Quest for justice: Islamism, social justice, and civility in Islamic history

ABSTRACT

This article examines Islamism as phenomenon and category in the context of the study of religion. It enquires about the experience of Islam in modernity at the juncture of Islam, justice, and civility in order to problematise the discourse on Islamism as political Islam. The argument is made that Islam is not a political religion, but a religion that has historically seen political power as part of its religious project. Further, that Islamism as a modern religio-political and socio-economic experience of Islam is inspired by contact between Islam and Marxism.

KEYWORDS:

• Islamism
• social justice
• Marxism
• modernity
• religion
• politics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The vexing issue of the MEK (Mojahedin-e Khalq) is left out as it is a topic that requires particular and independent attention. Whilst the role and place of Marxist sociology remain a matter of debate in the case of the Mojahedin, the present article’s hypothesis on the parallel between Islamic and Marxist quest for justice remains apart from the particulars of the Mojahedin history as ours is a theory on the nature of Muslim sociological rationalisation independent of the associated Khomeinist derogatory utilisation of “Marxist”. The Mojahedin question has been thoroughly treated by Ervand Abrahimian. 1989. The Iranian Mojahedin. New Haven: Yale University Press.

2. Note, the title of Shariati’s work: What is to be Done [The title of V.I. Lenin’s pamphlet written when in exile, from Czarist Russia.]