Analysis of the Rise of Contemporary Islamism in WorldSystemic and Globalization Processes - Coursework Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tutor :xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Title : Analysis of the rise and expansion of contemporary Islamism in world–systemic and globalization Processes and recognition of the gendered nature of Islamist politics and practices Institution : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date :xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx @ 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………..………...….....................3 1.1 Background of the study…………………………………………….……………3 1.2 Research questions…………………………………………..……...……………...4 Chapter 2: Literature Review……………………………………………..…...……………..4 2.0 Definition of Islamism…………………………………………....….……………..4 2.1 The Islamic movement…………………………………………….....……………..5 2.2 Ideology of the Islamic Movement………………………………..….…………….5 2.3 Mission of Islamic the movement…………………………………...……...............6 2.4 History and back ground of Islamism……………………………..….…………….8 . 2.5 Founders of Islamism……………………………………………..….……………..9 2.6 Size and scope of Islamism…………………………………………..……………10 2.7 Gender in Islamist politics and practices………………………….………………10 2.8 Conclusion………………………………………………………...........................12 Chapter 3: Methodology…………………………………………………….….....................13 3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….…....................13 3.2 Sampling technique and sample description……………………….……………..13 3.3 Data collection………………………………………………….……...................13 3.4 Data Analysis approach…………………………………………….….................14 Chapter 4: Conclusion …………………………………………………….……....................14 CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1.0 Back ground of the study In contemporary Islamic societies there has been the rise and expansion of extremism in ideologies that has threatened the peace of these regions and extended even to other non Islamic places. Islam is guided by the Quran meant to have come from Allah (God); 1. Many of the teachings given in the Quran would lead a Muslim to moderate faith. However some sects, groups and movements including regimes in Islamic countries have taken to their advantage some teaching from the Quran and blown them out of proportion. They emphasize on those parts that justify their violent acts and extremist ideology to perform acts of violence on fellow Muslims and non Muslims. Such groups like Al Qaeda have led fatal attacks on many places on the world including the US. Others seek to oppress the public and introduce harsh non democratic leadership in their home countries. 2Virtually all terrorist activities are either planned or executed by hardliners in the Muslim faith. This study aims to find out the facts surrounding the rise and expansion of contemporary Islamism and together with that the gender issue in the context of the Islamic faith. The objectives of this research are: To find out the ideologies which govern Islamist politics and practices. To unearth the existing relationship between Islamists and other Moslem movements. To discover the nature of gender relations and roles in Islamist societies. To find out the degree to which Islamism has grown. To find out the reason for the emergence and growth of Islamism. This study therefore is important since it has delved into the topic of Islamism and provided information on the rise, expansion and activities of Islamists. It also lays bear the reasoning behind the intolerable activities and aggression exhibited by Islamist and is therefore a basis for future research in the area. It can also be used by peace makers while going around the whole issue of terrorism. It is also important for those who are not Muslims to understand the back ground of Islamist practices and activities. It can help them to know how to co exist with Muslims peacefully. 1.1 Research questions What are the ideologies that guide the Islamism politics and practices? What is the relationship between Islamists and other Muslim movements? What is the nature of gender relations and roles in Islamist societies? What is the scope and size of Islamism? What and who contributed to the emergence and growth of Islamism? CHAPTER TWO Literature review 2.0 Definition of Islamism According to 3.Islamism can be defined to mean a collection of Islamic ideologies that are extreme in nature. They insist that religion and political life must be based on Islam. These ideologies have been made principally by the Sunni Muslim leaders. The proponents of Islamism claim that all statutory laws must be based on sharia or Islamic law. According to their belief, Muslims need to go back to the original models of the Islamic religion. They also claim that the cultural, political, economic or social influence of the Western world in Islam is illegal. There is a growing movement within the Islamic world. This movement is the mother of Islamism. The doctrines and ideologies of this movement and those of the Islamic religion are the same. Islamism however does take to the