Why has Islamic fundamentalism grown so popular in the Middle East?

Question

Why has Islamic fundamentalism grown so popular in the middle East?

Please give me some points, I need to write an essay on this topic and I can't find any info...

Answer 1

Middle East Arabic countries are far from being democratic. Fundamentalism and religion is the drug of the masses and the only possible opposition to tyrannic regimes.

Islamic Fundamentalism, diverse political and social movements in Muslim countries of North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, which have as their goal national government based on the principles and values of Islam. Although these movements all seek to restore social justice based on sharia (Islamic law), they differ in the form of government they seek and in how strictly they believe the government should interpret the law.

For many people in the West, the term “Islamic fundamentalism” evokes images of hostage crises, embassies under siege, hijackings, and suicide bombers. But these images hardly present a comprehensive picture. The ranks of Islamic fundamentalists include Muslims who provide much-needed services to the poor through Islamic schools, medical clinics, social welfare agencies, and other institutions. While some Islamic militants try to reach their goals through violence, the majority of Islamic activists work through political parties within the electoral process. At the fringes are those like Saudi-born millionaire Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network that engage in a global war of terrorism.

The reassertion of Islam and Islamic values in Muslim politics and society over the past 30 years is often referred to in the West as the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. However, the word fundamentalism, which originated in Christianity, can be misleading when it is used to describe Islam or Muslim countries. The conservative monarchy of Saudi Arabia, the radical socialist state of Libya, and clerically governed Iran have all been described as “fundamentalist,” but this description fails to take into account vast differences in their governments and policies. Political analysts prefer to use the expressions “political Islam” or “Islamism” when discussing Islam’s many-faceted roles in current social and political movements.

Check out these sites and articles:
http://www.newsandletters.org/Issues/2001/Nov/lead_nov2001.htm
http://webcast.rice.edu/speeches/20011030funda.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefRelArts.aspx?refid=761579298&selidx=4

Answer 2

For most Middle Eastern countries-except those, such as Iran, that had a distinct and independent geographical and historical identity the "nation state" is a relatively recent phenomenon which came into being when these countries gained independence in the early decades of the twentieth century, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Arab nationalism began with Arab movements seeking independence from foreign occupation near the end of the nineteenth century and grew with the writings of that century's renowned Muslim writers, such as Rafi'at Tahtawi, Nadim, and Muhammad Abdoh.
As a social institution, democracy is another new arrival to the Middle East. Vast areas of this region remained for centuries under the despotic rule of the Ottoman sultans. Those countries not under Ottoman rule were under monarchic dictatorships. Even the 1906 Constitutional Revolution in Iran did little to democratize that country.
From the very beginning, the political forces allied with the Communist Bloc and the former Soviet Union never inspired much enthusiasm among the people, primarily due to the region's profound religious beliefs and sentiments. The limited advances that Marxist-oriented political forces made in some countries during the 1960s and '70s were reversed when the shah fell and an Islamic fundamentalist regime took power in Iran. As fundamentalists began to rise, the Marxists declined. Ultimately, the Soviet Union's disintegration virtually ended their social and political influence.

     Although Marxism was essentially unappealing to the masses, political parties that looked to Moscow for inspiration played an active role in some countries from the Second World War until the 1980s, because of the increasing role the Soviet Union played in Middle Eastern politics. In Iran, the communist Tudeh (masses) Party offered its complete support to the "anti-Imperialist Imam Khomeini," officially sanctioning the execution and suppression of the Mojahedin, collaborating with repressive organizations such as the Guards Corps, and spying on the Mojahedin.
In summing up, it is appropriate to point to two misinterpretations of Islamic fundamentalism in the West. Some contend that the emergence of fundamentalism is merely a by-product of poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth. They argue, therefore, that social and political reforms can curb and even eliminate fundamentalism. Without question, fundamentalists take full advantage of social deprivation. But at least in this part of the world, fundamentalism should not be viewed merely as a function of economic factors. All of the elements contributing to the crises that plague the region, such as poverty and bureaucratic corruption, were in place in the 1970s. Prior to the mullahs' coming to power in Iran and their export of fundamentalism, however, fundamentalist groups had never developed beyond isolated religious sects. The historical, social, and cultural roots of this phenomenon must not be overlooked.

     Without confronting fundamentalism in political and cultural terms -and that means first of all coming face-to-face with the mullahs' regime in Tehran-not much can be achieved. In recent years, the mullahs' rise to power in Iran has played a key role in opening the way for fundamentalism's expansion. Khomeini swept into power on a genuine wave of popular religious sentiments and revived religious demagogy.
Has not the experience of the mullahs' regime-which continues executions and torture after fourteen years in power, and which uses any opportunity to export terrorism and fundamentalism and to undermine all peace initiatives in the region-been sufficient?*

Answer 3

You won't either, you see our international business leaders in the oil business usually support the worst people possible that way the leader in each country will control the people keep the business people's investment secure. These oil people then make the leader rich to keep him in line with their goals. The current "problem" with Islamic fundamentalism is that the leaders of Islam are sick and tired of all the oil money going only to certain families and not all the people and tired of the gross matieralism of the western culture.

Answer 4

It would be much harder to list one or two events in the Middle East that are unrelated to Islamic fundamentalism.

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

Since kiddle east is dominent muslim country and muslim being very deeply relligious, fundamentalism developed very fast and deep in those countries.

Answer 7

This happens when people are in the middle of nowhere