Islam and Processes of Social Development of Foreign Countries in the East

Abstract

Our day has seen a pronounced increase in the influence of the religious factor both upon processes of social development in the traditional lands of Islam and upon world politics as a whole. This influence has no uniform manifestation in the various spheres of the life of society, and is employed in the interests of diverse social strata and political groups. During the first stage of the revolution in Iran, the "Islamic factor" helped to sharpen its anti-Shah and anti-imperialist tendencies. Simultaneously, a counterrevolutionary campaign against the legitimate government of Afghanistan got under way under the banner of Islam. In Pakistan, Zia ul-Haq's proclamation, at the beginning of 1979, of reorganization of the existing sociopolitical and economic system on an Islamic foundation served the interests of the ruling capitalist and landlord bloc. Egyptian President Sadat is employing Islam as an ideology to strengthen the positions of reactionary forces and to camouflage his separate deal with Israel and American imperialism. At the same time, the oppositions to Zia ul-Haq, Sadat, and the leadership of Saudi Arabia also have recourse to Islam.