Module overview
The historical memory of the West has always dissociated religion from the revolutionary ideal, from the Enlightenment principles that opposed it. From a Western perspective, Islam denoted tradition, while revolution represented change. However, in many Islamic societies, sociopolitical movements have been closely intertwined with Islam. From the 1979 Revolution in Iran to the Arab Spring of 2012, revolutionary movements were expressed in religious language. Therefore, revolution and change within an Islamic framework are not inherently contradictory.
This module discusses the crisis of identity that Islam is experiencing today by examining two different definitions of Islam:
Political Islam seeks to revive Islam's "golden age" by adhering to early Islamic principles and establishing states governed by Islamic law (e.g. al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Taleban (in Afghanistan).
Reformist Islam aims to modernize Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and reform sharia law to meet contemporary needs. However, reformist Islam—whether rooted in theoretical arguments or practical realities—is frequently overshadowed by the prevailing notion that equates Islamism exclusively with militant jihadist groups.
Both political and reformist Islam challenge the traditional interpretations of Islam that prevailed until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The module examines these movements that manifest differently across diverse sociopolitical and historical contexts.