What effect does Islamism have on politics and society?

Answer 1

Definition of Islamism

Islam is a religion. Islamism, however, is something else. It is a political ideology whose goal is to bring the religious tenets of Islam into the daily functioning of a government and its laws. Islamism is a modern movement whose roots began contemporaneously with the rise of Salafism in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Egypt. Islamism is not by nature violent or expansive. Many Islamist movements have concrete nationalistic goals such as the Islamists in power in Turkey.

Islamism's effect on Politics

Since Islamism is a political movement, it has a direct effect on politics. It is usually seen as being a form of religious conservatism. Countries where Islamism has become the ruling power, such as Iran from 1979 to present, Afghanistan from 1991-2001, Turkey from 2002 to present, the Gaza Strip from 2007 to present, and Egypt from 2011-2013, have several political trends. Most of them have pushed towards more conservative dress, pushed towards having Shari'a to be more central in governance, decreased or weakened relationships with West-leaning states, and increased antagonism towards Israel and religious minorities.

Islamism's effect on Society

Since Islamism creates a more conservative atmosphere, it reintroduces religious sectarianism and segregation that existed prior to the 1800s across the Islamic World. In Egypt, there was a higher incidence of bombings of Coptic Churches. In Turkey, the Neve Shalom Synagogue was bombd in 2003. In Afghanistan, the Shiite Hazaras were directly attacked and repressed. In Iran, the minority religious communities of Sunni Muslims, Baha'i, and Yarsan are completely forbidden from building religious centers of worship. It also creates the "air of supremacy", meaning that courts and judges are often prejudiced towards non-Muslims in a particular legal case. There may be difficulties for a non-Muslim to acquire land or move to a certain neighborhood that a ceteris paribas Muslim would not face. And there may be personal violence towards minorities that has become acceptable again.

In addition to religious minorities, women have also been negatively affected by Islamism. Islamic penal codes, which have become operative in Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, punish rape victims and weaken the legal position of women in courts. There is also the rise of "Shari'a police" in most Islamist states, who are nothing more than private thugs who beat those not in compliance with their perception of what the Shari'a mandates. These types of thugs are becoming increasingly present outside of the Islamic World, including parts of London and Paris.