Islamic Revival as Third Worldism

Abstract

The recent revival of Islamic movements in politics, of which the Iranian revolution of 1978–9 is thus far the most important and dramatic example, has given rise to a host of brief scholarly and journalistic studies in the West. In general, these studies have concentrated on the revival as such — discussing its local causes and manifestations and sometimes venturing to predict its future. There has, however, been little in the way of comparison of Islamic revival with other kinds of movements — comparisons that might make the Muslim revival appear less unique and incomprehensible, and in part as one of a type of movement that the world has already experienced and whose general causes and ideological manifestations may usefully be compared.