Feb 12
“Radical Islam”
A. Working the terrain of Muhammad’s life, the sacred time and place
nostalgia for Golden Age
al-Azhar
what is orthodoxy?
reform impulses in Islam
works on this terrain constantly
takes many forms over almost 1400 years
metaphor of repertory
B. One intellectual genealogy of particular import:
Ibn Hanbal and the Hanbali “school” (from 9th c) (Iraq, specifically Baghdad)
critique of the state, time of
Abbasids, Caliph Harun, experimentation
importance of the hadith, the
traditions of and about the Prophet
role of ulama as guardians of
legitimacy and interpretation,
Ibn Hanbal more willing to take exception to state
conservative about sources of
authority, stress early times more (Quran, Hadith)
more resistant to innovation
formulas that resonate: command the
right, forbid the wrong - cf. Morality Ministry of the
Taliban
Ibn Taymiyya, a Hanbali scholar (Iraq, Syria)
time of the Mongols, signficance
of the Mongols
the “Americans” of the 13th century
sharper interpretation of Hanbali
view
ulama as authoritative, not state or caliphs (not legitimate since early
days)
opposition to what he sees as non-orthodox forms: Shi`a, Sufis, Mongols
including open resistance, in difficult days
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (18th c Central Arabia)
picking up on these traditions
hostility to Sufism; willingness
to oppose governments
but... alliance with house of Ibn Saud
problem: like time of Muhammad,
creating unity among Bedouin tribes...
frequent state/cleric combinations
capture of Holy Cities early 19th
influence, attacks on Sufi “excesses” but also accepting Sufi “orthodox”
20th century emergence of the alliance
recapture of Holy Cities
assertion of primary role in interpretation
of Islam
not widely accepted, perhaps
but believed very fervently, and soon with resources to put behind it
discovery of oil and wealth
tremendous technological development
tremendous material “conspicuous” consumption
strong alliance with West and oil interests
but strict interpretation, or
at least their interpretation
schools, training there; model for Taliban
situation of women; women as indicators
situation of foreigners
missionary work: across the Islamic world, especially the periphery
liberation of Afghanistan fromthe Soviets
growing inequalities
growing critiques from within
and without
including Osama bin Laden
C. Emergence of other critiques of regimes, the West and the world
Maududi, al-Banna, Qutb
the Shia radicals
criticism of
Western imperialism,
its expression in modernization,
secular and corrupt ME regimes
Israel
D. Islamism (or whatever other name one gives it)
E. Violence against civilians and non-Muslim regimes: a new step