Islamic Fundamentalism Research Articles

The rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism and violence against women in Nigeria

AbstractRecent years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in attacks on women's rights and freedom in sub‐Saharan Africa. No historical quantitative research exists that analyzes how sexual, physical, and emotional violence against women is influenced by the rise of radical Islam in Nigeria. Consecutive survey data for the years 2008, 2013, and 2018 were analyzed to determine associations between religion and other risk factors for violence against women. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for covariates. Sexual violence against Muslim women increased by 216.7% compared to a 25.4% increase among Catholics. Muslim women with no education had a lower estimate of the sexual violence they experienced (β = −0.15, CI: −0.137 to −0.016) than Christian women with no education (β = −0.05, CI: −0.138 to −0.004). The risk of violence against women has increased in recent years due to the activities of Boko Haram in the Muslim‐dominant north. We show that the effects of religion and education on violence against women are interconnected.

Review of The Rise of the Niʿmatullāhī Order: Shiʿite Sufi Masters against Islamic Fundamentalism in 19th-Century Persia

The Rise of the Niʿmatullāhī Order: Shiʿite Sufi Masters against Islamic Fundamentalism in 19th-Century Persia. By Reza Tabandeh. Iranian Series. Leiden: Leiden University Press, 2021. Pp. xiii + 303. $72, €66 (paper).

Social Sciences (Miscellaneous): Categories of Morality and Ethics in Modern Dominant Socio-Philosophical Concepts

Annotation. This article is devoted to the analysis of the categories of morality and ethics in the modern socio-philosophical concepts dominating in the world. The work provides a comprehensive analysis of the concepts of "morality" and "ethics" as socio-philosophical categories and as phenomena of social reality. In particular, morality in the work is understood as a set of ideas accepted in a particular society (which can be formalized in the form of regulations, legal customs and judicial precedents, or reflected in traditions, folklore, linguistic culture and other stable forms of social communication) about possible and acceptable boundaries of human behavior and his relationship to the surrounding reality (primarily society, man and nature), through the prism of which a person manifests himself as a thinking being with freedom of internal choice. In turn, ethics in work is understood as the internal side of morality, which is formed in a person in the process of interiorization of his psyche, which is a set of ideas conscious and accepted by a given person about the possible and acceptable boundaries of his behavior, as well as about his relationship to the surrounding reality (material and the immaterial world). The article substantiates the concept of a dominant socio-philosophical concept and provides a system of features identifying it. The authors analyze current trends in the positioning of the concepts of "morality" and "ethics" in the main socio-philosophical concepts dominant in the modern world: neoliberalism; neoconservatism; liberalism; conservatism; neo-anarchism; neo-marxism; marxism (proletarian internationalism); anti-globalism; alter-globalism; global constitutionalism; Islamic radical fundamentalism; Shiism; Sunnism, traditional and Orthodox Judaism, Chabadism. The work substantiates the position that the processes of globalization, which currently cover all of humanity, lead to an extremely negative tendency to smooth out contradictions regarding the ideas of the dominant socio-philosophical concepts on the model of man within their framework, one of the typifying features of which is the formation in human society of a new morality (an anti-moral person), whose behavior and attitude to the surrounding reality is increasingly determined by the system of his desires and needs, which, in turn, are increasingly formed in a manipulative manner by the global managing elites represented by the global managing class, without having any relation to the real needs of both individual citizens and society as a whole, ensuring their preservation and full development as rational, self-aware and free individuals.

Intersubject correlations in reward and mentalizing brain circuits separately predict persuasiveness of two types of ISIS video propaganda

The Islamist group ISIS has been particularly successful at recruiting Westerners as terrorists. A hypothesized explanation is their simultaneous use of two types of propaganda: Heroic narratives, emphasizing individual glory, alongside Social narratives, which emphasize oppression against Islamic communities. In the current study, functional MRI was used to measure brain responses to short ISIS propaganda videos distributed online. Participants were shown 4 Heroic and 4 Social videos categorized as such by another independent group of subjects. Persuasiveness was measured using post-scan predictions of recruitment effectiveness. Inter-subject correlation (ISC) was used to measure commonality of brain activity time courses across individuals. ISCs in ventral striatum predicted rated persuasiveness for Heroic videos, while ISCs in mentalizing and default networks, especially in dmPFC, predicted rated persuasiveness for Social videos. This work builds on past findings that engagement of the reward circuit and of mentalizing brain regions predicts preferences and persuasion. The observed dissociation as a function of stimulus type is novel, as is the finding that intersubject synchrony in ventral striatum predicts rated persuasiveness. These exploratory results identify possible neural mechanisms by which political extremists successfully recruit prospective members and specifically support the hypothesized distinction between Heroic and Social narratives for ISIS propaganda.