extreme some of the belief of the adherents of the movement.4 2.1 The Islamic movement Islamic movement is a term used to refer to collective and organized work done by people in order to bring back Islam to be the guide in the society and life in general. It is a movement that targets industrious work that is persistent in all forms. The movement goes beyond but is enhanced through lectures, speeches, words, articles and books which are just an integral part of the movement.5.Personal conviction and self motivation are the two things that drive the Islamic movement. Muslims do this work in order to attract a reward from Allah; Self motivation is born out of a feeling of unrest and turmoil in a Muslim who sees Islam being contradicted on one side and on the other the true condition of his nation. This makes him spring into action because of his love for Islam, devotion to his Islamic nation, Muhammad, Allah, the Quran and the feeling of himself and other people absconding their duty. A Muslim with this kind of awakening is energized by his responsibility to duty, deal with deficiencies, take part in reviving enjoined duties to enforce the sharia law, unite the Muslims through the Quran, support the friends of Allah and fight his enemies.6 He also gets the zeal of setting Muslim territories free from control by non Muslims, and exalting Allah’s word in deeds and words. 2.2 Ideology of the Islamic Movement Islamism and Islam all claim to seek to show how a new world can be reached, how people can live in abundance and with moral soundness and how they can be saved. It seeks to wipe off the very things that have been a problem to man for many years- insecurity, war, evil, poverty, ignorance and materialism. It advocates for submission to Allah, wisdom in people, humanity and moderation. The movement seeks to bring solutions to suffering and other human ills. It advocates for a good relationship with Allah, shunning corruption, selfishness and the seeking to please the flesh 7.The guidelines for the life of man on political, social, personal and moral behavior come from these foundations. 2.3 Mission of Islamic the movement The greatest role of this movement is reviving Islam and helping it to come back to a position where it can be in full control of people’s lives by removal of every hindrance in its way. This revival can either be brought about by an individual or even a group of people working with the purpose of reviving the religion. There are three ways in which Islam is being revived. The first one is the establishment of a vanguard made up of people with deep faith close ties and sound education. The vanguard by way of cooperation and integration should have the capability to lead the Islamic society without leniency or isolation 8. It should also provide Islam prescribed medicines only for health problems among the Muslim. The second way involves the creation of a public opinion for Muslims that represents the wider popular base that supports the proponents of Islam. It should give them loving support when their capability, faithfulness and goals have been ascertained 9.The opinion should have distanced itself with anti Islam and anti Islam movement and protagonist campaigns. Finally the movement seeks to revive the religion through the creation of a global public atmosphere that recognizes the Muslim nation. This public opinion needs to be free from the effects of fanaticism and propaganda pedaled by campaigns that are against Islam. It should accommodate the emerging Muslim powers alongside other world powers. This is done with the recognition of the fact that Muslims deserve to rule themselves since they have that right. The activities of the Muslim movement in the revival of Islam are carried out through education, politics, social initiatives, the economy, science, media and the jihad (work of struggle).10 In reference to Lindsay 11.Through education the members of the movement are expected to take the Islamic call to their home countries before they take it to the other parts of the globe. This can only be achieved if they take the religion to occupy their minds, hearts, life and behavior while dealing with others and Allah. They need to take it as a culture that can unite a nation and give direction to lost humanity. In the political revival it is supposed to take power from weak individuals and commit it to upright, powerful and honest people who prioritize alms giving and prayer and stand for what is right. The movement is to operate socially by alleviating poverty, disease, vices and ignorance. The nation is also to be strongly linked and united to the creed by eliminating institutions that work to the contrary. Economically it seeks to free Muslims from being made subordinates and by creating Muslim economic institutions. 