Terrence D. Thrweatt Jr.
Mr. Barber
Foundations of Islam
04/01/12
Political Islam
On November 10,
2005, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC Media) published an article on
Political Islam, entitled “How Islam got Political: Iran”[1].
The article discussed the history of the interaction of Islam and politics.
More importantly it covered the history of the rise of political Islam in the
United Kingdom, a country thought to be one of the paramount leaders of the
westernized world. Author of the article traces the origins of the article back
to Iran, which is significant because of its theocratic government, where its
head of state (and ultimately government) is an Ayatollah. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4424118.stm
I
find the article to be a historical account of events that led to “Islam and
politics” as we know it today. I quote that because Islam and its involvement
in politics can be viewed as its own separate topic. There are many countries
and governments that base their laws on the fundamentals of Islam and
particular movements in Islam, such as Saudi Arabia and its enforcement of
Wahhabi doctrines[2].
This article, however, approaches the theory of politics and Islam from the
country in which its presence is most obvious, Iran, in which theology is
infused into the government. A question that I have for the author is if this
article came in light of the discussions and uproar about Islam stemming from
the July 7, 2005 attacks in London, England? Another question would be was this
article to set the record straight of who is to blame for the attacks or
political Islam?
I
believe that this article was intended to straighten the record on Islam and
its involvement in politics by having the readers look to Iran as a present-day
example of what Islam is, and by providing organizations, movements, and people
responsible for Islam in politics. Again, the article gives a brief account of
the history of the Islamic revolution and the experience of British Muslims. As
part of the experience of British Muslims it mentions the immigration of
thousands of Muslims in the 1950s and ‘60s, and the harsh treatment that
Muslims in Britain face today. This may have been purposely placed in the
article to justify the July 7, 2005 bombings as a culmination of the
frustrations that British Muslims have felt since their existence in the
country. Furthermore, I believe that the article is not blaming Muslims in
Britain specifically for the bombings, but it is blaming Muslim organizations,
such as the Muslim Institute led by Kalim
Siddiqui for promoting and inspiring hate.
But, I would like to disagree with the article that Siddiqui inspired hate.
Instead, Siddiqui was promoting “nationalism”, he saw the Islamic people
in Britain as a nation- a separate people, and because of that he believed that
they should have separate set of laws (which he promoted via his “Muslim
Parliament” proposal).
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