Islam, Radicalism and Terrorism in the Perspective of the Qur'an: A Thematic Interpretive Study

This study examines the relationship between Islam, radicalism, and terrorism from the perspective of the Qur'an using a thematic interpretation approach. The main focus is to understand how the Qur'an views and responds to issues related to radicalism and terrorism. This analysis includes an examination of relevant Qur'anic verses, particularly Surah Al-Hujurat verse 9 and Al-Maidah verse 33, which emphasize that radical and terrorist actions are not justified in Islam. The study also traces the historical and ideological roots of radicalism and terrorism in Islam, including the influence of Khawarij jurisprudence post the Battle of Siffin. In conclusion, the Qur'an strongly condemns acts of violence and extremism and underscores the importance of a correct and moderate understanding of religion to prevent the misuse of religious teachings.

Contemporary Traditions and Challenges: Tafsir Maudhu’I’s Study of Islam and Fundamentalism<b></b>

Islam and fundamentalism have become significant subjects in contemporary studies of religion and politics. The presence of fundamentalism in the context of Islam poses complex challenges, particularly in managing the relationship between tradition and contemporary realities. This research employs descriptive and thematic content analysis methods to analyze the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism, exploring its origins, characteristics, and impacts in social, political, and cultural contexts. Through a descriptive approach, this research provides a comprehensive overview of the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism from historical, doctrinal, and practical perspectives. Thematic content analysis allows for an understanding of interpretations and applications of Islamic doctrines that underpin fundamentalist movements. The findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between the rich tradition of Islam and rapidly changing contemporary contexts. While fundamentalism often claims to uphold the "purity" of tradition, this research demonstrates how rigid understandings and interpretations often conflict with the values of modernity, human rights, and pluralism. The results of this research provide deep insights into the dynamics between Islam, fundamentalism, and contemporary challenges. Their implications stimulate critical reflection on how Muslim and non-Muslim societies can respond to these challenges in ways that promote dialogue, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

The importance of a semantic approach in understanding the texts of the Holy Quran and Sunnah

The relevance of the study is determined by contemporary ideas of modernisation and radicalisation of Islam, the formation of which is directly linked to the problem of interpreting the sacred texts of the Muslim world. Therefore, the aim of the research work is to determine the veracity of applying linguistic and semantic approaches to the interpretation of the Holy Quran in order to find new ways of regulating the socio-cultural space. The research was conducted on the basis of the semantic, cultural, semiotic and formal-logical approaches, using such methods of scientific knowledge as induction, deduction, linguistic analysis, systematisation, comparison, synthesis and generalisation. In the course of the research work, key narratives of contemporary Islam were analysed in terms of their specific understanding of the Holy Quran. The current state of research into the interpretation of the sacred texts of Islam is reviewed. The specifics of understanding the Holy Quran in the context of its metaphorical constructions are explored. The relationship between the linguistic structure of the Arabic language and the interpretations of the texts of the holy injunctions has been established, on the basis of which two ways of investigating the understanding of the Quran have been proposed. A comparative analysis of the research findings with other research findings in the category of modern interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah has been conducted. The trend towards digitalisation of the sacred texts of Islam, as well as the use of artificial intelligence technologies to interpret the ayahs, has been noted. The practical significance of the research work lies in proposing new methodologies for interpreting sacred texts, which can then be qualitatively applied in practice.

