RELIGION-BASED

IDEOLOGIES:
- Concept of Fundemantalism in general
- Islamism
- Political Christianity or Hinduism
- Zionism
And more
 Origins and development
of religious fundamentalism

It initially appeared as a form of religious interpretation

and understanding within various religious traditions, such
as Christian Fundamantalism

– In 1910’s, American Protestans publish booklekts,

called, The ‘Fundamentals’, upholding the inerrancy
or literal truth of the Bible in the face of ‘modern’
interpretations of Christianity. Religious
fundamentalism
 Origins and development
of religious fundamentalism

then as a ,political disourse

• In contemporary usage, it is associated with all the world's major
religions – Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and
Christianity
• Viewed as a particular kind of religio-political movement or project.
And as a style of politics
– Fundamentalism is a style of thought in which certain principles
are recognized as essential ‘truths’ that have unchallengeable
and overriding authority, regardless of their content.
– an earnestness or fervour born out of doctrinal certainty.
– Sometimes as Inflexibility, dogmatism and authoritarianism,

.
 Origins and development
of fundamentalism

• is a creature of the modern age, despite its resistance to

modernization.
• seems to appear in troubled times or societies undergoing
crises of identity.
• is affected by processes of secularization, postcolonialism and
globalization.
• can be found in certain sects of all major religions.
 Principles of religious
fundamentalism

• religion as politics or conversion into an ideology

– rejection of the distinction between religion and politics.

– Rejection of the divide between private and public in relation to the
role of religion
– Religion as a source of identity which offers rootedness and belonging
– Active and Passive Fundamantalism
 Principles of religious
fundamentalism

• the fundamentalist impulse

– seen as the opposite of relativism,
– treats a sacred text as a political ideology for the regeneration of
society and the mobilization of the masses,
– For this, it needs to extract out its ‘fundamentals’ and these
‘fundamentals’ usually, being derived from the content of sacred texts
– And it supports an ‘activist’ reading of texts to reduce the complexity
and profundity of scripture to a theo-political project.
– Being religious, it addresses some of the deepest and most perplexing
problems confronting humankind; being fundamentalist, it provides
solutions that are straightforward, practical and above all absolute.
 Principles of religious
fundamentalism

• Anti-modernism
– Modernization appears to be equated with decline and decay, typified by the
spread of godless secularism
– regeneration can only be brought about by returning to the spirit and traditions
of some long-past ‘golden age
– Modernity generates amoral symptoms such as adultery, prostitution,
homosexuality, exess individualism and egoism
– moral gulf divides liberal individualism from religious fundamentalism, the
former encouraging people to make their own moral choices while the
latter demands that they conform to a prescribed and divinely ordained
moral system
– Fundamentalism should not be mistaken for conservatism or
traditionalism,
– Enjoys advantages of modern techniques of mass communication and
mpdern political institutions
 Principles of religious
fundamentalism

• Militant or Active Responsibility

– Not all fundamantalists are inclined to militancy but those who have
militancy-oriented approach do ground themselves with
fundamentalist approach
– Inspired by what they believe to be a divinely ordained purpose, which
clearly takes precedence over all other considerations.
– Emphasis upon ‘identity divisions’, and the relationship between
‘them’ and ‘us’
– Willingness to engage in extra-legal political efforts
 The family of fundamentalists

• Each religion or ideology might be associated with

fundamentalism or its styles
• All religions might have fundamantalisms such Christian,
Islamic, Jews, Hindu, Sikh and Buddist Fundemantalism
• But not all of them amount to a level of comprehensive
ideology
Islamism or Islamic
Fundamantalism?
context
theoratical context
definitional context
 1-Theoratical Context of the
Concept-I

• Islam is a monotheist religion and enhanced perception of civilization

– It has a holy book upon which there is no disagreement among
Muslims.
– Muslims have created a highly rich and sophisticated civilizations and
varied theological, philosophical, legal doctrines and cultural practices.
• Islamism in the broadest sense is a kind of ideology derived from the
religion in modern times .
– Emerged, in an environment when modern Europe has been gaining
increasing intellectual, political and military power, as a contemporary
answer how the Islamic world and Muslims could remain themselves yet
survive and expand.
 1-Theoratical Context of the
Concept-II

