Struggle Within The World of Believers
Competing Ideas of Islam Today Ø The Liberal group: those who have been westernized, either in their way of thinking and living or in their way of dressing, though most of them still perform the basic duties of Islam, such as praying five times and fasting. Ø The Moderate group: those who maintain that in terms of social life Islamic teaching needs to be reformed, and to do so certain passages of the Qur’an need to be reinterpreted according to the context of the day. Ø This group are secularists who believe in the segregation between the Religion and Politics or state. Ø To them Islamic Law or the Islamic State is an ideal thing, but not a priority, yet they still uphold the Islamic social values.
Competing Ideas of Islam Today Ø The Islamic Renewal group: those whose aspiration is to implement Islam as their way of life in its totality. This group of Muslims strive to establish an Islamic state, without separation between religious and political leadership, and with Islamic Law enforced fully.
The Fundamentalist Credo • Islam must have power in this world. It is the true religion—the religion of God—and its truth is manifest in its power. • When Muslims believed, they were powerful. Their power has been lost in modern times because Islam has been abandoned by many Muslims, who have reverted to the condition that preceded God’s revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. But if Muslims now return to the original Islam, they can preserve and even restore their power. • To be effective, the return to Islam must be comprehensive; Islam provides the one and only solution to all questions in this world, from public policy to private conduct.
The Fundamentalist Credo • Islam is not merely a religion, in the Western sense of a system of belief in God. It possesses an immutable law, revealed by God, that deals with every aspect of life, and it is an ideology, a complete system of belief about the organization of the state and the world. • This law and ideology can only be implemented through the establishment of a truly Islamic state, under the sovereignty of God. • The empowerment of Islam, which is God’s plan for mankind, is a sacred end. It may be pursued by any means that can be rationalized in terms of Islam’s own code.
The Society of Islamic Brothers ﺟﻤﻌﻴﺔ ﺍﻷﺨﻮﺍﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﻮﻥ • The Muslim Brotherhood opposes secular tendencies of Islamic nations and wants return to the precepts of the Qur’an, and rejection of Western influences. • The organization's motto is: – “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”
The Muslim Brotherhood • The Brotherhood is one of the most influential movements in the Islamic World. It exists in more than 80 countries. • The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928, and Egypt is still considered the center of the movement; it is generally weaker in the Maghreb, or North Africa, than in the Arab Levant. • The Brotherhood has posted electoral victories in Turkey, Jordan, and Algeria and forms the main opposition to the governments in several countries in the Muslim world, such as Egypt and Syria. They are politically active to some extent in nearly every Muslim country. • There also diaspora branches in several Western Nations, composed by immigrants previously active in the Brotherhood in their home
Why The Popularity of Fundamentalism? § Internal conditions in the Arab/Muslim world: - Corrupt, authoritarian, unrepresentative regimes - Repression, economic failure and disenfranchisement - Promotion of impure forms of Islamic belief and practice - Continuing lack of opportunities and hope § Threats from outside of the Islamic “nation”: - “New Crusade” by Jews and Western neocolonialists - Political and economic domination, maintain dependence at region’s expense - Invasion of alien ideas: secularism, nationalism, democracy and “human rights” - Continued Western support to Israel and to unpopular Middle Eastern governments
Radical Islamist Beliefs § Sense of crisis from Muslim states’ backwardness/weakness, challenges from modernization § History of blaming problems on others, victimization § World is a perpetual battlefield between faith and unbelief; no coexistence or compromise § Islam is a revolutionary “liberation” movement: required to alter the unjust political, economic and social status quo § Current regimes are apostate, must be deposed § Struggle (jihad) is required until all lands are under Muslim control: reestablish the caliphate § Goal of God’s utopia: phased process to build ideal society, governed only by the shari’a
