Islamic Fundamentalism: a brief introduction Presentation for 17 January, 2019, Odell House

Issues of Definition: Lots of terminology here: fundamentalists, Islamists, political islamists, neo-fundamentalists, etc; no consensus on terminology fundamentalism is a modern, English descriptive term; goes back to 19th century Protestantism; only recently applied to Islam But a few elements are key in understanding Islamic fundamentalism: Islamists see no separation between religion and everyday life; Islam is the guiding force, and the Koran is the literal word of God For fundamentalists, there must be strict adherence to Muslim codes of law and behaviour, no separation of church and state Some wish to return to the purity of Mohammed’s time (570-632 CE), ridding religion and society of modernist accumulations

Significance: Many “fundamentalist” movements in today’s world, including Christian, Hindu, Jewish, etc. But nothing is as powerful and dominant as is “Islamic fundamentalism” in the Muslim world Diversity is a key characteristic of Islamic fundamentalism: Can be non-political, moderate, radical, extremist, authoritarian, etc. Has replaced “nationalism” and crowded out notions of “liberalism” in most Muslim states Currently “a dynamic phenomenon”, like the Reformation or the French revolution

Many “drivers” of Islamic fundamentalism since the “Islamic Reawakening” of 1967, reacting against: authoritarian secular leadership in much of the Third World – a by-product of the de-colonization drive of the 1950s and 1960s under-development, marginalization and economic failure in much of the Arab world The assault of Western values and Western culture where Islamic values were weak Facilitated or exacerbated by: the rise of the oil elites in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere after 1973, especially the Saudi’s Wahabi religious doctrines tribal or state rivalries, as in Afghanistan in the 1980s, through Pakistan, funded by the US and Saudi Arabia

Why does political Islam sometimes turn radical, extremist and violent? Moderation driven out: In certain circumstances, even moderate Islamists are driven underground, in some cases leading to insurrections, e.g., Algeria Alliances: Islamists have allied with liberation, nationalist or secessionist movements, in Chechnya, western China, or the Philippines, joining insurrections Follow the money: Islamists ally with criminal organizations, essentially “legitimizing” their activities Grievances: Islamists play on “international grievances”, including he Palestinian cause, US support for authoritarian rulers, and Western opposition to Islamic regimes in Iran, etc. Frustrations: perceptions lead to militancy; it even leads to an international jihadi philosophy, which, in bin Laden’s interpretation, targeted the US

Why the “popularity” and rise of Islamic fundamentalist organizations in recent decades? Phenomenon of “over-reach”: in competitive situations, Islamists stretch their goals to compete with others pushing radical causes Authoritarian governments sometimes drive out “the middle”, leaving only the radicals offering opposition to their rule Some organizations offer both social benefits and extremist solutions, ie, Hezbollah in Syria, Lebanon, etc. Funding: Saudi Arabia continues to be the single most important source of extremist financing, notwithstanding efforts to curb this phenomenon since 9/11

Islamic fundamentalism is a reality: what is to be done within the Islamic world? Live with it; Islamic fundamentalism, shorn of its extremism, is not dangerous Try to isolate, minimize and eliminate the extremist advocates, including Wahabis Most dangerous when only the extremist fringe is active and vocal, capable of articulating its views Has to be viewed in its national context; no two situations alike Try for engagement on key societal issues: Equality rights Modernization

In foreign policy terms, what are the recommendations for the outsiders? Push to ensure a voice for Islamist doctrines in authoritarian Muslim states; don’t allow extremism to monopolize the political space Press cautiously to support alternatives, like liberal internationalism and secularism as the pendulum swings Sustain dialogues with Islamists, avoiding only the extremist fringes Address the sources of Muslim discontent, including the Middle East problem, authoritarianism, under-development, etc. Urge some access to political processes, to service in government, and the realities of modern policy formation

Last points: Islamic fundamentalism is not going away: Likely to be more prominent where there is hostility to the West More extremist and most dangerous in volatile conflict situations Military response to Islamic fundamentalism is only one response, and not a very good one The issue is accommodation over time, requiring patience and appreciation: a policy of slow suffocation by reducing the support for extremist causes The outcomes will depend upon local circumstances in an increasingly globalized world.

Annex Largest Islamic countries, by population: Indonesia 210 M Pakistan 198 M (96 percent of its population) India 190 M (14 % of pop, outnumbered by Hindu majority) Bangladesh 143 M Egypt 95 M Nigeria 95 M Iran 82 M Turkey 80 M Canada 1.2 M (roughly 3.2 % of Canada’s population) U.S. 3.5 M (roughly 1 % of population; smaller than Jewish pop) 49 countries world-wide have Muslim majorities Total number of adherents: roughly 1.8 billion people (2nd after Christianity) About 62 percent in the Asia Pacific region (Turkey to Indonesia)