RETHINKING ISLAMIST POLITICS pdf download

Rethinking Islamist Politics, Culture, The State and Islamism by Salwa Ismail

RETHINKING ISLAMIST POLITICS, CULTURE, THE STATE, AND ISLAMISM

In the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, the Madrid bombings in 2004, and the more recent violent attacks in Cairo, Sharm al-Shaykh, and London in 2005, the phenomenon of Islamist militancy and violence continued to occupy a central place in scholarly writings on the Middle East and Muslim societies.

In some of these writings, Islamist activism, aimed at targets in Western countries, has been construed as an affirmation of the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis.

Furthermore, in the discourse of western political leaders such as Tony Blair and George W. Bush, the attacks are presented as directed against Western ways of life, Western democracies, and the values of freedom and liberty that are said to be in here in these democracies.

 This framing of the confrontational stance of some radical Islamist groups vis-a-vis Western governments excludes any attempt to situate militant Islamist activism in its historical and political context. Indeed, the claim that the most radical groups — even al-Qa‘ida — aim to change western ways of life appears unfounded.

The points of contention with Western governments invoked by al-Qa ‘ida’s leader, Usama bin Laden, revolve around the long-standing issue of the Palestinian right to self-determination and the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia.

While bin Ladin’s sincerity about these issues is often disputed, it is difficult to deny the resonance that the reference to these causes has among Muslims in diverse settings.

 The USA’s continued support for Israel, even when the international community condemns its violation of Palestinian human rights and its settlements policies, along with the US-led