Ideological and Linguistic Features Analyses of US Presidential Written Discourse addressing Immigration and Terrorism Issues

The aims of this study seeks to examine the underlying linguistics features and ideological concept found in the political speech of American EX President, with a specific emphasis on tweets related to Islamophobia and immigration. The study employs a descriptive and interpretive research design. The corpus of the study consisted of 50 purposely selected Tweets, spanning from 2nd January 2015 to 20th May 2020. Data analysis were conducted using Fairclough's ten-question model (1993). It is found that Trump strategically employed his presidential authority to target Islam and immigration, portraying them as the root cause of terrorism and economic challenges. Trump employed favourable terms while referring to Americans and his supporters, while associating Islam and immigrants with unfavourable descriptors. The findings of this study revealed that Trump employed hyperbole to magnify the perceived threat posed by Islam and immigrants. Trump predominantly employed modal verbs expressing certainty rather than those indicating likelihood in order to demonstrate authority. The future and simple present tenses were commonly used to depict the current threat posed by immigration and the terrorism perpetrated by Islamic groups. The comparative and superlative forms were employed to compare the current state of brightness in the US with its past. The pronouns "we, our, us" were used most frequently to convey a sense of oneness and reduce the perceived barrier between Trump and the audience. Declarative sentences were the most expressive and meaningful acts.

Meninjau Kasus Intoleransi Beragama dan Gerakan Fundamentalisme Islam Indonesia dari Perspektif Moral Johann Gotlieb Fichte

Religious intolerance cases in Indonesia still occur frequently. This happens due to the minimal awareness of the society. Additionally, it is also caused by the ideology and influence of Islamic fundamentalist groups. Therefore, the author utilizes the thoughts of Johann Gotlieb Fichte to shape societal awareness and highlight the errors of Islamic fundamentalists. The author employs a qualitative-descriptive method, elaborating research findings in descriptive form with sources from qualitative data. Consequently, data collection is conducted through literature review. The author presents five aspects from the research findings. Firstly, the awareness of individuals to use their reason in practicing religion. Secondly, everyone needs to ensure the religious freedom of others due to moral demands. Thirdly, there is a need for encouragement that upholds equality rights. Fourthly, individuals practicing religion need to prioritize morality to achieve common goals. Fifthly, there is a necessity for a language of diversity to be collectively embraced.

Resistance of Islamist Groups to Government Policies in the Settlement of Religious Radicalism

Resistance of Islamist Groups to Government Policies in the Settlement of Religious Radicalism

Echo of the Arab Spring in Asia: A Quantitative Analysis

There is no doubt that the Arab Spring triggered a global wave of social and political destabilization which significantly exceeded the scale of the Arab Spring itself and affected all the world-system zones, including Asian countries.2 The analysis suggests that in the Asian region there were two waves of destabilization caused by the Arab Spring. The first started in 2011 and included a series of mostly peaceful protests, which had some features similar to the Middle Eastern revolutions in their organizational forms and communication methods. The second wave, in turn, took place in 2012–2014, when protest movements in Asia began to follow their own path, adding local discontent to their agenda. It was also connected with a sharp increase in terrorist activity in the Middle East, due to the weakening of several authoritarian governments and the emergence of consolidated terrorist organizations. Some Islamist groups in some Muslim-majority Asian countries, in their turn, pledged allegiance to these organizations (first of all, to ISIS/Daesh). Terrorist activity spread from the Arab world to Asia through various channels: the internationalization of jihadist ideas by militarized groups; ISIS propaganda on the Internet; refugees and jihadists returning to the region from the battlefields of the Arab World.

