|
Holy war - why do some Muslims become fundamentalists?Religious radicalisationHOLY WAR - WHY DO SOME MUSLIMS BECOME FUNDAMENTALISTS? This is a revised and expanded edition of the book first published in 1992 under the title: Passionate believing: the 'fundamentalist' face of Islam. It is divided into three clear parts: an introduction to Islamic fundamentalism; significant historical and modern models of Islamic fundamentalism; an evaluation and reflection. The author states his aim is to 'delve into those various passions and prejudices and discover their foundations' (p 15). The first part looks in some detail at the influence of Mullah Omar, founder of the Taliban, exploring the historical background and thus showing how Afghanistan was fertile ground for reaction and the rise of this group. Such a setting was ideal breeding ground for other fundamentalist/terrorist movements from neighbouring countries, not least Usama bin Ladin's 'base' Al-Qaida. 'World-views' and the part played by cultural conditioning are explored. What comes across clearly here is the incompatibility of the Islamic world-view with that of the secular West and '...the irony of the situation is that modern Islamic 'fundamentalists' adhere to a world-view that is far closer to the biblical norm than is our Western aberration' (p 68). The Islamists' goals vary from place to place but they all desire a return to Islamic principles they feel have been lost, ignored or abused in the wake of encroaching Western ideologies. Part three picks up on tawhid and explains the importance of shari'a law within that doctrine: 'Law is the protector of what is valued in human life and what is honourable in human relationships' (p. 210). Obviously interpretation of the source scriptures is key and open to abuse. The final chapters look briefly at 'fundamentalism' in other religions and throw up some challenges for Christians, not least that Christ needs to be brought back in to the centre of life in the West, and that Christians need to try to understand the Islamists' perspective and not look on them as the 'enemy'. The book is rather heavy on material in parts, especially for any with no prior knowledge of the Islamists in question or the situations in their countries. However there are helpful tables throughout and a good set of appendices. The interspersion of fictional 'background cameos' also helps to lighten some quite dense chapters. Lisbet Diers, © Evangelicals Now - October 2003 |