Islam & Nationalism: class notes November 1, 2004

Failure of muslim elite in political area: Religious or human? military, technology, philosophy?

a) Copy the West and rebuke religious principles?
compromise --- europeanist

B) appreciate west but take a selecttive attitude, upshield european principles (HR & democracy) ---- Thinkers are jamalet afghan, disciple mohamed abdul --- revivalist

d) Islam is self suffiicien, therefore Islam by itself capable of producing solutions to their problems, also capable of restauring their broken glories past. Solutions of europeans does not adress the needs of muslim--- Fundamentalist

tendency in muslim world, positive & productive, paradigms for the muslim world. But since these intellectuals and thinkers grow up either in a given muslim country (Egypt, Turkey...) and also continue their further education in the west they will be fortunate enough to see the good sides of all (west & non-west). Because of the european superiority, this muslim intellectuals occasionaly expressed their positions towards Islam and islamic civz rather apologeticaly (forcing religious principles to point of acceptation). But despite their understandably apologetic tendencies, they're awakened muslim mind stimulated some educational projects thereby reforming the then existing institutions.
ex: in the west philosophy was abandonned because of religiious reaction. through muslim european had access to philosophy until renaissance and enlightenment. but the attitude of certain muslim, the curriculum of philo and logic was removed from studies and the west, which had again progressed un the steps of logic and reason. Institute in egypt, 900, had removed secular sciences, was reinstated. "innovation" to Islam, rise of wahabi movement, muslim dormant and stagnant. when discipline back in curricula (plato aristotle hegel and kant are back!), positive reaction of muslims to west. but then occupation of muslim soils by europeans power: struuggle. military might and intellectual influences. struggle to remain independant. national movement goes hand in hand with movement for intellectual independence and national sovereignty.
2 major paths
1 - conservative reformism: islam vital element in muslim life and implementation of principles in full-force
2 - secular and liberal nationalism: reaction to west for occupation to colonialism, reaction to themselves for "backwardness" of thoughts.

role of islam and political institutions and islamic law in movement of nationalism and struggle for independance

a) Islam unity of all nations: panislamism. wanted retauration of caliphate institution. see muslim as scathered but should be united under one nation.
Umma Al-Islam

b) national unity of a given people: pan-arabism, pan-turkism
Umma Al-Arabiya, Al-Qawmiyya Al-Arabiyya, wihdah

c) national states, territorial : Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, etc...

features:
- Patriotism (fatherland)
- religion
- language
- history
- geographical boundary

2 religious scholars groups vis-avis nationalism:
advocates of nationalism in the name of religion
advocates anti-nationalism in the name of religion (rejecters)

in accordance with their own ambitions and worldviews

seculars excluded entirely religion from nationalist endeavour
common denominator of a nation are features named above.

Exam:
Esposito's book (ch. 1)
Lewis's ch. 1 to 5
about definitions: explaining significance of terms in reference to nationalism and Islam. Connotations and significance.
general names, titling, not individuals.
Institutions and policies.
choose 2 questions out of 3.