12The jihad is meant to set free any land belonging to Muslims, fight anti-Muslim nation and Islam call forces and safeguard the freedom of the will and decision of Muslims. The media should spread Islamic ideas and elaborate on the teachings of Islam with clarity to counter the anti Islam ideas and misconceptions brought forth by non Muslims. All forms of media such as publications, visual aids and audio should be utilized in doing this work. Intellectual work and science aims at correcting the wrong perceptions of Islam held by non Muslims and Muslims alike in order to establish a proper and right understanding of the faith; 2.4 History and back ground of Islamism Sayed Abul Ala Maududi is credited as the ideological founder of Islamism. He lived in Pakistan receiving influence from Deobandi ideology. His efforts were geared towards the establishment of a state governed by Islamic law as he attempted to marry modern science and Islam. Islamism is characterized by fundamentalism that seeks to rule the society on the basis of the Quran and early Islamic principles. The Jamaat-e-Islami movement was founded in 1941 by Mawdudi who became its leader until 1972. He produced “Towards understanding Islam” a re interpretation of the Quran and Jihad in Islam as his greatest works. Frustrations and disappointments have come upon the Arab Muslim world on several occasions 13. After the First World War, the West prevented the fruition of the plans of Arab nationalism that had started forming during the times of the Ottoman Empire. In this way the Muslim fraternity was humiliated. The realization of the nation of Israel became the source of anti western hatred. Islamic extreme ideologies were birthed and promoted by the victory of Israel in the six day war. A big section of the Muslim world cannot be compared to the west in terms of economic development. Many Muslim countries are highly populated, have high unemployment rates, high rates of infant mortality, lack of industrialization and relatively low living standards. Muslims believe that stifled economic growth even among the oil rich Arabic countries is a result of the greediness of the west. Such frustrations have become the reasons for a philosophy that is extremely reactionary and destructive; Esposito (2002). In regards to .14The doctrine of Islam is a program that should be executed and not just an empty philosophy. Violent jihad was proclaimed by Sayyid Qutb and Hassan al Banna and used as a tool on civilians. Islamists have been blamed for plotting assassinations on Arab leaders in several countries, executing suicide attacks on US military forces deployed to Lebanon during the 1980s, and undertaking the September 11 attacks on the US. In 1979 an Islamic republic was formed in Iran by Shi’a Muslims. Among the Islamists strategies are cleverly made in order to advance their missions. They use cultural symbols like the Quran to force their way through by interpreting it in their own way.15The Muslim brotherhood has been in existence in Egypt from 1928. It gave rise to Hamas in Palestine during the fight against the formation of the state of Israel in which volunteers from the brotherhood group went to fight. The group is responsible for a number of assassinations and attempted assassinations of leaders in Egypt and other places in the Muslim world; The Islamic jihad in Palestine and the Hezbollah of Lebanon are backed by the Islamist regime of Iran. The rise and expansion of Islamism has been taking place in different parts of the world especially in the Arab world. The fall or suppression of one force could be a reason for the emergence of another 16.This was the case with the rise of the Al Qaeda network which is led by Osama bin Laden. He is the Islamic movement’s leader who took advantage of the partial suppression of Sadam Hussein in the 1991 invasion of the US against Iraq. Al Qaeda is responsible for the suicidal attacks on the US where the World Trade Center and Pentagon were targeted. Their broad vision is to take control of the oil rich Saudi Arabia to their advantage. 2.5 Founders of Islamism According to 17.The expansion of Islamism could not have been so successful without the dedicated efforts of the extremist Muslims who founded the movement. Some of the names associated with the ideology and founding of Islamism include Jamal al-Din ala-Afghani who lived between 1839 and 1897, Muhammad Rashid Rida, Muhammad Abduh, whose ideas were not very fanatical. More extremist leadership came with Hassan al-Banna the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt , Jamaat e Islami founder Sayed Abul Ala Maududi and Sayyid Qutb leader of Islamic brotherhood after Hassan al Banna. Ayman Zawahari founded the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in 1980 and from there performed the role of mentoring Osama bin Laden of Al Qaeda .18Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini also led the Islamist shia group into power in Iran in 1979. These are the people whose efforts have made Islamism become what it is today carrying away many Muslim adherents. 