• Islamic fundamentalism can be both a doctrine and a style of politics

– As opposed to Chrisitan fundamentalism, believing in inerrancy of the
Quranic text as the fundamantals of the belief is a precondition in
Islam anyway and all Muslims are essentially fundamentalist in that
regard as a form of religious interpretation.
– In Islamic terminology, the term ‘Usuliyyun’ is literally used for
fundamentalism (those believing in fundamantals or ‘usul’). Usuliyyun
can mean both ‘legal theorists’ and ‘those who are seeking to return to
the original interperations of Islam in the first century.
• Salafism is also another term that refers to the the school
suggesting to return to the way of the first generation of Muslims,
ignoring the cultural and tradional innovations in religion.
 1-Theoratical Context of the
Concept-II

– It is also used by outsiders for Islamist political movements which are

associated with political activism, extremism or fanaticism.
– In the course of time, the term was associated , equated and used
interchangeably with Islamism and terms such as radical Islam,
political Islam, extremism or Jihadist Islam, which obviously creates a
confusion of concepts
– Such concepts has points in common and disparity
 2- Definitial Challenges I:
Changed Contexts

• There are different practical context and stages which produced

various Islamism under the influence of various developments, which
reflect different characteristics.
– Influence of Colonization and Positivism
– End of World War I and emergence of Nationalism
• Authoritarian and tyrannical regimes in the Muslim World
– Cold War and polarization policy
– Changing convenience of International relations
• Impact of Iranian Revolution: exportation of Islamic revolutions
• Two gulf wars and Arap Spring: emergency of cross-border militancy
 2- Definitial Challenges II:
Usage-based

• Lack of regard for the differences between Shiite and Sunni –and
even Wahhabism- in terms of Islamic political theology and practise.

• Attribution of an essentially Christian term for a Muslim case shall be

inevitably reductionist and sometimes misleading and obviously can
cause loss of the content and highlights
– Some terms used in Muslim world for the movements to appear in
terms of reformation are: Ihya (Revival), Tecdid (Renewal), Islah
(Reform or Improvement)
• Equation of different concepts by disregarding nuances, especially by
non-Muslim experts, either due to lack of sufficient knowledge or
inattentiveness, creates a source of misconception or apologetic or
resistant responses.
 2- Definitial Challenges III:
Purposeful Distortions

• Negative effect of rising Islamophobia epidemic , especially after 9/11

– The simplest definition of Islamophobia is called anti- Muslim racism,
reflects itself as a fear or hatred or prejudice against Islam categorially.
– A organized effort in media, academia and political rhetoric allegate and
portay Muslims and Islam as inherently violent or anti-tolerant,
backward or authoritarian, i.e simply antithesis of civilization and
progress, and as a threat to democracy and freedoms.
– NGO’s such as Jihad Watch, Act for America, Clarion Project, Middle East
Forum Investigative Project of Terrorism, David Horowitz Freedom
Centre, Abstraction Fund, and many more, systematically, funds and
support it
– It creates increasingly a deepened gap between the use of the term by
Muslims and non-Muslims, which is a source of misperception
 3- Some Definitional Notes

• Islamic fundamentalism is not favoured as a term by most of Muslims

and some of western academics, to refer to an Islamist ideology, due to
lack of coherence of the term.
– But it can be used not as a content but as a style.
• Islamism is used by westerners and many Muslims most often as an
ideology, as a kind of synonym for Political Islam.
• Political Islam is different than the ‘Islam on Politics’.
– All Muslims are to believe in Quranic teaching of politics in one way or other.
– Political Islam rather means the approach that signifies Islamic political order
as the priority for Islam and Islamic life.
• Political Islam as a term can accommodate a wide range of various political
approaches from libertarian to authoritarian or from democratic to
revolutionary or from moderate to radical.
– Therefore, radical Islam is only one of the approaches within Political Islam
 II-
Islamism in content
basic reasoning of islamism
basic assumptions of Islam on politics
political leadership concepts
 4- Islamism as an Ideology
Basic reasoning I

