Ideology of Fundamentalist Islam Explained Essay -- Muslim Religion, S

IntroductionThis try out concerns itself with exploring the Islamic and policy-making orientation of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), an Egyptian civil servant turned political and religious activist, inspired by fundamentalistic Islam. To gain an understanding of what influenced and formulated Qutbs ideas it has been necessary to provide some background information relating the history of current day Egypt and the emergence of reformist and fundamentalist Islam, from the 19th century until Qutbs time. The essay also seeks to give some biographical information in dress to provide a fuller picture of Qutb the man.Qutbs involvement with Egyptian religious politics caused him to come into conflict with the Nasser government of 1950s Egypt and Qutb spent a decade in prison. It was during this period he produced many of his seminal writings on the establishment of a truly Islamic society. By drawing on early Islamic thinkers and on direct interpretation of the Quran, Qutb advocated violence in establishing an Islamic state. The thinking behind and the implications of these interpretations are discussed at length in this essay to demonstrate how they have informed the belief of many Islamic fundamentalists, especially with regard to the use of violence to achieve their aims. The latter part of the essay focuses on the legacy of Qutbs ideas and how these have been manifest in various fundamentalist groups. However, because academic literature is often a few paces behind the present it has not been possible to explore some recent developmenst of Islam inspired violence in any detail, namely the emergence of fundamentalist groups within the Muslim diaspora of the West. The rise of fundamentalist Islam, especia... ...racuse N.Y. Syracuse University PressHourani, A. (1983) Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age 1798-1939. Cambridge Cambridge University PressJuergensmeyer, M. (2003) Terror in the Mind of God (3rd Edition). Berkeley, Ca. University of Cal ifornia PressLawrence, B.B. (1998) bust the Myth Islam Beyond Violence. Princeton N.J. Princeton University PressMoussalli, A.S. (1998) Islamic Fundamentalism Myths and Realities. Reading Garnet/Ithaca PressRabasa, A. et el (2006) The Muslim World After 9/11. Santa Monica, Calif. Rand CorporationRoy, O. (2004) Globalised Islam. London C. Hurst & CoRuthven, M. (2004) Fundamentalism The essay for Meaning. Oxford Oxford University PressTurner, B.S. & Ahmed, A. (2003) Islam critical concepts in sociology. London RoutledgeWeber, M. (1963) The Sociology of Religion . Boston Beacon Press