Islamic Movements: the Present in-between ‘Future’ and ‘Past’

Islamic Movements & their Agenda
May 25th, 2007 by a sane voice in a mad world
The Islamist Agenda
Posted: May 25, 2007 12:30 AM


In broad terms, all Islamist groups share a common objective-building a society where the government’s domestic and foreign policy reflect Islamic values and beliefs. Rather than “modernizing Islam,” they seek to “Islamicize modernity” by constructing a polity where Islam is not only respected by the state but is reflected in all aspects of society.

The Islamist Agenda

The whole series is worth a read for those who wish to understand. So an article with links is provided below:

Islamic Movements: the Present in-between ‘Future’ and ‘Past’

By IOL editorial staff

Seeing the condition of the Muslim world, it is more important than ever to focus on the future. But we can not look into the future only with a forwards gaze, leaving behind us the essence of our existence from the ‘past’. We also can not walk into the future with the backward gaze that wants to shape and retailer a ‘future’ after a particular history. Both approaches are amiss. We will have to start by what’s under our feet. We do not really live on a abyss. And even if we do we will have to start by looking under our feet, first, and decide on a destination.

It is the present explains the ‘past’–not vise versa; and, hence, it is future that will describe the ‘present’ with the best valid account. For, without an honest consideration (stripped from self-righteousness) and self-criticism (away from outside misconceptions and misunderstanding) the future—just as the present—will be at stake.

Here is a compiled file made by IOL editorial staff on assessing Islamic movements (please note both the analogous ‘Islamic’ and ‘movement’). Denial is not a cure. And so are self-determination, counter-terrorism or (or sometimes terrorism), and victimization; they are not isolated syndromes.

Our eyes are fixed on a better condition of the Muslim world and, equally, a humanity. If we pinpoint, we are not only condemning; we want a resolution. If we criticize, we are not only asking for reformation; we care for right realization. Hence, we introduce this file on Islamic movements.

Unlike what many think, ‘movement’ is not particular to armed resistance, per se; there are many messianic, pacifist, and populists. Also not all are ‘Islamic’, per se.

Should we blame ourselves only? Should Western and American hegemony get all the blame? Are ideological flaws within them? Are they a reflection of how ‘Muslims’ want to ‘move’ towards their objectives? We are trying to answer all such questions.

How Dangerous are the Islamists; by Nader A Hashemi; an assessment of revival discourses and the role of external interests (Contemporary Issues)

Islamic Movements: Self-Criticism and Reconsideration; by Shaykh Rashid al Ghanuchi; Islamic movements at a crossroad with modernity (Contemporary Issues)

Islamic Movements at the End of the 20th Century; by Michael Collins Dunn; a deeper look into the balance of power between the modern state structure and Islamic movements (Contemporary Issues)

How to Comprehend Jihad?; by Dr. Nadia Mahmoud Mostafa; Jihad, its Islamic theoretical framework in different historical epochs and the present (Contemporary Issues)

Towards A New Islamic Discourse; by Dr. Abdel-Wahab M. Elmessiri; a critique of the spectrum of Islamic discourses and the need for a new contingent one for the future (Contemporary Issues).

The following are other articles and live dialogues by experts on the subject at hand which are relevant to the question at hand.

The Future of Intifada: Did Military Action Have Positive/Negative Impact on the Palestinian Cause? By Dr. Azzam Tamimi, director of the institute of Islamic political thought (live dialogue)

Racial and Religious Terror in the American Experience: From the Klan to the Taliban By Dr. Ali Mazrui, Professor in the Humanities and Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University, State University of New York (live dialogue)

The Recent Ban of The Virtue Party In Turkey By Merve Kavakci, a former Member of the Turkish Parliament (live dialogue).

Post-War Middle East: Ground for Islamic Militancy? By Hossam el-Hamalawy, Los Angeles Times (Views and Analyses)

Chechnya: The Never Ending Conflict By Kareem M. Kamel
Researcher – International Relations (Views and Analyses)

Bitterness, Accusations & Muslim Denial: Aceh By Azizuddin El-Kaissouni
Staff writer – IslamOnline (Views and Analyses)

Islam Under Siege in Southeast Asia By Kareem M. Kamel, a researcher – International Relations (Views and Analyses)