NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Militant Islam

Militant Islam is an approach to Islam that holds that the religion and its followers must be aggressively fought for on a political and religious level. Just as militant Muslims are but a segment of Islam, so too are supporters of violence and terrorism only a segment of all militant Muslims. Designation of people as practitioners of militant Islam is often highly contentious. Critics of such designation often ascribe bias and/or prejudice to such use of the term. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Persian and Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

Groups advocating Islam as a political movement are invariably responding to complex political and historical situations, usually with deep roots in the local environment. For example, the rise of the conservative Jamaat-e-Islami party in Bangladesh would not have been possible without widespread public reaction against the corruption of the secular Awami League government in that country. But this complex local political history is completely lost in the simplistic reductionism of terms like Muslim fundamentalism, which ultimately explains little by blaming a multitude of problems common to less developed countries (including violence and lack of democracy) on religion. The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ... Jamaat-e-Islami (Arabic: Ø¬Ù…Ø§Ø¹ØªÙ Ø§Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù…ÛŒ, Islamic Assembly Jamaat, JI) is an Islamic political movement founded in Lahore by Syed Abul Ala Maududi on 26 August 1941. ... The Bangladesh Awami League (বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ Bāŋlādeś Āowāmī Līg) or the Bangadesh Peoples League is the main opposition party in Bangladesh. ... Islam is a religion of peace and sinceriety to other muslims and non-muslims . ...

In fact, the application of the term Islamic militancy is so broad that it encompasses any kind of revolutionary movement in any Islamic country. Invariably, this means that it lumps together such a variety of nationalist, marxist and ethnic movements that it has no longer has any real ideological content. The only defining characteristic it has is that it is militarism in a Muslim context; but this explains very little. Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal view of a society as being best served (or more efficient) when it is governed or guided by concepts embodied in the culture, doctrine, system, or people of the military. ...

The members of such groups are more likely to see themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, as the political origins of such groups in Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya and most recently post-Saddam Iraq are often rooted in political demands for statehood and nationalist self-determination. In Muslim majority societies, these nationalist sentiments invariably are mixed with a feeling of Muslim identity, and this produces the ideology of pan-Islamism or Islamism. The most international of these groups, Al-Qaida also has its origins in a particular nationalist struggle; namely, rebellion against the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi regime is perceived as being too closely associated with American foreign policy, particularly through its support of the US liberation of Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Since Al-Qaida's ideology is one of pan-Islamic nationalism and solidarity, the Saudi regime was thereafter seen as insufficiently Islamic; although such a view is bewildering to Westerners, who cannot imagine anything more 'Islamic' than the country's Wahhabi brand of Islamic law. To Al-Qaida in particular, the world is viewed as a struggle between their Islamic ideology and a secular Western ideology. Some observers suggest that this view of the world has, ironically, been strengthened by the War on Terror. The Contras were often referred to as Freedom Fighters by US President Ronald Reagan. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , NoxÃ§iyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , NoxÃ§iyÃ§Ã¶), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Nokhchiyn, is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). ... Pan-Islam is a religious movement calling for the Muslims of the world to unite. ... Political Ideologies Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: This article is about political Islamism. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... The war on terrorism or war on terror (abbreviated in U.S. policy circles as GWOT for Global War on Terror) is an effort by the governments of the United States and its principal allies to destroy groups deemed to be terrorist (primarily radical Islamist organizations such as al-Qaeda...

Militancy as the defining attribute

No one doctrine

As scholars of this movement have carefully outlined, in a very great variety of works up to and through the 1970s, there is little tactically in common in the various movements that seek to apply Islam as a solution, or use its terms to rationalize their solutions, to issues in the modern Islamic world. The only two objective things that can be said about all of militant Islam is: (a) they are militant and employ force or violence directly, either in offense or defense (b) they justify this using the rhetoric of Islam, e.g. that of jihad. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Jiaad, Djihad, or Cihad, (Arabic: â€Ž ) as an Islamic term, literally means struggle in the way of God or striving hard in Gods cause and is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, although it occupies no official status as such in...

