The Challenge of Fundamentalism: Political Islam and the New World Disorder

In Bassam Tibi’s book “The Challenge of Fundamentalism: Political Islam and the New World
Disorder, he explores the recent history of Fundamental Islam. Tibi sees Islamic fundamentalism as the
result of Islam's confrontation with modernity and economic adversity. The movement is unprecedented
in Islamic history and parallels the inability of Islamic nation-states to integrate into the new world
secular order. Tibi, a Muslim himself, feels that Islam is a tolerant religion and could never be a threat.

The first two chapters provide the general world-political framework for the rise of
fundamentalism, and the focus is set on the World of Islam, the Middle East in particular. Tibi says that
the political version of Islam tends to be anti-Western and anti secular. This political Islam has very little
to do with the religion or history of Islam, because the Islam religion is not political in nature. He argues
that a proper interpretation of Islam is compatible with democracy and human rights, drawing clear lines
between Islam as a religion and the abuse of this religion in the development of a political Islam.

Using religion as a reason for political dissent usually results in political convictions translated
from religious beliefs. This politicization of religion is one of the main focuses in this book. Politics that
stem from religion are generally fundamentalist in nature, whether Western religion or Islam, states Tibi.
Fundamentalism is exist in all major religions, and is not unique to Islam, but the Islam version is a
political ideology that advocates de secularization and de Westernization, leading to challenges to the
world order of secular states.

The book touches upon the case of Nasr Hamid Abu-Zaid an Egyptian University professor and
Muslim scholar who has been condemned in recent years for his views on theological matters and
science. He was declared a heretic, and a group of lawyers went to court to forcibly divorce him from his
wife Younes, without either’s consent. The Cairo courts upheld the case and the couple was divorced.
They fled to the Netherlands together to form their appeal. Egyptian courts upheld the previous ruling.
Tibi uses this case as an example of what can happen when fundamentalist groups interfere with
governmental procedures.

Tibi asserts that the rise of political Islam leads to an increasing cultural fragmentation, a decline
in consensus, and the diffusion of power in world politics. In the Middle East, religious fundamentalism is
the greatest destabilizing challenge to the existing order of nation-states, and the ideology of the "Islamic
state" is the framework for de-legitimization of existing secular states in the region. Fundamentalism,
though, he insists, does not equate with terrorism or extremism

The Gulf War of 1991, Tibi argues, left a "Saddam Hussein legacy" now mixed with the thriving
politicization of religion resulting in political Islam, and continues to be vital in the anti-Western attitudes
of the people in that region. The ideology of this political Islam is called “al-Islam al-siyasi.” Its goal is to
create an alternative to the new world order designed by western culture. Instead though, we find disorder
that stems from the revival of norms and values not compatible with one another. The secular states find
this to be a challenge to modernization and globalization. In his view, the clash of civilizations is a clash
between fundamentalist ideologies --not between the civilizations themselves.

The politicization of world religions in an age of crisis of structure and meaning is a source of
fragmentation that is harmful to the beliefs of a religion. Tibi argues that a proper interpretation of Islam
is compatible with democracy and human rights, drawing clear lines between Islam as a religion and the
abuse of this religion in the development of "al-Islam al-siyasi." He touches on the crisis of meaning
resulting from exposure to the World of Islam and the socio-cultural setup of modernity.
 The book addresses the concept of globalization and its affect upon cultures and civilizations. The
“McWorld” vision of globalization that prevails in western society is not one that can be embraced by
followers of Islam, Tibi tells readers and states that there is no globalization when it comes to culture and
civilization This book illustrates the great diversity and deep strife within the World of Islam, identifying
the major political movements in the World of Islam as an expression of religious fundamentalism. It
concludes that an attempt to create an alternative world order results only in disorder.