Political Islam Flashcards
types of islamic activities
· 3 different types of Islamic activities:
Social and cultural revivalism
Political islam
Extremism – violent and non-violent…. MB engaged with all of these at different times
How post -1967 revivalism fits into a historical narrative that spans te 20th century
What role for Islam? What role should islam play in society, culture and politics
Evolving discourse of cultural authenticity
Failure of state attempts to control and co-opt Islam
Islamic groups and the state 50’s-60’s
State attempts to limit and control Islamic and islamist groups in 50’s and 60’s
Muslim Brotherhood and the West
Muslim Brotherhood first organisation to use islam as an ideology. 1928-1952
What balance should be struck between western and Islamic ideas
Al-Banna appalled by excessive westernisation
Inappropriate dress etfc
Plethora with associations which sprug up.
On type of groups were Islamic morality societies. Some would meet and hold lectures and encourage people to hold proper Islamic morals.
Some wrote anonymous letters to people to encourage people to behave in a more acceptable way
What did the Muslim Brotherhood want to do?
MB organised and co-ordinated.
Used islam as an ideology to support polictical social change
Launched education program to spread their version of islam
Secret unit which used violence in the 1940’s. Blamed for string of activities inc assassination.
State attempts - ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL ISLAM
-use islam to bolster state and its authority
-eliminate any threat to the state from islam – feminist union, all Islamic organisations tried to be subsumed into the state
Egyptian state tried to put islam to work to serve the state and tried to crush any other group to gain support.
by
incorporating Islamic institutions into state bureaucracy
repress Islamic groups
insert approved Islamic teachings into curriculums – u der Nasser they radically changed the constitution.
Syria repression of Islam
ASSAD 1973 AND THAT IS WHEN CONTROL INSTATED. SYRIAN MB WAS MASSACRED – HAMA STATE MASSACRED ENTIRE CENTRAL QUARTER – 10-15000 DEAD AND IT WAS A STATE ESTIMATE ASSAD BRAGGED TO EXAGERATE TO DETER OPPOSITION
Iraq repression of Islam
Shii ruled by sunnis. 1977-9 riots. Iraq then became iembroiled in Iraq qand iran law. Shiia considered 5 pillar so not loyal to Iraq. Sunnni majority actively repressed …
SAYYID QUTB
was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamic theorist, poet, and the leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1966 he was convicted of plotting the assassination of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and was executed by hanging.
Author of 24 books, including novels, literary arts critique and works on education, he is best known in the Muslim world for his work on what he believed to be the social and political role of Islam, particularly in his books Social Justice and Ma’alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones). His magnum opus, Fi Zilal al-Quran (In the Shade of the Qur’an), is a 30-volume commentary on the Quran.
qutb life
graduated worked as a school inspector. Literary critic also. Taking part in secular western way of literary criticism. Graduated 1931-2. Late 40’s turning more toward islam. The intelligentsia wanted increased westernisation. Number of memebrs of this intelligentsia started engaging with islam – bioigraphies of prophets etc. Used ioslam to sell westernisation program to the masses.
Sayyid qutb wroted dammin review of book telling Egypt to turn back on islam.
He was portrayed as secular but after going to the us he turns his back on it.
He was concerned with social justice.
Qutb and the US
What upset Qutb about his stay in the US?
Led him to be less sympathetic with westernisation. Disgusted by America. Saw corruption and decay. Americans increasingly isolated from each other. Obsessed woth material goods. Church dance, pastor encouraging girls and boys dance together. Saw American as trapped by corrupting desires.
Made him determined to stop this selfish individualism . Wanted a modern society that used individuals in check and a sense of morality which would pre vent societies becoming…
Jahiliyya
Wanted to set up an vanguard to get people to recognise these things were problems. Revolutionary politics – leftist.
QUTB joined MB in 50 and supported Nasser. Then cracked down. 1954 Qutb was in prison for a decade and tortured. Had a radicalising effect and further enforced this opposition to western culture. He developed this idea called jahiliyya a barbarous ignorance. That pervades everything and could infect people without them realising it make them worship materialism and individualism.
takfir
Takfir-Must be attacked who are infidels . Any muslims whose behaviour diverged from ideal can be declared infidels. QUTB put on trial and executed in 1966. His ideas continued
Sadat and islam
· Sadat ended crackdown from 1971 to help eliminate leftist opposition. Began letting MB from prison to get them to combat the leftist – ussr supporters?
Islamists and Support
· Islam gradually became a major cultural force, especially in unis. Got them to oragnise in unis.
· Islamism displaced gradually leftisit ideas.
Afghanistant
Not only person to use it to combat communism. Done in Afghanistan. Used what was later al-qaeda to fight against soviets in Afghanistan…
What happened when mb started to gain support
Sadat issued strict controls over political activities.
