Islam Rediscovered
12. Islamic Fundamentalism
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roots in a certain defeatist mentality which has,
unfortunately, been developing in the Muslims
since the loss of their empires. A defeatist, or a
besieged mentality inevitably opts for a negative
course of action. The possessors of such a mentality
consider themselves as the oppressed, and those
whom they see as setting themselves up against
them as the oppressors. With this bent of mind, they
are willing to engage themselves in any activity
whatsoever, no matter how damaging to humanity
or contrary to religion it might be.
What made matters worse—as a direct result of this
negative psychology—was the emergence of certain
Muslim leaders in the first half of the twentieth
century, who expounded their own political
interpretation of Islam, according to which Islam
was a complete system of State and Muslims had
been appointed by God to fulfill the mission of
establishing this Islamic state throughout the world.
Some well-known names associated with this
interpretation are the following: Syed Qutub in
Egypt, Ayatullah Khomeini in Iran and Syed Abul
Ala Maududi in Pakistan.