This is a common and frequent phenomena in the history of Islam. The tarika, in addition to spreading Islam to Africa and adapting it to local conditions (the al-urf or custom of each region), had a role to play in resisting colonialism - this is the origin of Islam as a militant and "underdog" faith to motivate resistance to some ruling authority which is not Muslim or adhering to Islam. The Ottoman Empire was marked by such conflicts, and the British Empire, as there were typically a number of Muslims in rebellion against either at any one time, using Islam to justify their actions. The Arabic word á¹¬arÄ«qah (Ø·Ø±ÙŠÙ‚Ù‡, pl. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... In Islamic law (Sharia Arabic: شريعة), al-urf العرف is the custom of a given society, leading to change in the Egypt, marriage the Urfi way means to get married without offical papers issued by the state (Zawag Urfi:زو&#1575... Pith helmet of the Second French Empire. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Motto: Ø¯ÙˆÙ„Øª Ø§Ø¨Ø¯ Ù…Ø¯Øª Devlet-i Ebed-mÃ¼ddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital SÃ¶ÄŸÃ¼t (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans - 1281â€“1326 Osman I - 1918â€“1922 Mehmed VI... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Olivier Roy, a French policy advisor to President Jacques Chirac, characterizes the goal of modern militant Islam as to re-establish a Caliphate, or a single common government for Muslims all over the world. This might resemble world government or the Roman Catholic hierarchy in certain respects; however, since most Muslims are Sunni and reject the role of a formal clergy (unlike the Shia), the actual implementation of such a regime would be complicated. Olivier Roy (born 1949) is the research director at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a lecturer for both the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) and the Institut dEtudes Politiques de Paris (IEP). ... Jacques RenÃ© Chirac (born November 29, 1932) has served as the President of France since he was first elected in 1995. ... The Caliphate (Arabic Ø®Ù„Ø§ÙØ©) is the theoretical federal government that would govern the Islamic world under Islamic law, ruled by a Caliph as head of state. ... It has been suggested that World Federation be merged into this article or section. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ...

More than "fundamentalism"

Islamic fundamentalism is not, by definition, militant. In general, Islamic fundamentalists may have some degree of agreement or sympathy for Islamic militants, as there is likely to be some overlap of views between them. However, just as one may hold leftist views without advocating revolutionary Marxism, there is a glaring difference between the two groups. Islamic fundamentalism is a religious ideology which advocates literalistic interpretations of the sacred texts of Islam, Sharia law, and an Islamic State. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... Revolutionary, when used as a noun, is a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ...

The use of the term fundamentalism can potentially be used to disdain religion as a solution to problems of the modern secular world. It is worth noting that many aspects of a wide variety of movements, including Baptist, Mennonite, Quaker, Orthodox Jewish, Zionist, Wahabist, could be said to be fundamentalist, and perhaps even "out of touch." But regardless of the term's implications, what fundamentalists do have in common is resistance to a secular global political monoculture that seemed to be in ascendance at that time. In comparative religion, fundamentalism has come to refer to several different understandings of religious thought and practice, through literal interpretation of religious texts such as the Bible or the Quran and sometimes also anti-modernist movements in various religions. ... Baptist is a term describing a tradition within Christianity and may also refer to individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. ... The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after and influenced by the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons (1496-1561). ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts (The Oral Law) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, where Jewish nationhood is thought to have evolved somewhere between 1200 BCE and late Second Temple times,[1][2] and where Jewish kingdoms existed up to the 2nd century CE. Zionism is... Wahhabism (Arabic: Ø§Ù„ÙˆÙ‡Ø§Ø¨ÙŠØ©, Wahabism, Wahabbism, Whahhabism) is an Islamic movement, named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703â€“1792). ... A world government is a hypothetical entity consisting of a single government with authority over an entire planet. ...

The term Islamist was at first used to describe those who took Islam to be a political philosophy. A variety of labels have grown from this term, from radical Islamist to fundamentalist Islam to Islamofascist, all with varying degrees of critical tone and accuracy. Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what...