2.6 Size and scope of Islamism According to experts in Islamic studies, jihadists or Islamists of a radical behavior constitute about 15% although the basis of this information is uncertain. An example is given of Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood has 20% of voters supporting its activities despite it being banned by the government. Hezbollah enjoys massive support in Lebanon while other countries present a difficulty in determining the size of support awarded to the movement. Muslims without extremist views may support the movement simply because they have no other choice or because they like their activities seem to agree with their thinking;19 2.7 Gender in Islamist politics and practices In Islam the Islamic law gives the difference between the obligations, rights and roles of men and women. The feminist revolution claims God as having both female and male gender. According to the Islamic religion Allah is the creator of both men and women. It defines God as being male and female and his gender is neither female nor male. The Islamic religion has no unjust discrimination of the male and female gender.20The Quran has it that the roles of men and women are different just as day and night are. The Quran however states that a man should assume authority over the woman and the woman should be in submission to her guardian or husband. Islam therefore tries to give an elaborate explanation on the gender roles in society; Islam has been seen to be chauvinistic and favoring men at the expense of women. However sectarian Islamism may be supporting the oppression of women. True Islam considers women and men as equals before God, (Quran 3:195). In the current Islamic cultures however women comfortably take up second class citizenship. This is the case or even worse when it comes to radical Islamic movements. Women are treated harshly and any of them found in a mistake is met with brutal judgment including stoning in the case of adultery21. Bad treatment given to women in many Islamic countries tends to a rise from some created stories in hadith books which equate women to dogs, asses, monkeys and other animals. These stories are not found in the Quran but have been written by Islamic scholars. A good example of a statement written to belittle women in the Hadiths was recorded by Bukhary as: “Women are naturally, morally and religiously defective” Extremists use such quotations from the Hadiths to violet the rights of women and to oppress them instead of following the Quran that gives a woman the same status as a man. Some men in the Muslim religion consider women as mothers and home makers who should give care to the family contrary to the views of early scholars of Islam who commanded that women were not expected to do these duties. It is better if they are taken to school 22. Contrarily extremist powers for example the Taliban rule in Afghanistan did deny education to so many women. Based of the Quranic teaching a woman is not a commodity to be used and disposed off by a man. Before the coming of Islam men would used women and leave them behind as an inheritance alongside their property to their heirs. Current Islamic societies give the woman private homely responsibilities while men operate in the public sphere. A man maintains the woman by providing financial assistance while the woman does motherhood. In general men have been awarded the authority of leadership over their wives by the Quran to avoid squabbles in the family. Given that the role of a woman is more passive than that of her husband, she is less likely to be involved with Islamist ideologies as compared to men. Women may support these ideologists but their role does not allow them to fight, demonstrate or engage in violent and brutal activities in the name of defending their religion; 23. It is obvious from many occurrences involving men in the Muslim society that women may not be allowed to take part in some radical activities. A general look at the contemporary Islamism would therefore suggest that there is a big gender imbalance in Islamism. 2.8 Conclusion Islamism refers to extreme ideologies enshrined in the wider Islamic laws and practices. Islamists are those Muslims who hold on to extreme beliefs that sometimes are not embraced by the rest of Muslims. They are passionate on executing these laws that in many ways are considered violent and undemocratic especially when allowed into politics. Many Islamist groupings and societies are driven by the call for Holy war or jihad which they seek to pursue on the enemies of Islam. This has been the cause of all the suicidal attacks in the US and other parts of the world. As a result the peaceful coexistence of people in the world has been compromised; 24. Muslim women however are not known to actively engage in the holy war fights that men take part in. they assume a passive role in the Muslim society which does not allow them to engage in violent and brutal acts. Instead they are in some cases the objects of these attacks. This study sought to find out the reasons for the rise and expansion of contemporary Islamism plus the gendered nature of Islamist politics and practices. The factors contributing to and surrounding Islamism expansions have been discussed in this report;25.Theses factors are assumed to be the ones that gave rise to Islamism and have continued to nurture it to this day. CHAPTER THREE Research Methodology 4.1 Introduction This chapter has the methods and procedures employed in the study in order to arrive at the objectives laid down for the study. The process involved in the design of the study, data collection and analysis is demonstrated here. This chapter looks at the sampling technique and data collection procedures which were used in the gathering of data for this study. 