Key Islamist Ideologues & Their Works § Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi (1903 -1979, Indo-Pakistani): Jihad in Islam; Islam and Jahiliyya; “Mischief of Takfir” § Hasan al-Banna (1906 -1949, Egyptian): “On Jihad” in Five Tracts of Hasan al-Banna § Sayyid Qutb (1906 -1966, Egyptian), “Al-Qaida’s Philosopher”: Social Justice in Islam; In the Shade of the Qur’an; Milestones § Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902 -1989, Iranian): Islamic Government § Muhammad ‘Abd al-Salam Faraj (1952 -1982, Egyptian): The Neglected Duty § Abdullah Azzam (1941 -1989, Palestinian), “Godfather of Jihad”: Join the Caravan; Defense of Muslim Lands § Ayman al-Zawahiri (1951 - , Egyptian): Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner; Loyalty and Enmity: An Inherited Doctrine and a Lost Reality Note: Underlined works are most significant; most are available from the Internet
Jihad in Islamic Thought & Practice § NOT “Holy War”, but striving for a noble cause § Concept still in dispute among Muslims: - Physical struggle: “Lesser jihad” vs. “Greater jihad” - Limited (defensive) or universal (offensive)? - Communal vs. individual obligation - Both religious and political in nature (protect the faith, expand realm) - Who is right authority to declare it? (legitimate ruler w/ulama support) - Just cause, right intention, proportionality required - Last resort, waged to “establish/restore peace”
Early Perspectives § Described as fighting in the path of God in Koran, Hadith: defense of the ummah, then spread of the faith § Dar Al-Islam (“Territory of believers”) vs. Dar Al -Harb (“Territory of war”) § Influenced by threats to the ummah from both Crusaders and Mongols - Leader who doesn’t enforce shari’a completely, wage active jihad against infidels is unfit to rule - Muslim who doesn’t live by requirements of the faith is an unbeliever
Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab § Lived in what is now Saudi Arabia 1703 -1792. Founded a movement to cleanse Islam of innovations, deviances, heresies. § Formed an alliance with the Saud family. § Wahhabis advocate strict return to fundamentals of the faith, reject any behavior not conducted or supported by the Prophet Muhammad, and refer to themselves as Muwahhidun – “Unitarians” § Expanded the concept of jahiliyya to include Muslim societies of the 18 th century that had diverted from pure Islamic practice to sin (idolatry, veneration of saints by Sufis) § Reintroduced Kharijite concept of takfir to label “sinful Muslims” as hypocrites, thus allowing for jihad against them § Known outside Saudi Arabia as Salafis (“Forefathers”): all interpret the Qur’an literally. § At most extreme, Salafis reject nation states and all manmade laws; many Sunni radicals are products of this sect’s teachings
Sayyid Abu’l A’la Mawdudi § § “Islam is a revolutionary doctrine and program that overturns governments. It seeks to overturn the whole universal social order. . . It is not satisfied by a piece of land but demands the whole planet. . . Islamic Jihad is at the same time offensive and defensive. . . The Islamic party does not hesitate to utilize the means of war to implement its goal. ” “Islam wants and requires the earth in order that the human race altogether can enjoy the concept and practical program of human happiness, by means of which God has honored Islam and put it above the other religions and laws. In order to realize this lofty desire, Islam wants to employ all forces and means that can be employed for bringing about a universal all-embracing revolution. This far-reaching struggle that continuously exhausts all forces and this employment of all possible means is called jihad. ” Jihad In Islam, 1939
Mawdudi’s Islamic Transformation § Entry into the political process is necessary to revive Islamic society: small group of dedicated activists (saliah Jamaat) captures political leadership by penetrating key societal institutions: top-down reform § Need to preserve purity and effectiveness of the vanguard through careful screening, and extensive training to insure loyalty and impart knowledge of traditional Islamic principles and political techniques § Vanguard must be supported by broad-based overt political organization to attract members, further activists’ goals § First Islamist writer to approach jihad systematically: - Warfare not just for political control, but to establish just rule - Jihad becomes war of liberation: links concept to anticolonialism, “national liberation movements, ” and Arab resistance to Israel
