Introduction:
The islam religion is practically based on several schools of thought mostly surrounding the Sunni and Shia schools which bring about a pacifist approach as well as a warlike approach. There are a number of periods which are discussed in the book and which focus on the changes made in the Islamic movement over the years which certainly brought about a sea change in thinking and in various aspects of this religion.
Most important was the Colonial Period where one could see a paradigm shift in the Islamic movement which partially responded to modernization and the influx of western imperialism. Then we had the Post colonial period in the 1960’s through to the 1980’s where militancy increased considerably and in the 1990’s we also so the continued growth and spread of Islamic movements which transformed themselves into more reactionary bodies.
Basically the book argues that Islamic people were disappointed with the appeasement of their governments in countries such as Egypt and Jordan as well as Syria and turned to more radical forms of Islamic militancy which led to the Jihad, the declaration of a holy war against the west which culminated in the rise of movements such as Hamas in Palestine. The lack of a political solution to the various crisis’ which were creating themselves in the Middle east and rising American belligerency also created a situation where militancy continued to be on the rise.
This eventually led to contemporary fundamentalist Islamic movements referring to more reformist thinkers from the first and second period. There was a considerable desire to return to the actual supremacy of Islam with Sharia law extremely important in achieving this aim. The collective anti-Western and anti-imperialist solidarity made matters come to a head constantly and consistently and this also led to a resurgence in the restoration of Islam on a national scale, obviously in a much more militant mood though.
Interestingly we have also seen the rise of Wahhabism which is done in the context of the Ottoman Empire and what it managed to achieve under the reign of Muhammad ibn al-Wahhab. His espousal of the Muslim doctrine as well as his fight against the decay of Islam under the caliphs is being espoused today especially with the rise in importance of holy sites such as Mecca and Medina which were given a sort of extensive makeover over the past decades and which now can hold pride of place amongst holy sites. Political alliances are also being brought into the equation the book argues and this creates what may be termed as a holy alliance where Islam is consistently on the rise as a religious force which is also extremely powerful. The past Jihad’s against the ottoman’s are also to be taken into account especially when one can observe that today, Palestine is becoming hugely important as a political football to enshrine the rise of the Holy war against Western influences.
The book also analyses Wahhabism in some detail and it indicates that this form of Islam ahs no ‘taqlid’ and the imitation of Sunni schools of law is definitely not the case as these go back to the Quran and to Sunnah sources. Sufi is also very critical in this respect as it outlaws the visiting of graves by Sheiks, etc and takes the religion back to those resources and the imitation of Islam in the time of Muhammed. We are then regaled with an analysis of Salafism which goes backward to around three generations and which shows the further development of the Sufi sect. There is also the interesting argument that Wahhabism is a crucial influence on contemporary Salafism.
In the end game Salafism is actually an umbrella term for a wide variety of modern Islamist movements which are all centred around a number of informal networks which actually share the same ideals. Salafism is actually very clear and unambigous in its doctrine but it also has different effects in this respect with several branches and facets creating rather different strands that culminate into one distinct philosophy.
The Salafi doctrine is also analysed extensively in this book where one finds the emphasis on tawhid which is the oneness of God. One finds the reference to the Salaf as-saheeh where there is a reversion to the Koran and Sunn as the primary sources of Islam. One again finds the rejection of Taqlid and the rejection of the traditional authority of the Sunni schools of law whilst there is also the embracing of itijihad by other scholars. Here one can observe that jihad is becoming an ever more important part of Islamic doctrine as this continually develops and moves forward in this respect where one can also find that this approach can be arguably inconsistent with pacifism. The acceptance of religious authority thus brings about a certain insistence on core values of Islam which come together in a wholesome manner and which also demonstrate that in collectivity there is power. This is basically the main argument impounded by Salafism.
There are also different views explained on the relationship between religion and state as well as the attitude of the believer who is also a key part of the whole process. There is the quietist or the activist as well as the political Salafist who is perhaps observed as much more powerful in his portrayal of Islam.
Finally the book argues why Salafism is experiencing a rise in Europe and is affecting senior Muslim leaders and figures in more ways than one.
Principally it is due to the fact that Salafism is a clear doctrine and is extremely clear about what Islam is and what it is not. It is also quite flexible in this context and is based on the individual which is important in the actual development of the Islam religion. The attractiveness of Safaism in a migration context is also crucially important as it is also sought to inter-ethnic Islam. Oliver Roy then argues that Salafism also emphasizes boundaries and is quite a large boost in self confidence as it brings about a certain moral superiority in a hostile environment where Islam can continue to grow accordingly.
The issue of women is also an important one as the book delves extensively into this issue where the status of women has been consistently downgraded and downtrodden in certain Islamic philosophies. However with the rise of Salafism, women are consistently being re-appraised and their contribution to Islamic society increased accordingly.
Conclusion:
Basically, the book argues that the deculturalisation of Islam in the past years has made it a much stronger religion and all this comes together under the umbrella of salafism. One can observe the constant unity and rise of jihadism in this context where all comes together in an extremely powerful way and which continues to guarantee the rise of militant Islam across the globe.
