The Changing Face of Islamism though its Colonial History Essay

The Changing Face of Islamism though its Colonial History - Essay Example Whether it was ruled by empires essentially Arab like those of the Ottoman, Arab, Iranian, or other Western superpowers, Islam has seemed to have made the most of these influences. But a more critical review is required to demonstrate whether this is entirely true in the face of Islam's stringent value system and lofty ideals, which are known to purport into every aspect of an individual's life. This paper seeks to explore the aspect of influences on the representation of Islam, from a critical point of view. To make our point more clear before proceeding to assess various influences that brought Islamism to where it now stands, it would be imperative to delve into a brief history of the colonial trends seen in the Islam world. Peculiar in its adoption of revolution which triggers modernity, Islamism has come to borrow ideas from the "social movement theory" in order to assist social scientists as they endeavor to study Islamism. Thus, we will find historical and structural explanations by linking Islamism to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the disappearance of caliphate as a symbol of Muslim unity. Further, the legacies of the Crusades and western imperialism, fundamentalist interpretations about the life of the Prophet and the Jihad apart from the American presence in Saudi Arabia and the war in Iraq have fuelled negative emotions such as frustration and humiliation.