Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism Used in the English-speaking world mainly to describe Islamic revivalist movements which adhere strictly to the Quran and Islamic law, the Shariah. It emerged in reaction to Islamic reform movements during the first half of the twentieth century, which were considered to be infused with Western culture, and to the strong political influence of Western countries on the Arab states. Islamic fundamentalists have had considerable political success from the 1970s. In 1979, a revolution brought the spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini to power in Iran. Arab dictators such as Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi have strengthened their positions by paying lip-service to the movement. In a number of countries such as the Sudan or Nigeria, concessions by the ruling elites to Islamic fundamentalism from the 1990s have greatly exacerbated tensions with moderate Muslims and Christian minorities. In many other Islamic states from Indonesia and Malaysia to Turkey, Algeria and Morocco, it has fed growing opposition movements. Its strength derived from its appeal of certainty and justice to the poor and destitute, and its religious network that could sustain itself beyond formal political organizations. Despite its pervasiveness, it has been a highly diverse movement whose precise nature reflected the particular conditions of each country. Common to all movements, however, has been a call for more traditional gender roles, traditional dress, and the introduction of Islamic law to replace a secular legal code.