Political Islam, World Politics and Europe

334 Pages·2007·2.56 MB·English

by  Bassam Tibi

This book makes a profound contribution. Bassam Tibi’s analysis is both
wide-ranging and incisive, covering the rise of contemporary political Isla-
mism and its relationship with Islam, as well as explaining how its key
concepts are to be understood in the appropriate historical, cultural and
theological context. Based on over three decades of research, Tibi provides
a critical, often fearless, assessment of political Islam which defies conven-
tional wisdom and ignores political correctness without losing any of its
intellectual rigour. Yet, Tibi not only evaluates and critiques, he puts for-
ward an inspiringly positive vision of how Islam and democracy in Europe
can prosper and enrich each other. In doing so, he addresses perhaps the
most important political challenge in Europe today, making this book
indispensable reading for anyone with an interest in how to overcome the
threat from cultural division and religious conflict.
Dr Peter R. Neumann, Director, Centre for Defence Studies,
King’s College London
A deeply honest and courageous account, written by a European Muslim
scholar, of the challenges posed by political Islam to European values and
institutions. Equally committed to democracy and pluralism as well as to
his Islamic heritage, Tibi combines erudite scholarship with sharp political
analysis, and calls for a transformational reform within Islam which would
enable civilizational co-existence both globally as well as within Europe. A
must for all who are worried by recent outbreaks of religious fundamental-
ism but nonetheless hope to avoid a clash of civilizations
Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
This courageous book identifies Europe as the central location of the 21st
century struggle for world cultural and political hegemony. Tibi deepens his
well-known historical, cultural, political, and religious arguments for cross-
cultural accommodation between Muslims and non-Muslims. For him, the
solutionisaEuropeancivilsocietythatisbothdemocraticandrespectfulof
cultural and religious differences. He argues that this accommodation must
be political, cultural, and religious because the conflicts are not caused by
mere misunderstandings; they are about fundamental conflicts in worldview
and political strategy and must be mediated authentically. Tibi’s personal
style is combined with a strong analytical framework that links him as a
Muslim believer and a social scientist in precisely the way he argues one
must link religion and politics to create ‘‘Euro-Islam’’. For Tibi, the alter-
native to Euro-Islam is to descend farther in to violent conflicts over
attempts to ‘‘islamicize’’ Europe.
Davydd Greenwood, Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology,
Director, Institute for European Studies at Cornell University and
Corresponding Member, Spanish Royal Academy of Moral and
Political Sciences.
Bassam Tibi is a twenty-first century Martin Luther of Islam. His plea for
a return to the open, tolerant, creative Islam that served as a beacon of
progress for humankind a millennium ago offers the only real alternative to
a jihadism that not only threatens world peace but also reinforces the root
cause of jihadism–humiliation, as the Islamic world falls further behind the
West, East Asia, and now India.
Lawrence E. Harrison, Director, Cultural Change Institute, The Fletcher
School Tufts University, USA. He is the author, most recently, of
The Central Liberal Truth: How Politics Can Change a Culture
and save It from Itself.
Political Islam, World Politics and Europe
Is political Islam compatible with democracy?
The rise of political Islam, as a new force in world politics, has prompted
questions and theories concerning its nature and compatibility with demo-
cratic values and with the present world order. Not least have been discus-
sions and conflicts within Islamic communities, particularly in Europe
where choices of identity and allegiance are growing acute.
BassamTibiprovidesabroad-rangingassessmentofpoliticalIslaminthe
world, in all its various manifestations. In particular he focuses on Europe
which is also home to a significant Islamic minority. Whilst rejecting the
‘‘clash of civilizations’’ theory the author clearly demonstrates the growing
conflict and incompatibility between Islamist movements and European
democracy. A devout Muslim himself, Bassam Tibi makes clear the vital
importance of developing a Euro-Islam that will peacefully accommodate
religiousbeliefswithinaninclusivedemocraticEuropeancultureofcitizenship.
This isan innovativeand challenging workthatwill givereadersa clearer
understanding of political Islam, particularly in Europe where the issues of
religion, identity and democracy are pressing. Political Islam, World Politics
and Europe will be of interest to students and scholars studying Middle
Eastern and European politics, political Islam and international relations.
Bassam Tibi has been Professorof International Relations at the University
of Goettingen since 1973 and is a non-resident A.D. White Professor-at-
LargeatCornellUniversity,USA. ProfessorTibi hastaughtandlecturedat
thirtyuniversitiesinfivecontinentsincludingtenuresatHarvard,Princeton,
UC Berkeley, IRIC/Yaounde´, Cameroon, Khartoum/Sudan, St. Gallen/
Switzerland, The Islamic University of Jakarta/Indonesia and at the Diplo-
matic Academy in Vienna. His work has been translated into 16 languages.
Among his six books in English are in new editions: The challenge of Fun-
damentalism (2002) and Islam between Culture and Politics (2005). The pre-
sident of Germany Roman Hetzog decorated him in 1995 with the highest
Medal/State Decoration for his ‘‘bridging between Islam and the West.’’