• A Muslim believes in Islam as the only way for the salvation

of humankind, not only spiritually but also socially and
politically.
• A just society can only be built upon Islamic principles, as it
was testified by the history in glorious times of Islamic world.
• The agonies and injustices dominating in the Muslim world
are the results of the negligence of the true application of
Islamic principles and adoption of imported western
ideologies.
• Therefore, the solution shall be the restitution of Islamic
principles in social life by all means.
 4- Islamism as an Ideology
Basic reasoning II

• Such Islamic principles can be guarded and protected only

through implementation of Islamic sharia/law
• For a proper application of sharia, which contains political
and economic commands as well as prohibitions, a political
authority (i.e İslamic state) is needed as the vanguard of the
law .
• Therefore, establishment of such state is a substantial vision
for an Islamist ideology in order to accommodate proper
Islamic law.
 4- Islamism as an Ideology
Basic reasoning III

• The so-called İslamic state is not an end-target but rather an

instrument for application of ‘Islamic law’
• Therefore, Islamic state is not envisioned in a specific form. It can
be idealized in a specific format of the past or in a modern one . For
some others, it can be pluralist state, which allows the
implementation of Islamic law along with other laws.
• Islamization of social and political sphere is more important than
the individual religiosity, purification of heart, rituels and the like.
• İn some cases (i.e Islamist ideologies), islamization of social sphere
can be prioritized to that of political one, as a precondition
 5- Islam on Politics & State
Basic Assumptions I

Islam, Authority & Law

• In Islam, the ultimate authority is obviously the will of Allah, as reflected in
the holy book, which is not subject to change . Its text is under divine
protection and therefore immutable and sacred. It should therefore
ultimately guide the individual and social behaviours.
• A society can be just only if it follows the Islamic guidance and the Law of
Allah. Therefore, compliance to this law is the source of legitimacy for
authority and government.
• Extracting law from law-making process is therefore a critical process
for legitimacy and justice
• On the other hand, Islam does not allow any group or clergy to
authoritatively represent the truth and intentions of Allah in His
book., Qualified scholars only extract conclusions and law from this
divine sacred book and text. It is a civil process.
5- Islam on Law, Politics & State
Basic Assumptions II

– On the other hand, Islam does not allow any group or clergy to
authoritatively represent the truth and intentions of Allah in His
book., Scholars only extract conclusions and law from this divine
sacred book and text.
– Human and social needs as well as cases are endless which can
naturally necessitate the application of the divine guidance to cases
through interpretation and reasoning, which is called ijtihad
– The source of law (and order) is therefore divine but the production of
law involves human effort and capacity for Ijtihad, which is carried out
by the able scholars and jurists, called ulema and muctehids.
 5- Islam on Politics & State

Islam and State

• As a consequence, society and obedience to or compliance with Islamic
law precedes the state. In another words, Islamic state is a legalist state,
in which law is prior to politics and produced by civil jurists.
• Therefore, the legitimacy of Islamic state is nothing to do with the forms
and formation of governments, which are not/shall not be fixed, but
rather subject to ijtihads
• The major divergence in Islamic thought about government is the division
of Sunni and Shiite sects, which is originally a partition about political
leadership and in political perception
• Sunni perception of political leadership is called khilafat, whereas it is
imamat in shiism
 5- Islam on Politics & State
Sunni-Shiite Difference

Sunni-Shiite division: a political divide about who to succeed the political

role of the Prophet

• After the passing of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), his successor Abu Bakr,
his closest friend, has become his successor as the community leader, titled
as khalifah. He was consecutively followed by Omar, Osman, Ali and
others. In the course of time, the political leadership of Muslim world was
upheld by dynasties

• Shiism believes that Ali, son in-law of the Prophet, was designated by the
Prophet to succeed him as a religious instruction but his right was
somehow violated by other khulafa. This divine right to rule shall be
attributed not only to Ali but his lineage as well.
 6- Islam on Political Leadership
Caliphate I

