Islam in a Globalized World

Muslim Brotherhood - Origins• Founded 1927 by Hasan al-Banna in Ismailia• Reaction to:

– Colonialism– Secularism: ex. Orientalists in Azhar, Ali Abd al-Raziq,

Taha Husyan• Main features:

– Grass-roots Islamic revival = mobilizing Abduh’s reforms– Anti-colonial– Anti-Zionist– Highly Organized: usra to murshid al-aam

• By 1940’s in Egypt it was almost state within a state, with hospitals, companies, etc

• Sent volunteers to aid in 1948 war• Violence against gov. and after 1948 against Jews in

Egypt 1949 Banna gunned down

Egyptian MB post 1952• 1954 crackdown: dozens hung and

Brotherhood disbanded and banned• Sayyid Qutb: Jahiliyya / Hakimiyya• Slight rehabilitation under Sadat after

1970 • 1981: mass arrests of over 1500• Umar al-Tilimsani and Mahdi Akef:

non-violent political opposition movement

• Numerous Journals: ex. Al-Da’wa

Islam is the Answer

Ikhwan in Other Arab Countries• Syria: repression and rebellion (1981)– Hama and Damascus branches– MB attacks 1980 death sentence on members– 1982 Hama uprising: 5000-20,000 civilians killed– Since 1980s call for shura, independent judiciary

• Sudan: forming a shaky government– National Islamic Front founded 1976 with Hasan

Turabi as leader (attorney general in 1979)– 1989 coup by Gen. Umar al-Basheer and Turabi– Turabi’s platform: all Sudanese equal, no hadd

until ideal state achieved, women and men totally equal

• Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco…

Yusuf al-Qaradawi (b. 1926)• Student of Muhammad al-Ghazali and

Ikhwan member… jailed several times in Egypt until he left for Qatar

• Global Mufti:– Al-Jazeera show ‘al-Sharia wa al-Hayat’– Popular writer: ex. Al-Halal wa al-Haram fi

al-Islam• Fatwas:– Suicide bombing in Palestine– US troops allowed in region to defend, but

Muslims can fight US military– Kufr and rejecting truth?

Fethullah Gulen (b. 1941)• Head of largest group of Said Nursi

(d. 1960)’s followers (Nurju)… bases his writings on Said Nursi’s

• Served as preacher for 30 years for Ministry of Religion, based in Izmir

• Compatibility of Islam, democracy, science and human rights, global economy

• Movement focuses on building schools and interfaith dialogue

• Since 1997 living in the US

Gülen in The Messenger of God Muhammad show the Prophet as the embodiment of the moderate and holistic religious vision: "The problems of our time will be solved by following the way of Muhammad.”

Only the Prophet’s model offers us the ideal healthy and holistic combination of science and religion, worldliness and spirituality: “the Prophet Muhammad perfectly combined a philosopher's intellect, a commander’s valor, a scientist's genius, a sage's wisdom, a statesman's insight and administrative ability, a Sufi master's spiritual profundity and a scholar's knowledge in his own person.”

Gulen on spousal abuse

Tablighi Jama’at• Founded outside of Delhi in 1926 by

Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas• Reaction to Hindi proselytizing

movements• Hugely influential in South Asia:

massive annual meetings in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

• Faith revival, tied to Deobandi school and mild Sufism

The Six Directives1) All Muslims must know the shahada2) … How to pray properly3) … basic Islamic beliefs4) All Muslims must honor fellow

Muslims5) Muslims must always be honest and

sincere6) All Muslims must devote time to

preaching to others.

Tablighi Jama’at around the World

• Very active on university campuses• Malaysia and Indonesian focus on

moving ‘Mulims’ away from syncretic practices

• Non-political, although it receives tacit and sometimes mild active support from some Muslim governments like Pakistan