Hasan al-Banna § § “Jihad is not against polytheists alone, but against all who do not embrace Islam…Today the Muslims…are compelled to humble themselves before non-Muslims, and are ruled by unbelievers…Their adversaries are in charge of their affairs, and the rites of their religion have fallen into abeyance within their own domains, to say nothing of their impotence to broadcast the summons [to embrace Islam]. Hence it has become an individual obligation, which there is no evading, on every Muslim to prepare his equipment, to make up his mind to engage in jihad, and to get ready for it…Know then that death is inevitable, and that it can only happen once. If you suffer it in the way of God, it will be your profit in this world, and your reward in the next. ” “Islam is concerned with the question of jihad and the …mobilization of the entire Umma into one body to defend the right cause with all its strength…The verses of the Qur’an and the Sunnah…are overflowing with all these noble ideals and they summon the people in general…to jihad, to warfare, to the armed forces, and all means of land sea fighting. ” “On Jihad”
Building Al-Banna’s Islamic State § Muslim Brotherhood founded as a vehicle to counter threats from Western colonialism, Arab nationalism and secularism; movement endures today throughout the Muslim world § Primary means to restore Islamic character to society is vigorous preaching and teaching (da’wa) campaign; § Gradualist approach to build a strong Muslim state governed by shari’a: re-Islamization through four stages starting with individuals, then families, then communities, which will band together to form a true Islamic state (unique bottom-up approach to reform) § Influenced radicals by redefining jihad: God-ordained defensive requirement for all Muslims, as long as unbelievers rule any Islamic lands; greater jihad is armed physical struggle against injustice and unbelief, not the internal spiritual struggle § His concept of jihad combined the Qur’anic definition of fighting (qital) with a struggle not only against infidels but also People of the Book.
Sayyid Qutb • Sayyid Qutb was the Brotherhood’s leading theorist of 1950 -60 s. On a 1949 student trip to U. S. , he developed negative impressions of American culture. • Egyptian Pres. Nasser hanged Qutb in 1966 for plotting his assassination. • Qutb laid the philosophical foundation for radical Islamists. In Shade of the Qur’an and Milestones of the Roads, Qutb interpreted the Qur’an as demanding extension of Sharia (religious law) to all aspects of life. He called for “Jihad for abolishing the organizations and authorities of the Jahili system, ” i. e. , all Muslim governments in the world today.
Principles of Muslim Brotherhood • Drawing from puritanical Wahabbi doctrines, Qutbism’s principles are: – Muslims must return to pure Islam as practiced – – in the Prophet’s time That path lies through strict, literal interpretation of the Qur’an & Hadith Muslims should individually interpret original sources, not rely on scholars Using history and contexts to interpret the Qur’an is a corruption Armed struggle (jihad) is justifiable as the means to eliminate un-Islamic governments and establish a global system of Islamic State rule
Sayyid Qutb § “If we look at the sources and foundations of modern ways of living, it becomes clear that the whole world is steeped in Jahiliyya (pagan ignorance of divine guidance), [which] takes the form of claiming that the right to create values, to legislate rules of collective behavior, and to choose any way of life rests with men, without regard to what God has prescribed. The result of this rebellion against the authority of God is the oppression of His creatures…” § “Western civilization is unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of mankind…Islam is the only system which possesses these values and this way of life. ” Milestones, 1964
Qutb’s 4 -Phased Process 1. Vanguard (jamaah) of the movement is formed 2. Vanguard sounds the call (da’wah) to society to turn back to God, but is persecuted for its faith, oppressed by the system 3. Movement undergoes hijra: conscious separation (spiritual and/or physical detachment) from the jahili system, and the group purifies itself, unifies and grows in strength 4. Victory and consolidation of power: movement conducts a jihad by force to overthrow the apostate government, and restores the community to just rule and the practice of true Islam (through institution solely of the shari’a); God himself grants the victory and is once again sovereign
