic programs, borrowing ideas from Marxism and other varieties of socialism, while others favour free-market capitalism. Most fundamentalists, however, insist on conformity to a code of conduct based on a literal interpretation of sacred scripture. Many also insist that religion encompasses all aspects of life and, hence, that religion and politics cannot be separated. Like most fundamentalists, they generally have a dualistic worldview: they believe that they are engaged in a holy war, or jihad, against their evil enemies, whom they often portray as pawns of Jewish and Masonic conspiracies in terms taken directly from the anti-Semitic literature of 20th-century Europe. Messianism, which plays an important role in Christian, Jewish, and Shiʿi Islamic fundamentalism, is less important in the fundamentalism of the Sunni branch of Islam.
Islamic fundamentalist movements have been politically significant in most Muslim countries primarily because they articulate political and social grievances better than do the established secular parties, some of which (e.g, many leftist parties) were discredited following the collapse of communism in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1990–91. For example, Islamism, which is grounded in the modernist thought of Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī (1838–97) and Muḥammad ʿAbduh (1849–1905), has produced localized movements such as Ennahda in Tunisia or Hamas in the Palestinian territories, which have primarily responded to current issues through an Islamic lens. Although the governments of Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries of the Persian Gulf region have represented themselves as conforming strictly to Islamic law, they continue to face internal opposition from Islamist movements for their pro-Western political and economic policies, the extreme concentration of their countries’ wealth in the hands of the ruling families, and, in the Islamists’ view, their rulers’ immoral lifestyles.
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The subject of Islamic fundamentalism attracted a great deal of attention in the West after the Iranian Revolution of 1978–79—which deposed Iran’s ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919–80), and established an Islamic republic—and especially after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 by al-Qaeda, an international Islamist terrorist network. The spectacular nature of these events may have lent plausibility to the common but mistaken belief in the West that Islam and Islamic fundamentalism are closely connected if not identical.