20th century militant movements

In order to understand the origins of Islamic movements, it is advisable to first consider the role of tarika in spreading Islam, and two movements, Deobandi and Wahabism, which are not considered militant, nor even necessarily radical, but which influenced the key figures in Modern Islamic philosophy and tactical events that created the rationale for modern militant Islam. For a broader treatment of these ideas in context, see modern Islamic philosophy. There is also a more general overview of Islam as a political movement that does not focus on militants or their specific ideals. The Arabic word á¹¬arÄ«qah (Ø·Ø±ÙŠÙ‚Ù‡, pl. ... There are many new trends in Islamic Philosophy and meanwhile some traditional schools are still very alive and active. ... There are many new trends in Islamic Philosophy and meanwhile some traditional schools are still very alive and active. ... The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ...

The Deobandi Movement

In India, the Deobandi movement developed as a reaction to British actions against Muslims and the influence of Sayed Ahmad Khan, who advocated the reform and modernization of Islam. Named after the town of Deoband, where it originated, the movement was built around Islamic schools (principally Darul Uloom) and taught an interpretation of Islam that encouraged the subsurvience of women, discouraged the use of many forms of technology and entertainment, and believed that only "revealed" or God-inspired knowledge (rather than human knowledge) should be followed. The Deobandi (Hindi: à¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¤¬à¤¨à¥à¤¦à¤¿, Urdu: Ø¯ÛŒÙˆ Ø¨Ù†Ø¯ÛŒ) is an Islamic revivalist movement in South Asia which has more recently also spread to other countries, such as Afghanistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. ... Sayed Ahmad Khan(1858-1902) was a Muslim leader and writer in India. ... Deoband (the Latinised name, from Devband or Devaband in Hindi and Urdu) is a small city located in Saharanpur district in the upper Doab region, in Uttar Pradesh. ... Darul uloom (Arabic: Ø¯Ø§Ø± Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ù„ÙˆÙ…) also transliterated dar al-`ulum, darul ulumetc. ...

Though the Deobandi philosophy is highly puritanical and wishes to remove non-Muslim (i.e., Hindu or Western) influence from Muslim societies, it was not especially violent or proselytising, confining its activity mostly to the establishment of madarassas, or Muslim religious schools. The English language word proselytism is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix pros (towards) and the verb erchomai (to come). ... Madrassa in the Gambia The word madrassa in the Arabic language (and other languages of the Islamic nations such as Persian, Turkish, Indonesian etc. ...

These schools now number in the tens of thousands across Asia, mostly in Pakistan and India, and remain the core of the Deobandi movement. They are a major sector of Muslims in the region (the followers of Sayed Ahmad Khan being a significant minority). The Taliban movement in Afghanistan was a product of the Deobandi philosophy and the madarassas. Sayed Ahmad Khan(1858-1902) was a Muslim leader and writer in India. ... Armed Taliban in pickup truck in Herat, July 2001. ...

This term is misleading, as it can imply anything from an equivalent of an American Bible college to an outright terrorist training camp. The term taliban, meaning "student," can be equally misleading in certain circumstances. A Bible college is a tertiary education institution for the purpose of instructing students to prepare them for ordination to Christian ministry (i. ...

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi was an important early twentieth-century figure in India, then, after independence from Britain, in Pakistan. Strongly influenced by Deobandi ideology, he advocated the creation of an Islamic state governed by sharia, Islamic law, as interpreted by Shura councils. Maududi founded the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1941 and remained at its head until 1972. His extremely influential book, "Towards Understanding Islam" (Risalat Diniyat in Arabic), placed Islam in modern context as an extension of natural law. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic law. ... Shura is an Arabic word for consultation. It is believed to be the method by which pre-Islamic Arabian tribes selected leaders and made major decisions. ... Jamaat-e-Islami (Arabic: Ø¬Ù…Ø§Ø¹ØªÙ Ø§Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù…ÛŒ, Islamic Assembly Jamaat, JI) is an Islamic political movement founded in Lahore by Syed Abul Ala Maududi on 26 August 1941. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Natural law or the law of nature (Latin lex naturalis) is a law whose content is set by nature, and that therefore has validity everywhere. ...

This radical view enabled not only conservative ulema but liberal modernizers such as al-Faruqi, whose "Islamization of Knowledge" carried forward some of Maududi's key principles. Chief among these was the basic compatibility of Islam with an ethical and scientific view. Quoting from Maududi's own work: Ulema (, translit: , singular: , translit: , scholar) (Islamic clergy) refers to the educated class of Muslim scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. ... Ismail Raji Al_Faruqi Ismail Raji al_Faruqi (January 1, 1921 _ May 27, 1986), renowned Palestinian-American philosopher who is widely recognized as an authority on Islam and comparative religion. ... Islamization of knowledge is a term which describes a variety of attempts and approaches to synthesize the ethics of Islam with various fields of modern thought. ...