Role and importance of Egypt in regional geopolitics

The article analyzes the role and significance of the Arab Republic of Egypt in regional geopolitics at the present stage. The author pays special attention to the specific role of its armed forces, which not only perform tasks to protect the state from external threats and combat terrorism,but also take an active part in the internal political and economic life of the country. The peaceful nature of Egypt's foreign policy is emphasized, Cairo's desire to take part in the work of the UN, Arab League, AU, OIC, BRICS, EU, other international and regional organizations, and to maintain mutually beneficial relations with leading world powers, Israel, Arab, African and Asian countries on a bilateral basis. Diversifi cation of Egypt's foreign policy and foreign economic relations with foreign countries, maintaining a balance of interests of all countries interested in Egypt ensure stability and progressive development of the state in all areas. The author also points out the continuing objective diffi culties and even crisis phenomena in the Egyptian economy: infl ation, devaluation of the national currency, large external borrowings, youth unemployment, loss of income from the operation of the Suez Canal, the tourism industry, etc. The next serious test for the country was the tragic events in the Gaza Strip, when the Israel Defense Forces launched a large-scale military operation against the militants of the radical Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad (the latter is recognized as terrorist and is banned in Russia). The threat of an uncontrolled exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees from this Palestinian exclave to the Sinai Peninsula requires vigilance and preventive measures from Egypt's security forces. Along with this, Egypt remains one of the leaders in the Middle East, Africa, and among Muslim countries. Cairo's emphatically independent foreign policy and neutrality in regional conflicts allows it to maintain strategic partnerships with the United States while simultaneously developing relations with Russia and China in all areas.

Refutation of the Prescription of Death Penalty for Apostasy in Musa Bigiev’s book <i>Qawaʼid fiqhiyyah</i>

The article examines the example of ijtihad by Musa Jarullah Bigiev (1875–1949), which consists of a critical analysis and refutation of the Shari‘a provision prescribing the death penalty for apostates who renounced Islam. The material is based on Bigiev’s comments to one of the rules of fiqh, collected and presented by him on the pages of the work “Qawa‘id fiqhiyyah” (Kazan, 1910). Bigiev calls one of Shari‘a goals “protection of life,” i. e. the protection of the rights of both humanity as a species and each individual. At the same time, he considers the “right to freedom” to be an innate and inalienable human right. As an integral part of this right, Bigiev considers the “right to freedom of religion” as a Shari‘a principle, which is designed to prevent reprisals against those who change their faith and, in light of this conclusion, raises the question of whether the practice of the death penalty for apostasy is consistent with Islam. In conclusion, the idea of the existence of two types of Muslim fundamentalism, essentially different from each other, is voiced.

The Role and Management of Ma’had Al-Jami’ah in Constructing Religious Character Values in PTKIN

This research is motivated by the movement to spread extreme ideology increasingly facilitated by the existence of new media as a tool to inform, propagandize, and spread radical ideas. To overcome this, efforts to voice a moderate way of religion (religious character) are needed. The implementation of a system to fortify students from extremist Islamic groups is done through the implementation of ma’had. This study aims to determine, analyze the characteristics, and construct the formation of religious character in students at PTKIN throughout Indonesia. Applying qualitative research method, the data were collected .from the field based on observations and interviews and library data deriving from books, scientific articles (journals), research reports, etc. Data analysis techniques include data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings of this study indicate that the characteristics of religious character in Ma’had Al-Jami’ah PTKIN throughout Indonesia can be identified by looking at intact faith, diligently performing worship, and having noble character. The role of Ma’had Al-Jami’ah in constructing religious character values in students at PTKIN throughout Indonesia is very strategic. This research contributes to PTKIN in Indonesia in accepting and graduating a very large number of students. The process of forming religious characters in students at PTKIN throughout Indonesia can be said to run simultaneously, namely through ta’lim activities, moderate insights, habituation of ubudiyah, and enactment of rules because ma’had has designed various religious activities in it in an integrated and continuous manner, aka becoming a daily routine.

Explaining the vicious circle of political repression and islamic radicalism in Central Asia

Explaining the vicious circle of political repression and islamic radicalism in Central Asia

The Portrait of an Alla Franca Shaykh: Sufism, Modernity, and Class in Turkey

AbstractThis paper illustrates the heterogeneity of Islamic publics in early 20th-century Turkey by examining the life and thought of Ken'an Rifai, a Sufi shaykh and high-ranking bureaucrat in the Ottoman Ministry of Education. It argues that Shaykh Rifai endorsed state secularization reforms on religious grounds and shows how he reformulated Sufi Islam by imbricating Sufi ethics with other social imaginaries of the time through the lens of an upper-class bureaucrat. This paper contributes to Turkish studies by highlighting the previously overlooked role of elite Islamic groups who collaborated with the early republic. It also challenges the dominant paradigm of a binary opposition between the secular ruling elite and pious masses. Additionally, this paper offers insight into broader anthropological and historical Islamic studies by demonstrating the diverse ways Sufi traditions adapted to modern governance.

