What is Islamism? Thanks for asking!

A spate of terrorist attacks have been carried out across Europe in recent weeks, most notably in France and Austria. Political leaders have attributed the violence to Islamists, calling for a united front in battling this form of radicalism. Nevertheless, use of the term “Islamism” is somewhat controversial.

So what’s the difference between Islam and Islamism?

It’s important to make the distinction between the religion Islam itself, which is practised by all Muslims, and the separate political concept of Islamism. Islamism is related to forms of activism which advocate that society should be guided by Islamic principles. So that includes social and political life, in addition to individuals” personal lives. In some cases, movements call for Sharia Law to be fully implemented in an Islamic state, where non-Muslim influences would be removed. Sharia is derived from the Quran and fatwas issued by Islamic scholars. Most Islamists believe in peaceful mobilisation to pursue political change. But some justify the use of extreme violence, such as terrorist attacks. Well-known extremist groups include Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Taliban. For example, Al Qaeda recently released a statement saying it is the right of every Muslim to kill a person who insults the Prophet Mohammed.

What’s so controversial about the term Islamism then? Are there other better alternatives to talking about Islamism? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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