The emergence of Islamism was a result of multiple factors that were brought upon by Western powers during the 18th century. In this century, the once powerful Islamic states lost their power and were subjected to Western colonialism as a result. Islam was then used by different military groups and individuals to accomplish political objectives using various methods depending on geographical location. Some groups wanted to see Islam given proper respect in the world and implemented in daily life, while other groups desired to use Islam as a mechanism to achieve independence from Western control. The decision of finding which tactic to use to accomplish such political goals differed greatly from region to region as success in one country did not necessarily predict success in another. The Islamic world is quite diverse and any political practices justified by Islam are context specific depending on the interpretations of religious ideas within the local culture. From Egypt to Indonesia, authoritative regimes to Democratic republics, no two Islamist movements were the same and the tactics used to propagate such movements differed vastly depending on the environmental circumstances and political structure of a country.
While Islamist movements varied, one of the main reasons for their existence was to rally citizens to receive independence from colonial powers, as apparent with Hamas and Hezbollah. What distinguishes Hezbollah and Hamas from transnational groups, such as Al Qaeda, is that the former group’s main objective was nationally bounded and they employed the concept of jihad to justify violence against foreign occupation. Hezbollah and Hamas’ main goal was to liberate their homelands through politics and orchestrated attacks in order have their demands heard. What sets these groups apart from trans-nationalist groups is that their violence was restricted within their countries and directed towards targets, which they deemed to be interfering with their goal of achieving national independence; while the latter sought to rid the Muslim world of Western occupation and ideologies, without being specific to a certain country. Initially, secular groups in both Palestine and Lebanon tried to achieve autonomy from their colonizers, but when unsuccessful, support began to shift toward Islamist groups because their ideas combined religious and nationalist ideology, which helped gain broader support. Muslims were advised not to rebel against their king during pre Islamic times citing tyranny is better than anarchy, but when their new “kings” were not Muslim anymore, it became acceptable to fight back against them. Political Islam, thus became associated with nationalistic ideologies combining nationalist and religious ideas as a whole to help combat the idea of living under colonial rule.
Another reason why Islamist movements came into existence was to protect the Muslim world from Western interests. The groups that receive the most attention for this categorization are the violent “Jihadi groups” such as Al Qaeda, whose main goal is to inflict damage onto Western powers. This is largely due to the West’s increased involvement in the affairs of the Muslim world. Al Qaeda’s origins began with the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, which the US supported. This occupation ultimately was a failure in overthrowing authoritarian and un-Islamic regimes. In the minds of these extremist groups, these violent actions were justified because they were carried out on the basis of Jihad in response to the presence of Western powers.
On the other extreme, there are certain transnational groups who share the same objective with militant groups, in that they want to islamicize societies, but without any form of violence. The Tablighi Jamaat are an example of such a group and their main goal is to helps Muslims become better followers of Islam and rid themselves of un-Islamic tendencies. Part of the reason for the non violent approach come from the origins of the group which was founded in India around the 1920’s. The group makes an active effort not to involve themselves in politics due to Muslims being a minority in India. A country with a majority Hindu population gives strong reasoning as to why the group doesn’t share the same tendencies as other militant transnational groups. Violent groups are able to take advantage of being in a Muslim dominated country knowing they wouldn’t have resistance to their aggression, where as the Tablighi Jamaat did not have this privilege.
Turkey and Indonesia are two major Muslim majority countries who have successfully allowed Islamists to become participants in the democratic process, thus allowing them to have their own parties. Democracy allows for Islamist parties to hold political significance, but forces these groups to compromise on certain issues and leads to moderation- a willingness to accept the democratic values. The problem with implementing a system such as democracy in Arab countries is due to the restrictive nature of politics which do not allow for moderation. Practicing democracy splits the Islamist groups with different ideas and ultimately cuts down the size of them; assuring that no unified Islamist group will take power. Transitioning into a democracy may be the future route for the Muslim world as time goes on.
The different manifestations of Islamist movements developed because of the diversity within the Muslim world ranging from culture, political systems, and socioeconomic development; all of which have made it impossible for the expression of Islamist ideology to be the same in another location. While some groups may have the same goal they want to achieve, the tactics used to implement such change are often completely different and are subject to the context of the situation. In the end, these differences offer an insight into which methods are best in achieving certain goals depending on the country and give way to the most effective one to be implemented for the future of the Muslim world.