Examining Islamism, Peacebuilding, and Interfaith Dialogue in Papua, Indonesia

This article describes and analyses a complex relationship between Islamisation, peacebuilding, and interfaith dialogue in Papua. Before the presence of transnational Islam, the relationship between Muslims and Christians was in harmony, and they lived peacefully. However, such radical transnational Islamic groups have created tensions and conflict between these two religions as well as intra-religious frictions among Islamic groups. Furthermore, tensions among different religions have provided another nuance to the long-running separatism-flavoured conflict in Papua. This paper will describe the presence of transnational groups that promote Islamism and how the religious leaders in Papua, through Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama or FKUB [the Religious Forum for Tolerance], reduce religious conflicts by making Deklarasi Papua Tanah Damai [Papua Land of Peace Declaration]. Furthermore, it explicates the framework of interfaith dialogue and how it is practised to maintain communal harmony in Papua. However, the interfaith dialogue is still used traditionally in Papua and has yet to resolve the root cause of the existing religious conflicts. Keywords: Islamisation, Communal Conflict, Transnational Islam, Peacebuilding, Interfaith Dialogue

Dynamics of Religious Thought in Pesantrens in Indonesia: Between Radicalism, Moderation, and Liberalism

This research aims to track the evolution of thought and religious movements in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) within the era of globalization. The approach employed in this study is literature review. The findings from this research indicate that radicalism and liberalism within a pesantren are greatly influenced by its leaders, whether they are the owners, kyai (religious leaders), or senior students (santri). If the leaders of a pesantren tend towards radical views, then the pesantren and its students are likely to also hold radical perspectives. Conversely, if the leaders maintain moderate attitudes, the pesantren and its students are inclined towards moderation, and in certain situations and times, may even lean towards liberalism. In the context of globalization, pesantren in Indonesia are no longer entirely dominated by traditional or fundamental-radical groups. New pesantrens established by other Islamic groups have altered the landscape of pesantren, each with its unique identity. This illustrates changes in the face and mindset of pesantren, which have become increasingly diverse over time due to the influence of globalization.

From Politics of Islam to Terrorism: Discovering the Roots of Islamophobia in Indonesia

Islamophobia is an issue that has affected both minority and majority Muslim communities in many countries, including Indonesia. To gain a deeper understanding of Islamophobia in Indonesia, this study focuses on two of eight components of Islamophobia identified by Sabri Ciftci (2012), namely, Islam is perceived as a political ideology and is associated with violence. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including historical-comparative and survey, the authors explore how the Indonesian government has dealt with Islamophobia since the Old and New Order periods. This research also delves into how Islamophobia has impacted minority Christians and moderate Muslims during the Reform Era, where Islam is often associated with religious intolerance and terrorism. The results indicate that Islamophobia in Indonesia has three primary root causes linked to certain Islamic societal behaviour: political tensions between Islamic fundamentalists and nationalists regarding the state ideology, religious tensions between radical Muslims and Christians resulting in intolerance, and acts of terrorism using Islamic symbols. This research concludes Islamophobia in Indonesia has switched from the government to the community level, requiring the government policy to eliminate Islamophobia in a pluralistic society.

White partisans’ reactions to real politicians’ tweets framing white supremacy and radical Islam as terrorist threats

ABSTRACT In recent decades, the discussion of terrorist threat in the United States has focused almost exclusively on radical Islam. Now, progressive politicians increasingly talk about white supremacy as a form of terrorism. We explore reactions to this new rhetoric using two survey experiments, in which non-Hispanic white respondents are exposed to real tweets of Democratic and Republican politicians discussing white supremacy and radical Islam as security threats. We formulate two alternative expectations: after seeing messages from Democratic politicians linking white supremacy to terrorism, whites may either diverge in their assessments of Republicans’ anti-Muslim appeals depending on their own partisanship or they may uniformly rate anti-Muslim rhetoric as more acceptable. Both experiments show significant increases in the perceived acceptability of anti-Muslim appeals when they are presented after messages about white supremacy, and these results are driven by white Democrats. Our results highlight the potential side effects of political communication about terrorism.