The Rise of Islamism in the 20th Century
Riem Jalajel
History 271: The Modern Middle East
Writing Assignment #2
Professor Yanıkdağ
April 19, 2012
The rise of Islamism
Islamism is an ideology that demands Muslims complete adherence to the law of Islam and rejects as much as possible outside influence. It is based with a deep antagonism towards non-Muslims and has a particular hostility towards the West. It amounts to an effort to turn Islam, a religion and civilization, into an ideology. Islamism is, in other words, another twentieth-century radical utopian discourse, offering a way to control the state, run society, and give the Muslim community a sense of unity. Islamism is by now a powerful force. It runs governments in Iran, Sudan, and Afghanistan. It is an important force of opposition in Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, and the Palestinian authority.
The paper at hand is going to analyze what conditions and events allowed for the rise of Islamism as an ideology in the later 20th century? The first part is going to introduce the concept of eurocentrism. Following this, Kemalism and its effect on Islamism is going to be discussed. In the last part of the paper post-modernism and Khomeini and their role in the rise of Islamism are highlighted.
EUROCENTRISM
Eurocentrism can be described as a phenomenon establishing the West as the center of the world by equating it with modernity and as a result make it the destiny of the world to become westernized, since this is equal with being modern. This development is based on the idea that
"the West knows best" (Sayyid, 127). This concept has its historical roots in European colonialism and imperialism. "The discourse of eurocentrism is one of the major strands with which the network of western global power is held together "(p.129), since it provides them with a sense of unity and power, which serves as legitimacy for claiming to be the center of the world. Opposition that wants to resist this hegemonic order, can do so only
History 271: The Modern Middle East
Writing Assignment #2
Professor Yanıkdağ
April 19, 2012
The rise of Islamism
Islamism is an ideology that demands Muslims complete adherence to the law of Islam and rejects as much as possible outside influence. It is based with a deep antagonism towards non-Muslims and has a particular hostility towards the West. It amounts to an effort to turn Islam, a religion and civilization, into an ideology. Islamism is, in other words, another twentieth-century radical utopian discourse, offering a way to control the state, run society, and give the Muslim community a sense of unity. Islamism is by now a powerful force. It runs governments in Iran, Sudan, and Afghanistan. It is an important force of opposition in Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, and the Palestinian authority.
The paper at hand is going to analyze what conditions and events allowed for the rise of Islamism as an ideology in the later 20th century? The first part is going to introduce the concept of eurocentrism. Following this, Kemalism and its effect on Islamism is going to be discussed. In the last part of the paper post-modernism and Khomeini and their role in the rise of Islamism are highlighted.
EUROCENTRISM
Eurocentrism can be described as a phenomenon establishing the West as the center of the world by equating it with modernity and as a result make it the destiny of the world to become westernized, since this is equal with being modern. This development is based on the idea that
"the West knows best" (Sayyid, 127). This concept has its historical roots in European colonialism and imperialism. "The discourse of eurocentrism is one of the major strands with which the network of western global power is held together "(p.129), since it provides them with a sense of unity and power, which serves as legitimacy for claiming to be the center of the world. Opposition that wants to resist this hegemonic order, can do so only
Cited: Sayyid, S. A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism. New York, 2002. Print.