WTF is an "Islamist"?

[jefferson_dem]

I've noticed terms such as "Islamist" and "Islamist extremist" have seeped into the lexicon and i've also noticed they are used primarily by right-wing hater types. Surely, this is not incidental. Where did these terms come from and what's the point? Any clues?

[BuyingThyme]

1. It's a label Americans pin on any Muslim who needs to be murdered

for geopolitical reasons.

[SayWhatYo]

2. It seems to be a real word...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Islamist

Can't say I ever gave much thought about it.

[dairydog91]

3. Essentially...

An Islamist is an Islamic fundie who wants to implement Islamic law, enforce Islamic cultural standards, and create an Islam-based government.

[ElizabethDC]

13. Pretty much

Islamism is a political movement to bring Islam into government and politics (an Islamist, of course, is then one who believes that government should be guided by Islam.)

Islamist is a legitimate scholarly term. As a matter of fact, I'm currently reading a book called "Islamist Mobilization in Turkey," which I was assigned to read for a comparative politics class.

[Malikshah]

4. Actually, it's a hell of a lot less offensive than "jihadi"

Islamist is used, I've noticed, when discussing those who wish to have Islam reasserted as a guiding force in societies where it once was-- Movements in Turkey from the 1960s on...Hasan al-Banna and the pre-1950s Muslim Brotherhood, etc.

Adding extremist to the term means something different.

So too would adding such terms as Militant or radical

Unfortunately, those right-wing wackos and those thinking like them, like to lump folks together.

Someone calling for the reassertion of Islam as a guiding force within society is different than those who wish to do so via violence, or to convert by force, etc.

Jihadi on the other hand is both grammtically and intellectually offensive.

[Hekate]

7. Right; it seems to have that political component added; probably parallel to "Zionist"

At least that's how I've interpreted it.

We've seen how traditional religious identity has been used politically to draw people together and remind them of a shared past and possible future -- Lech Walesa did this in Poland by drawing on a specifically Polish version of Roman Catholicism that includes the Virgin of Chestohova. So it can be used benignly and still be quite powerful.

I've been interpreting "Islamist" as describing Muslims who are struggling for a national identity in context of their traditional homelands, sometimes but not always in violent ways.

Hekate

[Igel]

14. "Jihadi" might be gramatically and intellectually offensive,

but it's used in the liberal English-language press in countries that enshrine Islam in their constitutions. Millions of Muslims have no problem with it, esp. used as an adjective.

Seems fine in constructions such as "jihadi movements" or "jihadi parties", a normal nisba adjective derived from a noun. It's a bit off-hand to substantivize the adjective, but we do it any way, maybe because English doesn't do templatic morphology like Arabic, but we do understand adding a suffix.

[Malikshah]

16. liberal English-language press? What does have to do with the issue

other than to create a debate about liberal or non-liberal

Enshrine Islam in their constitutions?

Oooookay...

Would love to have the poll numbers on the millions of Muslims.

As "jihadi" is relatively new...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. It's a word made up by people...

who don't realize that a practitioner of Islam is called a "muslim."

[Skip Intro]

6. Don't forget "Islamofascist" (for advanced freepers only, I hear.)

The right has tried to play these words into the national vocablulary, all the while using the words in such ways as to conjour feelings of fear and hate amongst those listening.

This is how you learn to hate a people, a culture.

Can't be the bestest country in the world, ever, without a big, bad boogey man to rally against.

[Kingshakabobo]

8. Kind of like "Papist." No? n/t

[Canuckistanian]

10. Which is a true oxymoron

Islamic fundamentalists have no belief in a corporate/dictatorial alliance to solve their problems.

Nobody WANTS fascism. It's always IMPOSED on a culture, either through fear or overwhelming outside influences.

Indeed, that's why radical Islam has gained such a foothold in the ME.

It's an attempt to define themselves by what they identify with the most. Their religion.

It's the one thing that they have in common and the West doesn't like it.

[Wiley50]

9. When You live on an Island

at times the atmosphere gets very humid

Sometimes it gets so humid it almost rains
But not quite

What happens in these times is called an

Isla-mist

[uppityperson]

11. "Is la mist" my franco-american relatives might say.

"I-slam-ist" for an angry kid slamming the door?
"Ia lamest" misspelled for what Mrbush does?

[Rex]

12. I dunno, but we should start calling Pukers - Islamest Morans.

They still don't know what Moran means. :rofl:

[Igel]

15. It makes a useful distinction. That's what words are for.

Some take exception with words and are offended by them because they are niggardly with their understanding and good will. For example.

"Islamists" is equivalent to "Muslims" with a few modifiers. People like ignoring "with a few modifiers" because they are prickly and want to be offended. They should learn to be tolerant and seek understanding instead of insult.