FACT SHEET
Islamism, also known as political Islam or radical Islam, is an ideology based in the idea that Islam should guide political and social life, rather than being restricted to influencing the spiritual lives of Muslims.
History
Three key stages in the formation of modern Islamism were the end of the caliphate (1924), the creation of the Muslim Brotherhood (1928), and the foundation of Saudi Arabia (1932). The fall of the Ottoman Empire was a blow at the heart of political Islam in the Sunni world. The response was to centre Islamic values at the heart of a movement to restore the faith. This was firstly articulated by Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, then reiterated by Sayyid Qutb, who advocated for revolutionary Islamism. Saudi Arabia was the first state to identify its existence as an Islamic state, and has provided a location for the development of Islamist ideology.
The Afghan War (1978-92) drew thousands of Islamists into conflict. Al Qaeda formed to organise fighters from outside Afghanistan, adopting transnational ‘jihad’ in the 1990s. This inspired the formation of several terror cells, including Al Shabaab and Boko Haram in Africa.
Ideology
Islamists seek a society governed by their perceptions their faith. Key Islamist principles include the implementation of their interpretation of shari’a law, the creation of Islamic states, and, in some cases, the development of pan-Islamic unity. Some Islamists pursue their ends through non-violent methods, particularly standing for elections to create political change through the democratic system. Other groups consider democracy to be un-Islamic and use other methods to advance their goals, including perpetrating multiple terrorist atrocities.
Impact
Islamists have been responsible for the most deadly terrorist attacks in history: 9/11, in which almost 3,000 people were killed, and the Camp Speicher massacre in Iraq, in which over a thousand Iraqis were slaughtered by the Islamic State and buried in mass graves. Other large-scale attacks by Islamists have killed hundreds. These include the bombing of a barracks in Beirut (1983), the bombings of US Embassies in Dar es Salam and Nairobi (1998), the Bali bombings (2002), the Beslan school siege (2004), the London Underground bombings (2005), the Mumbai train bombings (2006), genocidal bombings of Yezidi communities in Iraq (2007), further attacks on Mumbai (2008), the Kano bombing in Nigeria (2012), the massacre of the Sheitat tribe in Syria (2014), the attack on Baga, amongst other atrocities by Boko Haram in Nigeria (2015), the downing of a Russian jet plane over Sinai (2015), two simultaneous bombings in Baghdad (2016), bombings in Mogadishu (2017), the Sinai mosque attack (2017) and the Sri Lanka Easter bombings (2019).downing of a Russian jet plane over Sinai.
While violent Islamism has shown itself to be one of the most deadly ideologies on the planet, there are many groups with differing tactics and aims. Although Islamist aims may be achieved through peaceful means, they are still likely to be harmful to women and minority populations (including other Muslims) due to their inflexible and understandings of Islamic law and customs.