• Caliphate

– A political title for leadership in sunni Islamic tradition. It literally

means ‘succession’. Khalif is a successor or deputy.
– Caliph is not the Allah’s caliph but successor of Prophet’s worldly role
of leadership
– It does not mean an authority of divine origin or a religious authority
to make law.
– The post holder is therefore a fallible person with all humanly possible
strengths and weaknesses but he has to be obeyed in the sense of
obedience to law and order.
 6- Islam on Political Leadership
Caliphate II

• Caliphate

– His main role is to guide and rule the society according to Islamic law but in the
meantime he enjoys a great margin of administrative power and law-making capacity as
the ruler, due to the concept of İjtihad (legal resoning) and Siyase-i shar’iyya (Political
function of Sharia)
– Prophet Muhammed has not clearly designated his successor in his lifetime and left it to
the choice of his followers.
– The first four successors of the Prophets are determined in different ways and they are all
regarded ‘righteous’ successors
– Unification of Caliphate with dynasties in the later period was just a matter of
convenience of time but not a religious norm. It therefore can be replaced with other
forms
 7- Islam on Politics & State
Imamate I

• Imamate in Shiism
– A general term used for political leadership but championed by a specific Shia
school , called , İmamiyya or Twelve- Imam Shiism)
– Determination of the political leader to succeed prophet Muhammed was in
fact a divinely ordained matter (nass) .
– Therefore, it is essentially a religious institution, and sacred.
– All, the son in-law of the Prophet was in fact designated by the Prophet as his
successor but His this order is disregarded.
– Along with Ali, his twelve successors (ehl-I beyt) from his lineage should uphold
the position.
 7- Islam on Politics & State
Imamate II

– These 12 Imams are certain and morally infallible in their religious and
political commandments, almost equal to Prophets in the sense of religious
and political authority.
– Messianic leadership and Theory of occultation: The last Imam, Muhammad
Mahdi went in occultation (a.c 941) and will return back one day
– Renovating the concept while waiting the return of the Saver
– Imam Khomeini and his theory of Velayati Fakih, Deputy of the Expected Imam
to return
– Islamic Revolution and Iranian Model: Government of Welayat Faqih,
represented by Spiritual Leader
identity crisis in troubled times
 8- Islamism ; as a response to the
westen colonialism and hegemony

• A restoration Project
– Collapse of Islamic order is the main cause of all problems and it needs to
restored in all aspects of social life, including politics, economy, education
and thought.
– And Islamism appeared as a social restoration project
• A question of justice
– Islamish has always stressed upon Tawheed and redefined it with an
ideological connotation
– Oness of Allah also means the oness and unquestionability of the supreme
sovereign. Tawheed as rejection of and resistance to Imperialism and all
forms of authorirarianism and ideologies
• Rejection of secularism; seen as an agent of authoritarianism and
colonial hegemony
 8- Islamism between
tradition and modernitity

• Call for a return to the original references of the religion

• Rejection of European modernity as source of problems but adopting
modern concepts, methodologies and techniques
• Radical Shifts from the traditional Islamic discourse
– Replacement of old ulema as the law keepers by intellectuals
– Constitutionalizing and Democratization of Sharia, enacted by non-scholar legislators
– Adoption of modern concepts with an Islamic adjective, such as Islamic Democracy,
Islamic Constitution, Islamization of knowledge, Islamic republic, Muslim Parliment
– A new profile of leadership in Islamist movements; modern trained
– Public engagement through political parties or social organizations
– Traditional Sufi orders replaced or transformed into ‘movements’.
 9- Varieties

• Intellectual revivalism as a defense against the positivism and

materialism, as a kind of religious and civilizational revival rather than the
political one. Highly modernist as well.
• Anti-imperialist impulse against colonization during war of indepences
• Ideologization of the religion during the cold war ideological rivalvry
– Rise of Political Islam which reflected variations depending on the home country
– Appearing as the third way in the competition of capitalism and socialism
– Democratization of Political Islamist Movements
• From ideologization to getting reactive
– Radicalization of Islamism
• Afghan War, Iranian revolution, Palestinian Issue, Kashmeer question and the repressive
regimes in the Muslim world
– Militant Islamism
• International politics of the west, Gulf Wars, Sectarian conflicts, Arap Spring and failure of transition to
democratization in most of Muslim countrries