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Islamic fundamentalism

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Islamic fundamentalism is a religious ideology which advocates literalist interpretations of the sacred texts of Islam, Sharia law, and an Islamic State. <ref>Bruce Gourley: Islamic Fundamentalism: A Brief Survey</ref> It is often regarded as the older, less preferred term for Islamism. [1] [2]

The term fundamentalism was born in reference to the Evangelical Christian movement which took place at the start of the 20th century in the United States of America. It was a reaction to secularization of the U.S.A., the Scientific Revolution, and differences of opinions on World War I. During the Scientific Revolution, some believe science had a monopoly of sorts on God.

Fundamentalism is a reaction, not an independent ideology. Fundamentalism does not mean extremism.

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[edit] Interpretation of texts

Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the unadulterated word of God as revealed to Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel.

Islamic fundamentalists assert that a correct interpretation of Islam relies solely on the Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah, excluding tradition and popular practice. [citation needed]

This view, commonly associated with Salafism by Western sources hostile to Islamic ideals, rejects Shi'a Islam, and the four common schools of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam. [citation needed]

One view is that secularists use the term "Fundamentalist Islam" in place of "Radical Islam" (the latter which is actually described throughout this article). The goal in doing so is that any "fundamentalist" religion can be viewed as harmful, as if all "fundamentalist" religions stances are such.

However, "fundamentalist" followers of many different religions are neither intolerant or violent towards other faiths and non-believers, lending credence to the inaccuracy of referring to violent "Radical Islam" as the generally non-violent "Fundamentalist Islam."

[edit] Social and political goals

As with adherents of other fundamentalist movements, Islamic fundamentalists hold that the problems of the world stem from secular influences. Further, the path to peace and justice lies in a return to the original message of Islam, combined with a scrupulous rejection of all Bid'ah ("innovation") and perceived anti-Islamic traditions. [citation needed]

For much of the 20th century, revolutionary Marxism had been the dominant form of political dissent. However, the end of the Soviet Union and the Cold War largely discredited leftist ideologies and Arab Nationalism, and has led to the strengthening of Islamist parties. [citation needed]

Some scholars of Islam believe that, contrary to their own message, Islamic fundamentalists are not actually traditionalists. [citation needed]

[edit] Conflicts with the secular state

Islamic fundamentalism's push for Sharia and an Islamic State has come into conflict with conceptions of the secular, democratic state, such as the internationally supported Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This conflict centers on following issues:

  • rejection of the equality of men and women (i.e. they are unequal in specific aspects like how they think and act but are still equal overall)
  • rejection of the separation of "church" and state;
  • rejection of some of the religious rights, such as the right of Muslims to leave the religion, while the right to be a non-Muslim in Muslim lands is still allowed.

As a result of this sharp conflict, many doubt whether fundamentalist Islam is compatible with modern liberal democratic states.

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Opposing views

[edit] Citations

<references />

eu:Islamiar fundamentalismo it:Fondamentalismo islamico nl:Moslimfundamentalisme ja:イスラム原理主義 pl:Fundamentalizm islamski sv:Muslimsk fundamentalism

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