Abdullah Azzam § "…Every Muslim on earth should unsheath his sword and fight to liberate Palestine. The Jihad is not limited to Afghanistan…There will be no solution to the Palestinian problem except through jihad…" § “Jihad means fighting. You must fight in any place you can get. Whenever Jihad is mentioned in the Holy Book, it means the obligation to fight. It does not mean to fight with the pen or to write books or articles in the press or to fight by holding lectures… Jihad and the rifle alone: no negotiations, no conferences, no dialogues. " § “The Jihad in Afghanistan will broaden until the entire world will be conquered because Allah has promised the victory to Islam. " 1941 -1989
Azzam Expands the Struggle § § § Founded the Mujahedin Services Bureau (MAK) in Peshawar Pakistan to physically support the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan, absorb and train Muslim volunteers; also helped to unite leaders of the resistance Didn’t invent movement’s ideas, but developed religious ideology for the Afghan conflict, then put it into practice globally; also redefined the Palestinian struggle from a nationalist/secular to a religious conflict As the Islamic jihad’s “traveling salesman, ” he traveled throughout the Arab world and Middle East (and in Europe and the US) promoting participation in the struggle: defense of Islamic faith and territory are important cause for all Muslims Proclaimed that any land that was once part of the caliphate must be recaptured if it falls into infidel hands Thought to have recruited between 16, 000 -20, 000 fighters from 20 countries, and built an international network that became al. Qaida Disagreement over network’s long-term goals: Afghan war as training ground for reclaiming Palestine (Azzam) vs. (bin Laden’s) waging jihad simultaneously on multiple fronts against the US and “agent regimes”
Global Jihad: A New Twist § Osama bin Laden: - August 1996 Declaration of War (“Ladinese Epistle”): Muslims must expel infidels from “land of the two holy places” - February 1998 Fatwa: Americans “stormed” the Arabian Peninsula and are using it to launch attacks against Muslims; are hurting Iraq; and are supporting Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and aggression – so all must be killed anywhere - “Defensive struggle” that is morally required for all true Muslims - May 1998 ABC Interview: Bring the battle to American soil; focus on political, economic and military targets § Fed by “Jihad Factories”: madrassas have provided steady source of mujahedin for struggles in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir (highest honor is to wage jihad against “enemies of Islam”) § Ayman al-Zawahiri: small suicide teams best, establish new base for jihad operations in Middle East, hit “far enemy” first.
Radical Sunni Doctrines § Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas): - Ideological and military crusade by the “Great Powers of East and West” has taken Palestine, created Israel - Defensive jihad (like Saladin) is required to recover Muslim lands and get rid of the infidels - Emergency situation where secular approval of an established government is not needed, everyone must participate § Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ): - Equates current struggle with early jihad against the Mongols - Inattention to physical jihad has resulted in current depressed condition of the Islamic “nation” - Mass resistance justified: must overthrow and kill apostate ruler to establish true Islamic government, then restore the caliphate; authorization comes from loss of ruler’s divine authority (bid’ah)
Radical Shi’ite Doctrines § Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini: population must be goaded to overthrow tyrannical regimes, establish true Islamic government headed by clerics (velayat-e faqih); proper Islamic teaching turns all into mujahids § Ayatollah Murtaza Mutahhari: Armed force sanctioned in Islam, required wherever and whenever oppression and injustice are to be found (“defensive jihad”) § Shaykh Fadlallah (Lebanese Hizballah): - Terrorism is not justified in Islam, and Islam should not be seen as uncompromisingly hostile to the West - However, Muslims’ legitimate grievances being ignored, and they are inflicting violence on others due to their own pain
The Case Against the West § Arrogance, insensitivity toward other cultures § Unbalanced foreign policies, favoritism toward Israel § Resentment over economic success, political and military power, commercial exploitation § Disgust over lax morals: alcohol consumption, suggestive dress of women, commercialization of sex § Economic sanctions against Muslim countries § Continued stationing of US troops in Saudi Arabia § Support of repressive, corrupt regimes due to Western greed (oil) § Wide reach of international news media spreads resentment that can be manipulated
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