Islamic Fundamentalism

13 Pages 3350 Words

ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM: GLOBAL MISUNDERSTANDING OR GLOBAL THREAT?
A lot has been said, especially through media channels, about Islamic fundamentalism over the past years, rising with the tragic 9/11 events. At that point in time, Islamic fundamentalism and its apparent consequential branch, terrorism, were the primary causes for the occurrence of the tragedy. My paper will try to cast an objective light upon this established global phenomenon, in order to better understand where it comes from and where it is heading; I will also take into consideration the actors that have taken the necessary measures for preventing or stopping the negative effects of such a trend; in the end, I will state my opinion regarding these decisions and try to offer better solutions.
First of all, what does the word fundamentalism mean? According to Col. B.S.Burmeister , fundamentalism, taken in its conceptual framework, is a term which was originally used to describe Christian doctrines (!) that were based on a literal interpretation of the Bible- usually, these developed into 19th c. movements that were against modern scientific theories or philosophies. Furthermore, in spite of its origin, the term changed its meaning in such a manner that it actually describes the actions and ideologies of another religion nowadays. According to the Brittanica Concise, Islamic fundamentalism is a “conservative religious movement that seeks a return to Islamic values and Islamic law (Shari’ah) in the face of modernism, which is seen as corrupt and atheistic. Though popularly associated in the West with Middle Eastern terrorists, only a few Islamic fundamentalists are terrorists, and not all Arab terrorists are fundamentalists. The Iranian revolution of 1979, established an Islamic fundamentalist state, and the Taliban has established has established its own version of the same in much of Afghanistan. Islamic fundamentalist movements have varying degrees of support in...