Inherent in these views were an intolerance for rule over Muslims by non-Muslims, as the latter were, according to Maududi's interpretation, simply incapable of actually comprehending natural law - if they could, they'd be Muslims. This article is about an Islamic term. ...

The Muslim Brotherhood

Maududi's ideas were a strong influence on Sayed Qutb in Egypt. Qutb was one of the key philosophers in the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which began in Egypt in 1928 and was banned (but still exists) following confrontations with Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser, who jailed Qutb and many others. The Muslim Brotherhood (founded by Hassan al-Banna) advocated a return to sharia because of what they perceived as the inability of Western values to secure harmony and happiness for Muslims. Since only divine guidance could lead humans to be happy, it followed that Muslims should eschew democracy and live according to divine-inspired sharia. The Brotherhood was one of the first groups to advocate jihad against all those who do not follow Islam. As al-Banna said: Categories: Islam-related stubs | 1906 births | 1966 deaths | Muslim philosophers ... Muslim Brotherhood symbol. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... Imam Hassan al Banna (October 14, 1906 - February 12, 1949) was an Egyptian Islamist best known as founder of the Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwan ul Muslimeen or al-Ikhwan. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Jiaad, Djihad, or Cihad, (Arabic: â€Ž ) as an Islamic term, literally means struggle in the way of God or striving hard in Gods cause and is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, although it occupies no official status as such in...

Islamic Jihad movements

This exhortation was followed by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organisation, responsible for the assassination of Anwar Sadat, but with a twist: Islamic Jihad focused its efforts on "apostate" leaders of Islamic states, those who were secular and introduced Western ideas and practice to Islamic societies. Their views were outlined in a pamphlet written by Muhammad Abd al-Salaam Farag, which said: "...there is no doubt that the first battlefield for jihad is the extermination of these infidel leaders and to replace them by a complete Islamic Order..." It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Al-Gamaa al-Islamiyya. ... Muhammad Anwar Al-Sadat (Ù…ØÙ…Ø¯ Ø£Ù†ÙˆØ±Ø§Ù„Ø³Ø§Ø¯Ø§Øª in Arabic) (December 25, 1918 â€“ October 6, 1981) was an Egyptian politician and served as the third President of Egypt from September 28, 1970 until his assassination on October 6, 1981. ...

Another Islamic Jihad group emerged in Palestine as an offshoot of the Egyptian group, and began militant activity against the state of Israel, and consistently opposed itself to the policies of the secular Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Yasser Arafat. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic: â€Ž; or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary organization regarded by the Arab League since October 1974 as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. ... This article is about the Palestinian leader. ...

Wahhabism

Perhaps the most influential strain of thought, however, came from the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabists, who emerged in the 18th century led by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, also believed that it was necessary to live according to the strict dictates of Islam, which they interpreted to mean living in the manner that the prophet Muhammad and his followers had lived in during the seventh century in Medina. Consequently they were opposed to many innovations developed since that time, including the minaret, marked graves, and later television and radios. The Wahhabis also considered those Muslims who violated their strict interpretation to be heretics, and thus used violence against other Muslims. When King Abdul Aziz al-Saud founded Saudi Arabia, he brought the Wahhabists into power with him. With Saud's rise to prominence, Wahhabism spread, especially following the 1973 oil embargo and the glut of oil wealth that resulted for Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabists were proseltyizers, and made use of their wealth to spread their interpretation of Islam far and wide. Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... For other persons named Muhammad, see Muhammad (name). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... `Abd al-`AzÄ«z Ä€l Sa`Å«d (November 26 (?), 1880 - November 9, 1953) (Arabic: Ø¹Ø¨Ø¯Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ø²ÙŠØ² Ø¢Ù„ Ø³Ø¹ÙˆØ¯) was the first monarch of Saudi Arabia. ... At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ...

