Revolutionaries and Self Martyrs - Essay Example

Revolutionaries and Self Martyrs Islamic fundamentalism is an expression used to explain religious philosophy, beliefs and principles as seen as supporting a return to the fundamentals of Islam. In other words, Islamic fundamentalism can be termed as revival of Islamic ideologies and beliefs. Islamic fundamentalism is related to miscellaneous political and social movements in Muslim countries of North Africa, Middle East and South Asia aiming at establishing Islamic state and the society to be based on the principles and values of Islam. The subject of Islamic fundamentalism has concerned the West after the Iranian Revolution of 1978 in which Iran’s ruler Muhammad Reza Shah was overthrown and the foundations of Islamic Republic was laid. The major concern started after the September 11 attacks on United States of America by Al-Qaeda. The nature of Islamic movements differs vastly throughout the world. Some Islamic movements are related to terrorism while other does not. Some adopt political and economic programs from socialism, while others are more conventional. Islamic fundamentalism movements also insist that the code of conduct is based on the accurate interpretation of the sacred scripture. They also insist that religion includes all aspects of life and hence religion and politics are not separated. Islamic fundamentalist also believe to fight in the cause of good against their evil enemies. Islamic fundamentalist movements have many similarities with revolutionary movements. They also have similar goals and objectives; however they have some differences also. While revolutionary groups were motivated by political or ideological reasons, fundamentalist groups see the world in terms of religion as being the forces of good against evil and exploitive forces. Revolutionary movements in the 1960s also included Palestinian groups like the Al Fatah and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Inspired by communism and supported by the USSR, they advocated a strategy of guerilla warfare and terrorism to liberate Palestine. The concept of people’s war was developed as Palestinian leaders understood that Muslim states were incapable of mounting any serious military opposition to Israel. Urban terrorist warfare was the goal of these movements as they learned about it from revolutionary movements in Palestine, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, China, Cuba and Algeria. The Palestinian network in the 1970s was the main financier and supporter of European, African and Latin American revolutionary movements. The late 1970s was a turning point as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Many Arab and Western governments began to recruit young people to wage a holy war against the Soviets. Another phenomenon was the rise of the Islamic revolution in Iran which began to view not only the US and Israel as enemies of Islam but also the Arab regimes. The 1980s saw the rise of Afghan groups who were bolstered by an influx of volunteers from the Muslim world and weapons from the West. Iran began to export its own revolution especially in Lebanon where it trained and armed Hezbollah. This group was responsible for the first suicide bombings and kidnappings against Western targets. Both Islamic fundamentalist and secular revolutionary movements have shared many similar goals. Palestinian secular and fundamentalist groups both called for the destruction of Israel. They advocated the use of terrorism and guerilla warfare against Israel and Western states. Keney says that the “violence in Egypt was because of the fractured political system”1. He further states that the Muslim Brotherhood considered itself to be a “blessed movement”2. There are many important differences between religious and secular terrorist groups. Secular revolutionary groups like the FLN, Mau Mau, IRA, ETA, Sandinistas and the Baader Meinhof gang attempted to define their opponents on the basis of social and economic concepts. They sought to defend themselves against capitalism or Western imperialism. Anti colonial movements were characterized by only ending occupation and not concerned with destroying the defeated side. Fanton says that “colonized people valued land” as the most precious thing which they possess3. Most left wing radicals were oriented towards local interests. Most attempts by leftist revolutionaries to export the revolution were failures. Most revolutionary movements who had defeated colonial regimes quickly found it in their interest to restore economic and diplomatic relations with their former enemies. Moreover the cooperation between secular revolutionary groups was due to tactical concerns rather than any ideological motivation. During the 1970s, Palestinian revolutionary groups held meetings with European movements in order to allow the PLO to have access to European bases for conducting operations. Secular revolutionary groups also differed in their tactics as compared with fundamentalist groups. Some groups would target and murder government and military officials. The ETA and IRA for instance launched numerous attacks against government and security officials. These groups also gave warnings before terrorist attacks which were seen as an attempt to make a political statement rather than cause a bloodbath. Other revolutionary groups targeted symbols of capitalism or imperialism. Hostage taking was also a favored tactic of these groups as these were seen as publicity stunts which would bring the group’s political agenda in the media. Islamic terrorist groups became strong according to Roy after the Afghan war which was promoted with the idea “to turn Anti Western fundamentalism against the communist camp”4. Religious groups are different from secular groups by their definition of the enemy. While secular terrorists see their opponents as representatives of a certain regime or ideology, religious terrorists see a broader definition of their opponents. For instance the term “ignorance” which was used to denote the pre Islamic Arabian culture, has been used by Islamist writers to refer to the modern world. Jews and Christians are considered as having deviated from their original religions that have now tended to dominate and control Muslims. Religious inspired terrorism created a myth of invincibility in the aftermath of the war against the USSR. Leading