Islamism
is at times a fascinating book but at others
frustrating and infuriating in its overtly partisan approach to this important
topic.
Now this is not an unpalatable combination for some books-
too many ‘academic’ books lack passion so I am loath to criticise it- but for
one that puts so much store in criticising the scholarly approaches of many of
the other books on this broad subject, its approach, which time after time
smacks more of being apologetic for the excesses of Islamism rather than
explanatory, grates that little bit too much.
Having said that, there is much to learn in this book and
once your suspend the authors partisan approach to the subject, there is some
clear thought, meticulous research and interesting angles on the phenomenon of
contemporary Islamism that need to be understood more widely, and I certainly
feel better informed for having read parts of it.
Islamism cannot be assessed as a monolithic political and
religious/cultural movement; it is riven by many of its own schisms and
operates both on a local and global level, and awkwardly so more often than
not. In that way it shadows Western
capitalist secularism, the importance difference being of course, Islamism
roots it’s ideology in the metaphysical mores of religion whereas post-enlightenment,
‘the West’ in all its own many different strands of culture and politico-religious
beliefs, has based its approach to the organisation of society on liberal democracy,
a loosely accountable establishment, and broad [if patchy] attempts at achieving
equality outside of religious strictures.
Contemporary Islamism is also a response to not just imperial
colonialism, but capitalistic, globalised neo-colonialism in the form of
corporate power and the overwhelming tide of- more often than not- the process
of consumerised secularism. This double
edged threat to the culture of Islam is compounded by another dichotomy: in
many Islamic countries, the local elite have responded to neo-colonialism by
becoming dictatorial ‘lackeys’ of post-enlightenment powers [which includes
those of both West and East such as Russia] and which are another, local ‘anti-Islamist’
force to be resisted and overcome.
This is all good stuff and there is more that this review
hasn’t got the space to cover, and why I would urge people, despite my
following criticisms, to at least give this book a go at least in part, in order
to more fully understand these issues. Islamism is complex, schizoid and prone
to fight factions within itself as much as their own perceived Other, and is it
is not the monolithic, uncompromising, and coherent ideology hell bent on
destroying secularism that Western propaganda continually tries to make out, as
we try to demonise our own Other.
The book does however, have [in my opinion] many flaws that
cannot be overlooked.
I’ve already mentioned its tendency to be an apologist for
the ideology and actions of Islamism; it’s fair enough to want to counter the
excesses of the anti-Islamist propaganda reported endless through the western
media, but the authors stretch it too far too many times I’m afraid to make me comfortable
with this book.
There are also too many contradictions and the authors too
often trip themselves up- sometimes even within the same paragraph- with their
analyses and definitions. At one moment
they are explaining Islamism as a post-modern movement, and then explaining it
is actually anchored in Modernity as a phenomenon. This is too much like having your cake and
eating it. The same with the killing of
bin Laden- at one point they point out that Islamism is not the force to be
reckoned with that the Western Establishment propagandises, because of the lack
of any real protest over his death, but then goes on to say that his death was
inconsequential, because the movement is so much more powerful than one
man. This, after arguing that al’Qeda
was based on a strong branding exercise in a truly ‘consumerist’ post-modern
sense, with bin Laden as its most identifiable image for that brand and as such
pretty much it’s touchstone. Hmmm.
I was also irked by their attempt at one point to relate what
they call ‘Islamist Man’ with ‘Communist Man,’ in the urge of both movements to
achieve the equality of men and women through revolutionary struggle and
eventual victory. This, after dismissing
Marxism and the Leftist movements in the Islamic world, as mere further
manifestations of the post-enlightenment, western secular drive to achieve
world hegemony: that is, western societal theories [which communism is an
example of] regard themselves as intellectually and culturally superior and
must as such be imposed on the rest of the world for its own good. Equating the basic theological- and let’s
face it hierarchical- drive and structure of Islam with that of Communism
really is trying, again, to have it all ways and unfortunately, you really
cannot.
Another important issue conveniently overlooked in the
relentless praise of Islamism as a political and cultural movement is its
attitude to women and other minorities.
Here Islamism- and Islam on the whole- fails drastically as a 21st
century movement. In their desire to
present Islamism as a viable alternative worldview from western secularism- and
that post-enlightenment ideals are merely western intellectual developments and
not necessarily superior to others, we just think so- they seem very keen to
ignore these issues.
In fact it has to be faced up to that, despite the
shortcomings of western secularism- and we are socio-economically suffering
from its most serious faults right now in our own societies- it is still a very
viable and both moral and intellectually sound way to develop human culture,
and we should not lose sight of that. Islamic
culture is essentially an un-reconstructed theology that is pre-enlightenment
in nature. This, is not something to my
mind that should be celebrated, yet this book, rooted firmly in the ideals of
multiculturalism, relentlessly does so.
Because Islamic culture, when given its own head, seems very
quick to default to dismantling democracy, installing theocratic hierarchies,
and, in particular, subjugating women’s rights, to say nothing of sexual
orientation choices etc.
This is not something to be shrugged at and accepted as ‘aspects
of a different, non-secular culture.’ The
intent, particularly of the post-enlightenment Left, is to provide equality and
equal opportunity for all men and women: to my mind Islamism stands in the way
of that simple, revolutionary drive and people- particularly on the Left- should
stop feeling coy about facing up to this and saying it.
Oh well this review has turned out a lot longer than I expected,
congratulations to anyone who has made it to this point! There are many faults and arguments that failed to challenge my own
political beliefs in this book- but it is very well
researched and in parts supremely educational. It does also to be fair to
it, give space to counter views to its authors own, and does point out- occasionally-
where the ethos of Islamism fails.
So
give it a go…but keep a very open mind…