Social change in the 1970’s
· 70’s era of massive social change urbanisation. Expansion of education, population increase.
· State could not support this growth.
· 2 groups of discontent – young urban poor and devout bourgeoisie. Both groups were have nots … turned to islam on a cultural level – displaced pan-arabism to Islamism.
How did the support of islam change everyday lives
Increase in conservative dress, increase in public displays of piety, playing recording of koran. Displaying calligraphy. Increase in mosque attendance
Islamic groups picks up failing state
· Islamic groups provided social services and education to compensate failure of the state..
Exrtremism starts because…
Cooperation between sadat and islamists ended in 1977 after peace with Israel.
1977 onwards, broke away from sadat – who 42
advocating Islamic solution for social problems.
There were riots after peace. Anti govt opposition. A small group al-takfir wa-I hijra – declaring people to be infidel. They’d isolate themselves to try to purify themselves
Sadat and assassination
1981 sadat assassinated on live tv by underground extremist group jihad.
MB as a political force
· Egypt political islam.
· MB made illegal during mubaraks leadership yet had a significant network
· Mb canditates running as independents and 2000 -17 seats
· 2005 – 88 seats,
Won first three president elections after arab spring
Assad government veil
Assad govt went into streets after Hama woman by woman stripping damascene woman of headscarves. Female officer stripped her of scarf and used it for dancing.
Hama
Mb active in other regions. Syria the Islamists – MB - challenged Assad regime. Throughout 70’s. Brotherhood challenged. Some argue the conflict sectarian others an oppressive regime. Conflict claimed 10sof thousands of lives of Syrians. Atrocities on both size, MB seized Hama. Regime surrounded bombarded it, thousand killers. Destruction MB
Veiling in the 20th century
· Images Nasser funeral – women were not veiled. Until 1974 wouldn’t find a veil omen in Cairo. Used to wear short skirts.
What’s changed? 50’s and 60’s secular nationalism under Nasser captured imagination of many Arabs.
Who tried to fill the political vacuum left by nasser?
· His death left a political vacuum. Filled by Islamism which he had tried to crush.
1967
1967 – Pivotal event which crushed a dream. Defeat of Arab armies by Israel. Military was integral transforming Arab world
Decline of Arab nationalism causes…
Dissolution of Arab nationalism and socialism. Meant they had to look for something instead. Looked for a new more honest and authenticity Islam
Saudi’s part in the islamic turn
Saudi kingdom 2 major exports oil and Islamic fundamentalism. People who stick to literalist interpretation of the religion. Millions were trying to emigrate to Saudi for work and absorbing values of the societies.
Salafism
· Liberal and progressive Islam which shaped first half of the century through ennahda was now steeped in the past and had gone back to old values. This was called the Salafist Islamic movement: The Salafi movement or Salafist movement is an ultra-conservative orthodox movement within Sunni Islam that references the doctrine known as Salafism. The doctrine can be summed up as taking “a fundamentalist approach to Islam, emulating the Prophet Muhammad and his earliest followers—al-salaf al-salih, the ‘pious forefathers’…They reject religious innovation, or bida, and support the implementation of sharia (Islamic law).”[1] The movement is often divided into three categories: the largest group are the purists (or quietists), who avoid politics; the second largest group are the activists, who get involved in politics; the smallest group are the jihadists, who form a tiny (yet infamous) minority.[1]
Islamic help
Islamists deliver charity, run health clinics, giving books, Islamists. Captured a large proportion
Islamists positioned as ‘the provider’
pivotal events that radicalised and centralised Islamism.
Iranian revolution. No more war or bloodshed Israelis. Soviet invasion Afghanistan. All three areas inspirational for some but deeply opposed by other. Iranian revolution inspired Islamists, Israeli peace angered them and the afghan war became a training ground for jihadists
Afghanistan and the soviet defeat did what?
