What is radical Islam?

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The distributor and main supplier of terrorism in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond these regions is the so-called radical Islam. It always manifests itself in different ways, but its main forms are already well known throughout the world. This is the explosion of the New York World Trade Center, violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt, the civil war in Algeria, the assassination of objectionable politicians and leaders of countries such as Mohammed Boudiaf, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak … And this is only a small part of those atrocities brought with it by radical Islam.

Definition

I must say that this expression was invented by Western politicians and eagerly picked up by journalists, who made it a common stamp. However, let's define: radical Islam - what is it, how did it arise and what are the ways to deal with it? This is very important, because today this ideology, against the background of existing socio-political problems, both in most Arab states and in Afghanistan, poses a truly global threat, filling the ideological and political vacuum that has arisen in Central Asia.

First of all, radical Islam is the settlement of various problems in a decisive and irreversible way, leading to individual or mass terror, kidnappings and murders of people, etc. Such violence, slavery and human trafficking, as well as the very kind of rampant Muslim fanatics cannot evoke any warm feelings for this religion in general and for Allah in particular, since they act on behalf of their god. And here it must immediately be clarified that this movement should in no way be identified with the Islamic faith.

Countries already ruled by radical Islamists

In states where the majority of people are Muslims, there are other trends. For example, conservatives in Saudi Arabia, moderate modernization in Egypt. But the radical movements in Islam here act as a more dynamic (not only political, but also social) force. They determine the attitude to everything that happens - both in this country and in the world. These currents now rule in three countries: Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Ideology

Now let's figure out how people are drawn into radical Islam, what it is and how everything looks in practice. The main task of radical Islamists is to convince every person that he is in mortal danger in the face of the so-called Western poison, which brings with it not a seizure or invasion, as it was before, but the seduction of modern materialistic and secular ideas, as well as certain lifestyle.

To eradicate such a threat is possible only with the monopoly of Islam, which completely controls the state. At the same time, a true Muslim must turn away from any manifestation of Western ideology, and also enter into one of the voluntary unions. Such associations are called upon to try to seize power in the state and expand the sphere of influence as much as possible by penetrating their members to elective positions in trade and professional representations, in parliament.

To achieve their ultimate goal, the radicals first of all seek to compromise the current government, calling it a lackey of the West and an adherent of secular modernism alien to every Muslim. Thus, the government is declared an enemy of Islam, and all members of the country's leadership are infidels. And as proof of this is that they do not apply the laws of Islam in relation to all aspects of life in the state.

Reasons for the radicalization of Islam

It must be recalled that the recourse to violence and terror was caused to a large extent by the repression of the state itself. An example of this is the persecution of members of Muslim brotherhoods in Egypt in the 1950s. As a result of such a thoughtless policy of AbdelGamal Nasser, Islamic currents acquired a more acute form. A vivid example is the bloody massacre organized by Hamas in 1982 on the territory of Syria, as well as the armed action carried out against Iraqi Shiite rebels 10 years later.

What the militants wantMuslims

It should be clearly defined what the radical movements of Islam are trying to achieve and what laws they are trying to impose in their countries. Western experts conducted a study of the activities of militant Muslims in Sudan and Iran. As a result, it turned out that these movements violate some laws relating to human rights, namely the treatment of social groups that are traditionally discriminated against in Islamic states (minorities professing a different religion and women).

As for the latter, they are forcibly forced to wear a tent-like attire called a veil. In addition, they are forbidden to visit places where men and women can usually be at the same time, for example, cinemas, lecture and ballrooms, etc. And students are provided with separate buses to travel to the place of study. Already in three countries - Afghanistan, Iran and Sudan - Islamists have introduced Sharia law, according to which the testimony of one man can only balance the same story of two women.

Where the radicals are in power, there is a constant persecution of people of a different faith. For example, Palestinian Christians are persecuted by adherents of Hamas, in southern Sudan people of other faiths often become victims of the Islamic regime of Hassan al-Turabi, and in Upper Egypt Copts are literally exterminated.

True Face

Radical Islam categorically rejects the current world order. Its adoption would mean collusion with the West, and peacefulresolution of existing contradictions is just an illusion. Radicals believe that international relations themselves are conflicting. The theory of jihad, or holy war, is based on the fact that armed clashes are and will be the rule for resolving differences until the end of the world comes. Therefore, militant Islamists are confident that only weapons and blood shed in the name of Allah are capable of repelling Western ideals, which now dominate almost the entire world. Only after the destruction of these regimes and the unity of all Muslims, as in the golden age of the Caliphates, can peaceful relations be restored.

At a time when social inequality, corruption and authoritarianism of the authorities are increasing every year, radical Islam is growing stronger and gaining popularity along with them (already in Central Asia). Muslims are increasingly involved in terrorist actions. And it is a pity that this bloody shadow falls not only on the peoples who profess Islam, but also on religion in general.