Current movements

Modern Islam went through major political and philosophical developments in the early part of the twentieth century, but it was not until the 1980s that it became powerfully militant in an international arena. The Khomenist revolution in Iran, though Shia in character, provided an inspiration to many radicals and served as an example that an Islamic state could be established, using violent and militant means. The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... Ayatollah Khomeini founded the first modern Islamic republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (آیت‌الله روح‌الله خمینی in Persian) (May 17, 1900 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the political... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ...

During the conflict against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, many militant Islamists came together to fight what they saw as an atheist invading force. This confluence resulted in many alliances being made between groups with similar ideologies, but also many alliances of convenience. Significantly, Usama bin Laden, a Saudi influenced by Wahhabism and the writings of Sayed Qutb, joined forces with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad under Ayman al-Zawahiri to form what is now called al-Qaida. The aftermath of the Soviet invasion eventually led to chaos, and then the rise of the deobandi Taliban, a movement which bin Laden helped influence in more radical directions following his arrival in Afghanistan in 1996. Osama bin Laden Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957 or July 30, 1957) (Arabic: أسامة بن محمد بن عود بن لادن), commonly known as Osama bin... Group photo of Ayman Al Zawahiri, Usama Bin Laden & Abu Hafs Prosecution Trial Exhibit from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui Sheikh Dr. Ayman Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri (Arabic: â€Ž) (born June 19, 1951) is a prominent member of the al-Qaeda group, a physician, author, poet, and formerly the head of... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Armed Taliban in pickup truck in Herat, July 2001. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Much militant activity since has been directed against governments in Muslim societies, which those professing Islam as an exclusive political movement oppose because they are governments according to human law, not what they consider to be "divine" law.

However, among most militants, a considerable effort has been made to fight Western targets, especially the United States. The United States arouses anger because of its support of the state of Israel, its presence on sacred Saudi soil, what some militants regard as its aggression against Muslims in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, what others regard as its neglect of Shia resistance in the wake of the UN-Iraq war (which got many Shia killed) and its support of dictatorial and corrupt regimes that they oppose. Israel is viewed with hostility throughout the Islamic World but especially in the Arab World, so it is relatively easy to find help for any activity undertaken against it. Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ... Map of Arab League states in dark green with non-Arab areas in light green and Somalia and Djibouti in striped green due to their Arab League membership but non-Arab population. ...

Usama bin Laden, at least, believes that this is of necessity due to historical conflict between Muslims and Jews, and considers there to be a Jewish/American alliance against Islam. This rhetoric has echoes of that of American "militias" concern with a Zionist Occupation Government controlling the federal government of the USA. Lexington Minuteman representing militia minuteman John Parker Militia is the activity of one or more citizens organized to provide defense or paramilitary service, or those engaged in such activity. ... Zionist Occupation (or Occupied) Government, or ZOG, is an accusation made by antisemitic conspiracy theorists that a certain government is controlled by Jews. ...

A cover story?

Some of these movements do not practice much of Islam, a few do. Hamas, for instance, has both a social organization in the Gaza Strip, and a militant wing that has been responsible for a great many suicide bombings in Israel. Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Hamas (Arabic: â€Ž; acronym: Arabic: â€Ž, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement; the Arabic acronym means zeal) is a Palestinian Islamist organization that currently (since January 2006) forms the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ...

There is some debate as to how influential the more militant movements remain. Some scholars assert that, as an intellectual movement, the simplistic interpretation of Islam as a non-democratic movement is a fringe that is dying, following the clear failures of nominally Islamic regimes like the regime in Sudan, the Wahhabist Saudi regime and the Deobandi Taliban to improve the lot of Muslims.

However, others (e.g. Ahmed Rashid) feel that the stricter and more democratic Islamic parties still command considerable support, in part due to their honesty, and cite the fact that Islamists in Pakistan and Egypt regularly poll 10 to 30 percent in electoral polls which many believe are rigged against them. Ahmed Rashid (b. ... Look up Honesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Certain of these movements are often accused of being primarily motivated by terrorism as a tactic. For discussion of this accusation see the article on the term Islamism which is employed by the accusers who reject the rationale of Islam itself. We do not attempt to compile a neutral list here. Terrorist redirects here. ... Political Ideologies Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: This article is about political Islamism. ...

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