Islamic clerics have called for the annihilation of Israel and war against the West. While Syed Qutb provided the ideological manual for the Sunni Islamic groups, Khomeini provided the exegesis to legitimize Shia fundamentalism. The West was seen as an opponent by Khomeini and the concept of martyrdom was coined to symbolize the struggle against the decadent West. Khomeini believed that martyrdom was the only way to crush the selfish desires of human beings. Suicide bombings have been the main tactic of Islamic terrorist groups. Loyd says that Khomeini introduced the concept of “velayet-faqih” in which the clergy would play an important role in politics of Iran5. Suicide bombers do not need to escape because their planning focuses on delivering the perpetrator to the target area. Further they seek to cause mass casualties rather than launch any prior warnings before any attack. The Afghan war was planned by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan with the United States providing arms and money to the rebels. Roy says that the “Saudis wanted to promote their own brand of fundamentalism to counter the prestige of the Iranian Revolution”6. The September 11 terrorist attacks brought a new breed of Islamic suicide bombers. They were not the typical Palestinian suicide bombers who were desperate and lived in poverty. The 9/11 suicide bombers were from rich families, well educated and engaged in acts like drinking and listening to music which are contrary to the teachings of fundamentalist Muslims. These suicide bombers had plenty of motivations for perpetrating 9/11. Notions and theories of masculinity were important in motivating these terrorists. Yom says that “suicide attacks combine elements of both material and psychological warfare”7. The Arab world has seen many people disillusioned with their governments. They perceive the regimes to be compliant with American policies. According to their logic these regimes have failed to stop the persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people. These regimes invest millions in maintaining combat aircraft, tanks, warships and artillery. Yet these weapons are for controlling their civilian population. The 9/11 suicide attack gave terrorist groups a sense of power. They were able to inflict heavy losses on their greatest enemy: the United States and smash the myth of American invulnerability. Indeed Osama Bin Laden has reputed to say that American inventions would be used against America. The suicide bombings were a reaction to what they perceive as American actions in the Middle East and oppression of Muslims. Oil wealth in Saudi Arabia and the neighboring Arab states have not been able to solve the social and political problems which the Arab masses face. This is a major motivation for suicide bombers. Yom says that “the bomber creates devastation and the message conveys desperation”8. The United States has faced suicidal opponents before. They faced the Japanese Kamikazes during World War 2. But the Japanese were not terrorists who wanted to slaughter civilians. Instead they were disciplined soldiers who tried to stave of defeat. They were fighting for the supremacy of the Japanese empire. The US has also fought Muslim Moros in Philippines. The Moros were fanatics and ready to die for their cause but they weren’t like today’s terrorists. Today’s terrorists are driven by a desire to attain salvation through slaughter. They seek self annihilation and carnage at the same time to achieve their goals. Some people believe that removing poverty could reduce the incident of suicide bombings. This has not been supported by evidence because suicide terrorists usually have strong motivations to perpetrate such atrocities. A “martyr” is considered to have full of hope since he is sacrificing his life for a political or religious goal. Studies have also shown that that the percentage of educated Palestinians enrolling as suicide bombers is higher than uneducated Palestinians. However economic and social disadvantages could play some role in encouraging terrorism. Economic factors like unemployment and lack of opportunities could be some form of motivation for potential suicide bombers. Poverty and unemployment are therefore no reliable indicators that they can breed suicide terrorists. Study of Palestinian suicide bombers reveals that recruiters and trainers use the label of cowardice to incite their people to become human bombs. Robert Pape says that “community support for suicide bombers” was instrumental in providing recruits for Hezbollah during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon9. Suicide bombing is a new phenomenon and has been used as a tactic by many terrorist groups. Religious fundamentalists and secular terrorists have both used this type of weapon against their enemies. There are many reasons which motivate suicide bombers. Usually it is believed that suicide bombers are helpless, suffering from mental disease and poor people. However studies conducted into many captured suicide bombers have found that they are much better educated and wealthy than the poor people. Religious leaders and recruiters have played an important role in the creation of suicide bombers. Typically young people are brainwashed. They are given a strict and narrow interpretation of Islam which further motivates them. They perceive the West to be their enemies. Suicide bombings are the weapon of choice for weak people. They give a sense of power and smash the myth of invincibility of an enemy. Sean and Basel state that “many suicide attackers included a large number of Palestinians who had prior history violent encounters with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)”10. The proliferation of religious seminaries has led to the increase in number of suicide bombers. These religious schools preach a narrow interpretation of Islam. They incite the young people to believe that the West is responsible for their misery. This motivates the young people to perpetrating acts of violence. Terrorists’ motives need to be understood not only due to their religious or political beliefs but also because of their experiences as young men. Traditional manhood plays an important role in breeding terrorists. Men believe that they are responsible for bearing the weight of the world. They believe that their individual acts of violence will ease that pressure. It