4.2 Sampling technique and sample description This has to do with the selection of cases for study. Sampling which deals with a section of the whole population to represent the rest of it was used. The results of the sample are extrapolated on the remaining part of the population. The sample was selected from among people of the Islamic faith. These were people who go to the mosque to pray. A total of 10 mosques were involved in the study. These mosques were selected at random in a sample area covering 5000 square kilometers. All the data obtained in the study was used except a few questionnaires were not filled properly. However their number was small and so the results obtained were not affected. 4.2 Data collection Both primary data and secondary data were used in the study. Secondary data was obtained for the internet, books and other publications. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires and interviews. A total of 100 questionnaires were issued out. Primary data collected is both quantitative and qualitative. The questionnaires were then collected then the data analyzed plus other data on note books and radio tapes obtained through interviews. 4.3 Data Analysis Approach Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were employed in the analysis of data for this study. Data was analyzed by use of measures of central tendency such as the mode, mean and median. Descriptive statistical methods such as use of graphs and tables have also been used. Data presentation will be done by the help of tables, bar and linear graphs and pie charts as well. CHAPTER FOUR Conclusion According to the results obtained from the study it can be concluded that the rise, growth and expansion of the Islamism movement is something that has taken a considerably short time compared to the age of the Muslim faith. The ideologies on which the Islamists base their reasoning cannot be said to be fully existent in the Quran or legal Islamic practices. These are extreme ideologies some of which are found in the hadiths and not in the Quran;26. However the few that have their basis in the Quran have been blown out of proportion in order to serve the interests of individual groups. Islamist and other Muslims share the same faith but the Islamists have a passion and zeal of executing the sharia law at all costs and the creation of Islamic states. This is what gives them their radical nature. In the Muslim world a woman is taken to be a second class citizen. She is denied so many of her rights although the Quran does not support such kind of treatment given to women. It recognizes them as being equal with men in the eyes of Allah (God). Muslim women are not known to associate themselves with hard line Islamist ideologies like their male counterparts. They are less likely to engage in engage in terrorist activities or demonstrations aimed at promoting these extreme ideologies; 27. Islamism is not as widely spread as one may think because not every Muslim is an Islamist. There are a few notable groups around the world and especially in the Arab world that represent Islamic ideologies. Such groups exist in Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran. More so in some of these countries moderate Islamic regimes do not support them. Some of them like the Muslim brotherhood of Egypt operate illegally while others receive minimal support. However Iran is a special case because the regime in power today is Islamist in nature. A number of renowned Muslim leaders are credited for sponsoring the Islamist movement to make it what it is today. Some of them include Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, Osama bin Laden of Al Qaeda and Jamaat e Islami and Hassan al Banna of Egypt;28This study is important since its findings will be critical to future researches and for peace building initiatives among the Muslims. It is an important source of information for people who want to study the Muslim faith and Islamism as movement within Islam. References Farr, Thomas F. "Islam"s Way to Freedom", First Things, November 2008. Fuller, Graham E. The Future of Political Islam, London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2003. Gerges, Fawaz A. The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global, Bronxville, N.Y.: Sarah Lawrence College, 2005.  Guity Nashat, Lois Beck (2003).Women in Iran from the Rise of Islam to 1800.University of Illinois Press. John L. Esposito(2002).What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, Oxford University Press Lindsay, James E. (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Publishing Group. Kepel, Gilles. Jihad: on the Trail of Political Islam, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2002. Khaled, Abu al-Fadl. Great Theft : wrestling Islam from the extremists, New York, NY : HarperSanFrancisco, c2005. Leiken, Robert S., and Steven Brooke. The Moderate Muslim Brotherhood, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007. Moghadam,Valentine M. Globalization and social movements: Islamism, Feminism, and the Global justice movement. Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, 2009. Roy, Olivier,The Politics of Chaos in the Middle East, Columbia University Press, 2008. International Monetary Fund. 2006. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. 01:6-194. International Monetary Fund. P 113 Virani, Shafique N. (2007).The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press,), Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Jane I. Smith (2007); Muslim Minorities in the West: Visible and Invisible; Wilkinson, Paul. Social Movement. London: Pall Mall Press Limited, 1971. Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. New York: Knopf, 2006. Read More

0 Definition of Islamism According to 3.Islamism can be defined to mean a collection of Islamic ideologies that are extreme in nature. They insist that religion and political life must be based on Islam. These ideologies have been made principally by the Sunni Muslim leaders. The proponents of Islamism claim that all statutory laws must be based on sharia or Islamic law. According to their belief, Muslims need to go back to the original models of the Islamic religion. They also claim that the cultural, political, economic or social influence of the Western world in Islam is illegal.

There is a growing movement within the Islamic world. This movement is the mother of Islamism. The doctrines and ideologies of this movement and those of the Islamic religion are the same. Islamism however does take to the extreme some of the belief of the adherents of the movement.4 2.1 The Islamic movement Islamic movement is a term used to refer to collective and organized work done by people in order to bring back Islam to be the guide in the society and life in general. It is a movement that targets industrious work that is persistent in all forms.

The movement goes beyond but is enhanced through lectures, speeches, words, articles and books which are just an integral part of the movement.5.Personal conviction and self motivation are the two things that drive the Islamic movement. Muslims do this work in order to attract a reward from Allah; Self motivation is born out of a feeling of unrest and turmoil in a Muslim who sees Islam being contradicted on one side and on the other the true condition of his nation. This makes him spring into action because of his love for Islam, devotion to his Islamic nation, Muhammad, Allah, the Quran and the feeling of himself and other people absconding their duty.

A Muslim with this kind of awakening is energized by his responsibility to duty, deal with deficiencies, take part in reviving enjoined duties to enforce the sharia law, unite the Muslims through the Quran, support the friends of Allah and fight his enemies.6 He also gets the zeal of setting Muslim territories free from control by non Muslims, and exalting Allah’s word in deeds and words. 2.2 Ideology of the Islamic Movement Islamism and Islam all claim to seek to show how a new world can be reached, how people can live in abundance and with moral soundness and how they can be saved.

It seeks to wipe off the very things that have been a problem to man for many years- insecurity, war, evil, poverty, ignorance and materialism. It advocates for submission to Allah, wisdom in people, humanity and moderation. The movement seeks to bring solutions to suffering and other human ills. It advocates for a good relationship with Allah, shunning corruption, selfishness and the seeking to please the flesh 7.The guidelines for the life of man on political, social, personal and moral behavior come from these foundations. 2.3 Mission of Islamic the movement The greatest role of this movement is reviving Islam and helping it to come back to a position where it can be in full control of people’s lives by removal of every hindrance in its way.

This revival can either be brought about by an individual or even a group of people working with the purpose of reviving the religion. There are three ways in which Islam is being revived. The first one is the establishment of a vanguard made up of people with deep faith close ties and sound education. The vanguard by way of cooperation and integration should have the capability to lead the Islamic society without leniency or isolation 8. It should also provide Islam prescribed medicines only for health problems among the Muslim.

The second way involves the creation of a public opinion for Muslims that represents the wider popular base that supports the proponents of Islam. It should give them loving support when their capability, faithfulness and goals have been ascertained 9.The opinion should have distanced itself with anti Islam and anti Islam movement and protagonist campaigns.

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