· After soviet defeat and withdrawals they felt they had succeeded in their jihad. Military fighters believed they could go back to their countries and achieve Islamic rule in them. Egypt amongst others suffered a lot of violence a decade of. Late 70’s to 90’s more than 700 attacks against tourists, officials and ordinary Egyptians. Luxor 1997 70 killed Islamic militants opened fire. Mubarak cracked down heavily on the militants. Even radicals couldn’t believe it. Many renounced violence, others fled the country and started groups outside. One of which was current leader of al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri
Government - nationalism and islamism
· Many government believed they could harness the enthusiasm of religion to counter effect danger of nationalism. Sadat tried to harness support of MB to his regime. Government overlooked that the moment you play on religious sentiment and set off forces beyond control. Leaders who have controlled religious impule and contain to progress their own goals is deeply wrong and have had to pay a high price. Eugene Rogan
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HISTORIOGRAPHY - Wickham - benefits of joining islamic groups
Graduates joined because of the benefits they would get from participation – material, psychological and or emotional but led to progression high risk activism
Changed to high risk activism due to feeling a moral obligation
Access to benefits (material, psychological and or emotional), individuals join due to deeply held commitements, values and beliefs,
Ø Many graduates joined due to self interest – benefits
Ø Initially joined in social and cultural activities – religious lessons, study group
Ø Relatinships by non activist and activist continues ( veil and jeans and t shirt frieds)
Ø Instead of joining a group the communal netwroks less risky due to mass repression
Ø Also the support given eg help to get a visa for job abroad, could improve marriage opportunity, securing work in Islamic sector
Ø The graduates got a sense of belonging, ‘brothers and sisters’ , psycic empowerment, transforming poorly skilled graduates with bleak prospects into fellow soldiersin the noble task of Islamic reform
HISTORIOGRAPHY - Wickham-ways in which the islamists kept them
slamist say they bring support by persuasion not force – DEBATED
Ø Islamists get them while they are young has bee said – prep and secondary
Ø Argued by a article in newspaper, that the extremists get them at mosque by whispering in ear and promising a straight path to god… p155?
Ø Veil, materials got in prep as soon as woman says yes she’ll be veiled – quickly make it before she can change her mind
HISTORIOGRAPHY - Wickham - disillusionment
Ø Many graduates seen corruption- teacher giving exam paper first to someone who paid for it, jobs given because of social connections – lower middle class graduates belived there was a CRISIS of MORALS and system dominated by westernized politicians
HISTORIOGRAPHY - trail of political islam - kepel - what led to it
Young urban poor becoming literate
o increase in population – 70-75 per cent under 25
o Rural could no longer feed children
o Move from rural to urban
o Education meant no longer relying on ulam, doc of law or sheikh to read quran as education policies of newly independent state meant mass education
o By 1970’s many of the young had no recollection of colonial era and trusted the elites.
o Educated but no job
Disillusionment with state
HISTORIOGRAPHY - Pious middle and the intellectuals - keep
If you were not the nephew of a general or a member of the royal family, it was very difficult for you even to have access to credit, to import anything or become an entrepreneur.
Ø regimes aligned to the Soviet bloc, military regimes with a socialist tendency and a strong tribal, regional or ethnic minority base; this was the case in Algeria, Syria, Iraq, South Yemen and Egypt
This led to very strong frustrations among the ‘bazaar people’, and those young professionals who had gone to the oil-exporting countries, made a lot of money and returned home only to find themselves exploited by the ruling elite.
HISTORIOGRAPHY - kepel - islamist intelligensia
v These were the militant ideologues who delivered a discourse of political mobilisation to the first two groups; one that the latter would understand and translate quite differently into their social practice. They would talk about an Islamic state, and the implementation of sharia (religious law).
v Young urban hoped they would get house, job marriage, money respect they hadn’t got under current ruler
v Pious middle encouraged the yup as they wanted place of ruling elites
v Had to play carefully – vague enough so yup thought they would get change and pmc would not think regime would change massively
phase 1 islam - kepel
PHASE ONE
The first phase, from September 1970 to 1 February 1979 is the formative one. In the Arab world, the first date epitomises the demise of Arab nationalism, coinciding with the death of Nasser and civil war in Jordan. This opened a huge window of opportunity for an alternative ideology. The second date, 1 February 1979, is the day when Ayatollah Khomeini agreed to return from his exile in Paris.
phase 2 islam - kepel
§ The Iranian revo inspires
1979-15/2/1989 expanision of radical islam (Saudi and iran on opposing sides wanting to run this movement) (Saudi Arabia – backed by the US, and others such as Saddam Hussein (at that time the darling of the west) – took it upon themselves to contain and repel the Islamic republic. Iraq attacked Iran in September 1980, leading to an eight-year war in the trenches, ultimately with millions ofcasualties. The Islamic Republ
phase 3 islam - kepel
· ALGERIA – FIS succeeded then failed, GIA (armed Islamic group) and AIS (Islamic salvation army) were defesated by the divide and conquer of the military in Algeria.
This is where terrorism enters the picture – Islamic movement is divided and militarily defested and a lack of masses joining the guerilla force
1989 - kepel
The year 1989 is, then, in my view the peak year of these decades: one which saw not only the victory of jihad in Afghanistan, which would open the way to the post-Soviet emergence of a number of new Islamic countries on the southern fringe of the former Soviet empire and the Balkans; but
also the Rushdie affair and of the ‘veil’ fracas in France. It was the year when the Front Islamique du Salut (FIS) were created in Algeria; when Hassan Turabi seized power in the Sudan; when Kashmir became a hot issue; and when, during the firstintifada in Palestine (which started in December 1987), Hamas started to significantly challenge the former hegemony of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
