Political Islam
The term “Political Islam” refers to an ideology and social movement that gained increasing political relevance since the late 1960’s. Advocators of political Islam seek to reshape society and the nature of the state in ways that are more in line with interpretations of Islamic principles. Islamists believe that Islam and government should be wedded together. Reform for political Islamists is one that is based on their own interpretations of Islamic theology. This has created a certain level of confusion among political scholars, as they faced difficulty differentiating between the ideologies of a Political Islamist and the beliefs of an average devout Muslim, which is resultant of the varying interpretations of Islamic scripture. Realizing this prompts the need to pose the question of whether or not the single concept “Political Islam” is sufficient to decipher origins, strategies, and objectives of organizations that gained immense popularity in the post-colonial era. Are their politics inherently derived from Islamic law as the term “Political Islam” insinuates? Or are there any outside factors influencing their governing ideologies?
Like many other political movements, the rise of Political Islam is attributed to the establishment of organizations that succeeded in influencing groups of people to join their movement. Therefore, political Islam is not representative of the Muslim Majority, its rise is only an indication of the success of its network. Understanding the difference between Islamists and the Muslim majority is key to determining whether or not the term “Political Islam” is adequate to describe the ideologies of so called “Islamic” movements.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a concrete example of an organization that is subsumed under the label “political Islam”. ISIS had the goal of eliminating the frontiers of Sykes-Picot through the use of terror. The organization rigorously advocated the use of horrid violence against each and every individual that oppose their extremist ideologies, even if that person was a Muslim himself. ISIS was also able to build a global network, recruiting fighters from all over the world, and specifically from Western countries. From the standpoint of ideology, ISIS believed that the current global modern state system has encouraged a disobedience to god’s commandants. Therefore, anyone who confirms to the current system must be considered an apostate. ISIS justifies their primitive views by referring to certain Quranic verses that are, in most situations, taken out of context. Knowing that, we can argue that labeling ISIS, alongside other Islamic terror organizations such as Al-Qaeda, under the banner of “Political Islam” is not a fair nor adequate assessment of the true nature of their beliefs.
Political thinkers often support the aforementioned argument by explaining that terror movements such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda are not so much the radicalization of Islam as it is the “Islamicisation” of radicalism. Daesh’s apocalyptic agenda is one that is inherently radical, as oppose to being inherently Islamic. A study has shown that most of the Jihadis who choose to join radical terrorist groups such as ISIS lack any serious religious training. It is paramount to realize the distinction between Islam and terrorism, as one does not facilitate nor promote the other. ISIS’s distorted ideology is also influenced by certain Medieval concepts. For example, ISIS views Paris as a symbol of the apostate civilization, the capital of prostitution and vice. Therefore, Paris must be destroyed to achieve their final goal of a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. Paris is also viewed as part of the so-called “Crusader campaign” launched by Western countries, a view that was held by the Islamic community in 1095 when Crusades where actually taking place. ISIS’s view of Islamic revivalism is not inspired by Islam itself, but from the belief that Islam can only be revived if the current modern state-system is destroyed.
Conclusively, labeling radical organizations such as ISIS and its numerous contemporaries under the banner of “Political Islam”, is not only inaccurate, but it is also inconclusive to the many other patterns of thought that influences the organization’s ideals. The distinction between the atrocious acts of terror committed by ISIS and Islam as a religion is an enough reason to conclude that “Political Islam” as a term is not sufficient in justify the ideologies of these terror groups. However, other groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Islamic revolution of Iran, who also are subsumed under the banner of “Political Islam”, are a better example of what the term truly means and exemplifies. Such groups might be viewed as being highly conservative, however, when analyzing their ideologies, it is evident that their core beliefs are inherently Islamic.
