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Middle East Review of International Affairs
Unity Through Opposition: Islam as an Instrument of Radical Political Change
by Thomas Butko
*
Abstract
In wake of the September 11 attacks, there has been a heightened focus on political Islam (or Islamism) as a global area of research. Yet, in spite of the view that political Islam is essentially internationally oriented in its outlook, the primary focus of Islamist groups is actually at the domestic level, as Islam is utilized as a political instrument to initiate radical political change within Middle Eastern states. These movements have arisen in reaction to attempts at rapid development and modernization which have not fulfilled the expectations of a majority of their populations. Urbanization, higher education, and the perception of relative material deprivation have led to feelings of alienation, frustration, and hence, a growing sense of powerlessness. Most individuals and groups disenchanted with the economic mismanagement and authoritarian political structures of Middle Eastern states have rallied around the Islamists. With an indigenous ideology, strong organization, and long-term strategy, the Islamists present themselves as the only credible alternative to the region's tired, inefficient, and repressive regimes.
Full Text (PDF, 16 pages, 95.3 KB)
Note *: Thomas Butko teaches Political Studies at Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta, in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. His research focuses most specifically on Islamist, anti-globalization, and other counter-hegemonic movements. His publications include "Political Islam and the Middle East Peace Process: A Veiled Threat," in Tami Jacoby and Brent Sasley (eds.), Redefining Security in the Middle East (London and New York: Manchester University Press, 2002), "Revelation or Revolution: A Gramscian Approach to the Rise of Political Islam," British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 31, No. 1 (May 2004) and "Islam as Political Ideology," in Don Carmichael (ed.), From Philosophy to Politics: Essays in Memory of Dimitrios S. Panopolis (Edmonton: University of Alberta, 2004).