DB #2 Student Post
Robert Gleason
Political Islam
For this discussion post, the term political Islam must be interpreted in the broadest possible sense. According to March (2015), this term refers to a variety of contemporary political movements, intellectual currents, and state-directed programs concerned with giving Islam an authoritative standing in the realm of politics. With this basic definition, the remainder of this discussion will examine the idea of Political Islam and how Western policies and practices, more notably those made by the United States, may have acted as a catalyst for the spread of Political Islam throughout the Middle East.
Historical Background
Following the conclusion of World War I, the League of Nations developed several treaties that established "spheres of influence" for the countries of the United Kingdom and France. The treaties divided the former Ottoman Empire into colonies for the listed countries. According to Taylor and Swanson (2018), this perceived intrusion into Arab lands led to a series of revolutions throughout the Middle East, further exacerbated by the mandate system, which gave sovereignty over Palestine to Great Britain. From that time, several events took place that created a power vacuum leading to the rise of radicalization and political Islam. For example, Chapman (2019.) argues that if Israel agreed to the terms of UN Security Resolution 242 and withdrew from regions it had occupied resulting from the Six-Day War, then Hamas would not exist. Chapman further argues that Hezbollah would not exist today if Israel had not invaded Lebanon and that there would be a good chance that ISIS would not exist if the United States had not invaded Iraq in 2003.
U.S Policy
US foreign policy was fundamentally influenced by its security. According to Jou (2016), after World War II, the United States’ foreign policy was centered on Europe and working to halt the spread of Soviet dominance there. After the fall of communism in Russia, Jou argues that the United States was committed to supplying security to many parts of the world, which the Middle East was one of these regions that the United States was more focused on than any other region in terms of security, politics, economy, etc. Jou asserts that due to numerous geopolitical factors, including its vast oil and gas reserves, ongoing instability, political Islam, and other factors, the region is regarded as one of the most critical strategic places in the globe.
The Rise of Political Islam
According to Taylor and Swanson (2018), “Terrorism … plays to emotion not intellect.” With the United States establishing a foothold in the region, many within the faith of Islam believed that the United States disrespected their faith. In response to the attacks on September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden stated that the United States “disrespected Islam by stationing their troops near holy sites, exploiting the riches in the region, and supporting puppet right-wing dictators" (Taylor & Swanson, 2018, p.75). Osama Bin Laden believed that the West was exploiting the Middle East region due to its vast resources and cared very little about the local population. Bin Laden used religion as a political tool to garner support and justify terrorist acts against those he believed as exploiting and disrespecting the region.
Christian Worldview
Matthew 24:4 says, “… Watch out that no one deceives you” ( New International Version, 1978/2011). Because people can be gullible or easily tricked, people might be manipulated and told to turn in the incorrect way. The teaches found in Matthew remind us to be on guard against those who may manipulate and use others for their purposes.