Confessions Of A Lapsed Islamist

Is Islamism, Islam ?he goes on to assert:
I define Islamism as the twentieth century political"What Qutb fails to inform his vanguard, however, is
movement to instill "Islamic" governments in Muslimthat the code of conduct he subsequently elaborated
countries. The intellectual architects of this movementin his 'commentary' on the Koran matches that of
were Sayyid Qutb, Maududi, Ayatollah Khomeini andCarrel much more than Muhammad's own Traditions.'
Hassan al-Turabi, amongst others. They have formedThe result is not an indigenous form of governance,
the political and governance template for movementsbut 'a Third World version of Fascism." (Courtesy of
in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Somali,Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad)
Sudan and Pakistan. The Islamist movements beginThis is not to say that Islamism is synonymous with
with a small, religiously purified elite of the widerfascism, which clearly it is not. Nor is it to say that all
group of believers that are welded into a group thatIslamic thinkers are identical, they are not. Maududi's
form the nucleus for political and community action. ItJaamat e Islami was enthusiastically democratic and
is interesting to observe that this type of Qutbnon violent. The critique of it is different to that of
Islamism is now employed as a modus operandi forSayyid Qutb. Qutb's later writings, especially from
Christian groups who wish to transform theirprison have an authoritarian and revolutionary flavor
community support into political power. The RNC'sthat is not authentically Islamic.The purported
flirtation with the evangelicals has parallels withtemplate for radical Islamists such as Qutb, and the
Ikhwan's links to the Nasserites, right down to thesource of his Islamic authenticity is their alleged
betrayal, (but not the executions).fidelity to the method of the Prophet Muhammad
Islam is of course what we all understand it to be,(PBUH). This assertion is false and they must be
the religious belief and codified ritual practicechallenged on it.
contained in the Quran and Prophetic (PBUH) Sunnah.In pre-Islamic Arabia, there was no government, no
It is the basis of what a Muslim does.government structures and only the most
Although there is wide religious diversity amongst therudimentary tribal understandings. Even during this
proponents of Islamism there is surprising unity inperiod, and with the profound difference in
political method and public governance. Khomeni forunderstanding, the Prophet (PBUH) did not impose his
example is a "twelver shia", Maududi founded thewill upon Medina, although the citizens had invited him
Jammat e Islami and Qutb was the spiritual sourceto do so. Rather his community power, grew
for movements as including the Muslim Brotherhoodgradually with increasing community support. Political
at one end and Al Qaida at the other. There aresupport lagged behind widespread community support
fundamental theological differences between thesein Medina: Abi Salul was allowed to sit in the presence
movements, but the chronology of their rise, theof the Prophet (PBUH) and mock him without fear,
method of their political action and the similarities ofalthough the Prophet enjoyed widespread community
their governance suggest that they are surprisingsupport and was de-facto ruler of Medina. He did not
similarities.impose Islamic rules on other faith communities, but
Islamist governments are one party structures withrather treated them generously often at the
weak or non-existent alternative voices. Althoughexpense of strict justice to Muslims. As Islam spread
they reach power via the ballot box they arethe Muslim rulers were known for their minimalist
disdainful of the transformative power of publicintervention in local government, economics and
participation in community governance. They alsotrade.
shun transparency, media freedom and gradualism.The Islamic law was a welcome relief from the
The governments have strong social justicearbitrary negotiated justice of tribal law and allowed
commitments and high standards of personal publicguarantee of property rights and was administered
official accountability, although over time these areby an independent impartial judiciary, which is they
eroded by the corruption of unchecked politicalvery opposite of the current situation. The Islamist
power. There is always a concentration of powerdoctrine is disturbingly messianic, something that is
amongst the spiritual elite, such as the Iranian theun-Islamic. If one wishes to preach, it is better to
revolutionary guardian council.actually preach the worship of God, rather than
Islamist governments concentrate disproportionatelypreach a totalitarianism that you may believe will in
on the outward manifestations of Islamic observance,the future be congenial to the worship of God, i.e.
women's dress, alcohol consumption, prostitution, etc.the worship of God rather than the worship of
They seem less willing to understand or rectify otherIslamism.
more important systems of government. There is noGroups such as Hizb ut Tahrir take this absurdity to
standard Islamist economic policy, but there areits logical limit when they claim that their vision of
strong trends to a determinist economic model,Islamist government is actually a secular system of
although this is widely recognized as a failed model,rules that will produce a Utopian society. They
and is ironically profoundly "un-Islamic".therefore are not interested in preaching this worship
Although Islamist governments are authoritarian andof God, but rather the adherence to a set of political
keen to introduce what they deem to be "Sharia"ideals which are claimed to be central to the Islamic
law they are surprisingly devoid of ethic of the ruleideals of government. These assertions are false.
of such law, the narrow scope of legislation toIslam needs to be lived first before it is legislated.
certain aspects of criminal law (the Hudud), and theyInstitutionalizing piety is itself problematic, as we are
do not tolerate a judiciary independent of thecurrently discovering.
executive. The fidelity toward the absolute rule ofThe first generation of Islamists who are now
law or to governance based on unchanging set ofentering the last years of their lives are full of
legal principles is conspicuously lacking.The arbitraryregrets. In private conversations they admit that the
nature of legal rulings itself becomes an obstacle toerrors they made were to rush into political power
social stability and economic progressand compromise or distort religious principles for short
Islamist governments appear to have more interm political gain. They also admit that in formulating
common with Marxist regimes of the early and middletheir lofty goals they were almost childlike in their
part of the twentieth century than with thenaiveté. One recurring regret is prominient,
Prophetic (PBUH) model of governance in Medinat ulmoving from a community based religious movement
Nabi in the 6th century. Their development along thisto a political party has been a tragedy for the
abbherent path reflects the very low level offormer. Once it entered politics, the growth in the
education amongst Islamists group and theirIslamist support stopped, then gradually declined. If
unwillingness to read non-Muslim scholars andone were primarily committed to the promotion of
understand that this type of governance has beenworship of Allah, this should be alarming.
tried and has failed. Islamist have no understanding ofAs one who feels that the Muslim world will never
Islamic finance that are rarely developed beyondtruly be itself until Islam forms an integral part of its
rudimentary systems, nor do they understand thepolity, I don't wish to see a secular government. That
gradualism that is required to move societies. Islamistmodel (e.g. Bathism in Iraq, Egypt and Syria) has been
regimes are revolutionary and radical. they seek totried and failed. Nor has secular government given
impose the will of the elite on the masses withoutsecurity to non-Muslim countries who have interests
persuasion, trust and transparency. Islamistin the Muslim world, indeed it is regularly argued that
governments confuse their own survival with that oftotalitarian secular polity has been the germ that has
Islam, which forms the basis for their missionary zeal,fuelled Islamic radicalism. But the Islamist models that
resembling most closely that of Lenin's Octoberare on display today are excessively romantic,
revolutionaries.formulaic and shallow. Islamists need to turn down
Youssef Choueiri details the profound similaritiesthe temperature of their public religious fervor and
between the the 19th century French Nobel prizedemonstrate that they can govern a community.
winner Alexis Carrel and the thesis of Sayyid Qutb.