Islamic Fundamentalism

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the understanding of the growing prevalence of Islamic fundamentalism is greatly hindered by the tendency of historians to fuse the reasons for its growth with its perceived 'threat', which is often defined more by the political calculations of governments than the objectives of fundamentalist movements. The author points out that this growth is the manifestation of regional politics, social and economic inequalities and reaction against political authoritarianism and that the manifestations of Islamic fundamentalist movements are differentiated by virtue of specific local political structures and the colonial experiences of the individual North African countries. The paper relates that the gulf between the government in Egypt and society is so great that it depends on Al-Azhar to create an impression of religious legitimacy; while the government attempts to respond to concerns about foreign influences in the media, it has given Al-Azhar primary role over censorship of electronic media so that the government can shift the blame if need be.

From the Paper:

"Given these simultaneous - and contradictory - impulses, of extension and fragmentation, one could argue that the movement's growth is defined from Western eyes by the implicit threat perceived in its spread. With some justification, the ideas of Hassan al-Banna or Sayyid Qutb, have such a wide currency across North Africa because of their ability to be transferred to different contexts. Hostility against Western notions of the secular state or nationalization is enunciated by 'Abd al-Slam Yasin, for example. In this way, therefore, is the spread of Islamic fundamentalist movements accentuated in Western perspectives by its ideological 'threat'. And yet, in fact, such a threat materializes generally only when these ideas are mobilized to suit the political needs or objectives of the ruler."

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