Editor's Introduction

Abstract

At the base of a great deal of modern terrorism, but not all, lies religious fundamentalism. A tricky word with sensitive and sometimes unexpected connotations, fundamentalism has acquired negative connotations among many Americans in an age of declining religious conviction and secular humanism. This view of fundamentalism is not discouraged by the terrorism carried out by Christian fundamentalists (and others) in gunning down abortion providers. They "execute" abortionists not because killing one doctor will end abortion but because of the expected psychological effect on all such providers. But in the Islamic context, most moderate, entirely nonviolent Muslims consider themselves to be, or in the process of striving to be, fundamentalist. For them the implication is that the believer is seeking to be as true as possible to the word of God as spoken by God through the passive lips of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic fundamentalism means to live the sayings and life example of the Messenger.