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(Part 7 of 7)
CONCLUSION
Religious fundamentalisms arose in the twentieth century and have
spilled over into the twenty-first century. By nature,
religious fundamentalisms oppose modernity as expressed in
contemporary Western morals and social values. Of the various
faith groups which contain fundamentalist elements, Islam has
provided the most vibrant and politically active expressions.
Although originating in the twentieth century, the groundwork for
Islamic fundamentalism was established during the course of the
previous centuries. The Prophet Muhammad, upon receiving
revelations from God which were compiled in the Quran, provided an
authoritative perfect text. In the centuries immediately
following Muhammad’s death, Muhammad’s teachings and actions (as
compiled in the hadith) provided authoritative guidance for
daily living, while Islamic legal schools established a tradition of
strict interpretation of Islamic law. By the 19th
century, in the face of pressures from Western civilization and
recognized internal weaknesses within Islam, revivalist movements
were calling Muslims to return to a pure faith based on strict
interpretation and application of Islamic law. The revivalist
movements, in turn, led to a focus on the utilization of political
force in the twentieth century in ongoing efforts to establish
Islamic law at the state level throughout the Middle East, South
Asia and North Africa.
Islamic fundamentalism’s response to Westernization finds form in a
number of expressions. Modernization is embraced even as the
West is vilified. Modern science is placed within the context
of and subjugated to the Quran. The results of modern science
(technology and weapons, for example) are utilized despite their
Western origins. Islamic fundamentalists denounce and reject
Western society and culture, while simultaneously seeking to purify
Muslim society through the forceful implementation of Islamic
(sharia) law. Women are the primary targets in
fundamentalist’s vision of Islamic law, and are subjugated and
persecuted in a variety of ways from clothing to appearances in
public to roles in public life. In terms of secular states,
the ultimate goal of fundamentalist movements is the overthrowing of
secular governments and the implementation of theocratic
government. The twentieth century to the present has witnessed
rising tensions between secularized states and growing
fundamentalist movements, as well as varied instances of
compromise. In general, tensions continue to increase as the
number and intensity of fundamentalist movements has risen sharply
in recent decades. |