is not only religious fundamentalism that uses male socialization to fuel its ideology but every nation has used it to incite their men to go to war. Calling young men cowards motivates them to die for their nation’s cause. Sean and Basel also state that “revenge may be a significant factor in motivating Palestinians youth to volunteer for suicide missions”11. Militant Muslims have found ample justifications in Islam to use terrorism and violence to achieve their political goals. The history of the Islamic world has religion mixed with politics. Intellectual movements that aimed at divorcing religion from politics achieved very limited success. This is because the majority of Muslims have notions of an ideal Islamic society. Militant Muslims therefore justify the use of terrorism and suicide bombings to create an ideal Islamic society that existed in the time of the Prophet and the four caliphs. Militant Islamic groups have sprung from Egypt to Algeria where they have become a threat to existing regimes. Radical Islamic groups have emerged as leading insurgencies in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Kashmir, Philippines and other parts of the world. Iran and Saudi Arabia are two fundamentalist regimes that have been exporting their own versions of fundamentalist Islam. Pakistan is at the threshold of fundamentalist barbarism. Islamic groups have their origins in the colonization of the Muslim world in the 18th and 19th Century by Europe. The long and protracted decline of the Muslim world led to a stagnation in science and technology, military tactics, politics and economics. Radical Islamic groups rose as a reaction to what they perceived was the intrusion by Western powers. Islamic terrorist groups refer to their actions as Jihad. They have used tactics like hijackings, suicide bombings, beheadings, assassinations, kidnappings and roadside bombings. Both Muslims and Non Muslims have been targets and victims. Declaring a Muslims to an unbeliever is called takfir. This caries a death sentence since any Muslim who becomes an unbeliever is an apostate and should be executed according to Islamic law. Pape says “there have been highly visible signs of pervasive public support” for Hezbollah operations in Lebanon12. The subject of Islamic fundamentalism has concerned the West after the Iranian Revolution of 1978 in which Iran’s ruler Muhammad Reza Shah was overthrown and the foundations of Islamic Republic was laid. The major concern started after the September 11 attacks on United States of America by Al-Qaeda. The nature of Islamic movements differs vastly throughout the world. Some Islamic movements are related to terrorism while other does not. Some adopt political and economic programs from socialism, while others are more conventional. Islamic fundamentalism movements also insist that the code of conduct is based on the accurate interpretation of the sacred scripture. They also insist that religion includes all aspects of life and hence religion and politics are not separated. Islamic fundamentalist also believe to fight in the cause of good against their evil enemies. Keney says that Jamal Din Afghani, a nineteenth century Islamic reformer called for “political unity of Muslims” which would help prevent “falter of the Muslim Ummah”13. Islamic fundamentalists advocate the death penalty for apostates or those who leave Islam which is seen as a violation of religious freedom. Islamic fundamentalist movements are characterized by a militant to moderate rejection of Western institutions and ideologies. They have criticized the ruling elite for mimicking the West which has weakened family, religious and social values in Muslim countries. Islamic fundamentalism is not hostile to modernization but it condemns the cultural values of the West. It also takes a strong stand against secularism since they believe that Islam does not have a separation of church and state. These movements do not reject science and technology but believe that change should come with the establishment of an Islamic political order. Keney says that the nineteenth century Muslim reformer, Jamal Din Afghani thought that “Islamic civilization was strong and eternal”14. While the majority of Islamic fundamentalists try to work with the system and bring change from inside society, a small minority of radical elements believe that they can achieve change only by resorting to force and holy war. Radical Islamic groups like Al Qaeda advocate the overthrow of pro Western governments which are seen as apostate and corrupt agents of the West. They justify acts of terrorism and suicide bombings against the United States and Western countries. They believe that the United States supports the state of Israel against the Palestinians. They also have problems with the deployment of American forces in the Middle East and support for dictatorships which are labeled as moderate. For radical Islamic fundamentalists, the current global conflict is an ongoing war since the Crusades and European colonialism. Radical Islamic fundamentalists believe that Islam provides the politics and theology which must be implemented by all true Muslims. Anyone who resists the imposing of such an order becomes an unbeliever or enemy of God. Islamic fundamentalists today speak of a global conflict between Islam and the West. This is also not correct because many of the foreign policies of the United States are based on their national interests. However their criticism of US support for Israel and corrupt Arab governments is even echoed by many Western analysts. Further the United States and Western countries enjoy good relations with many Muslim countries. The West has assisted many Islamic countries in developing their economies and reducing poverty. Works Cited: Yom, Sean. "Palestinian Suicide Bombers: A Statistical Analysis." Economists for Peace and Security. 2004. Economists for Peace and Security. 26 May 2008 . Kenney, Jeffrey T. . Muslim Rebels. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Roy, Olivier . Globalised Islam: The Search for a New Ummah . US: C. Hurst & Co, 2004. Pape, Robert . Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism . US: Random House Trade, 2006. Ridgeon, Lloyd . Religion and Politics in Modern Iran: A Reader . US: I.B.Tauris, 2005 Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth. France: Grove Press, 2005. Read More