Political Islam, World Politics
and Europe
Democratic Peace and Euro-Islam versus
Global Jihad
Bassam Tibi
Firstpublished2008
byRoutledge
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SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
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BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
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Tibi,Bassam.
PoliticalIslam,worldpolitics,andEurope/BassamTibi.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1.Islamandpolitics.2.Islamicfundamentalism.3.Harakatal-Jihadal-
IslamifiFilastin.4.Islam–Europe.5.Muslims–Europe–Politicsand
government.I.Title.
BP173.7.T5632007
320.5’57094–dc22
2007012391
ISBN 0-203-93484-9 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 10: 0-415-43780-6 (hbk)
ISBN 10: 0-415-43781-4 (pbk)
ISBN10:0-203-93484-9(ebk)
ISBN13:978-0-415-43780-6(hbk)
ISBN13:978-0-415-43781-3(pbk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-93484-5(ebk)
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xii
Introduction: The impact of the politicization of Islam on world
politics as a context for Europe and Islam in the 21st century 1
PARTI
The conflict within Islamic civilization between jihadism and
democracy. Its pertinence to world politics and to the Islam
diaspora in Europe: obstacles and solutions 37
1 Fromclassicaljihadtoglobaljihadisminaninventionoftradition
for mapping the world into dar al-Islam 41
2 Polity and rule: The Islamic quest for civil society and for
democracy against Hakimiyyat Allah as the Islamic system
of totalitarian government 67
PARTII
Political Islam enters world politics: Global jihadism as an
Islamist internationalism in its Sunni and Shi’ite varieties as a
challenge to safe democracy and international security 93
3 The world-political Sunni fallacy: Jihadist internationalism
as a cosmic war of irregulars for remaking the world 101
4 The Shi’ite option: Internationalism for an export of the
Islamic revolution of Iran. A failed effort! 130
viii Contents
PARTIII
Europe as a battlefield for the competing options: Islamization
versus Europeanization resulting in Muslim Europe or
Euro-Islam? 153
5 Political Islam and Europe in the twenty-first century:
The return of history as the return of civilizations
into world affairs 161
6 The European diaspora of Muslim migrants and the idea of
Europe: Could they become Europeans by choice? 188
7 Political Islam and democracy’s decline to avoting procedure:
The political culture of democracy is the solution for Islamic
civilization 216
Notes 235
Bibliography 273
Index 289
Acknowledgements
This is a Cornell University book, even though I began writing it in
Jakarta, Indonesia. However, the invitation extended to me by Professor
Peter Katzenstein to lecture at Cornell on Islam in Europe and also to join
the project he chaired on ‘‘Religion in an Expanding Europe’’ created a
momentum for the emerging book. The Cornell impetus was a major one.
In fact, the completion of this book would not have been possible without
the unfailing support of many persons and institutions throughout the
world received in the years 2003–6.
First, as an old scholarof a differentage of writing, I acknowledge that I
am fully computer illiterate. I put my thinking as research on paper while
undergoing the ordeals of old-fashioned handwriting. Therefore, it is a fact
that the most important person in technically helping me to complete this
book was my staff assistant, Elisabeth Luft. In the years 2003–6 she most
patiently word-processed numerous drafts and revisions with great pro-
fessionalism. This book waswritten in four continents and completed in all
its drafts in handwriting. From all overthe world these draftswerefaxed to
Elisabeth Luft in the course of my work and research. She always faxed the
texts back a few days later after word-processing them, to allow further
revisionsinhandwriting.ThebirthplaceofthisbookstretchesfromJakarta,
Indonesia, to other continents, whether Brisbane or Melbourne in Aus-
tralia, Singapore in Southeast Asia, or Harvard and finally Cornell Uni-
versity in the USA. Of course, this encompasses Europe as well, primarily
my home German universityof Goettingen.
ThenextpersontothankismyeditoratRoutledge,JoeWhiting, without
whosecommitmentthisbookwouldnothaveseenthelightgiventwiststhat
would not be relevant to describe here.
Next, I acknowledge the great contribution of my research assistants in
Goettingen, Vera Weidemann and Nicole Klitzsch.
In 2003 I started writing this book in Jakarta during my tenure as
DAAD-Visiting Professor at the Hidayatullah Islamic State University,
teaching Indonesian graduate students a daily course on Islam and world
politics while introducing my ideas on a reform Islam. I owe these students
and my colleagues there, as well as the president of that Islamic university,