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Much has been written and said in the media on the phenomenon which has popularly become known as "Islamic Fundamentalism". The treatment thereof often ranges between, the extremes of an airy dismissal to hysterical condemnation as a threat to world peace. That the phenomenon is on the rise is indisputable and is evidenced in many countries by the proliferation of Islamic groups which espouse a return to strict Islamic law and which have become extremely vocal in their demands for social and political rights and, by extension, power. The manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism as the perceived driving force of instability in many North African, Middle East and Eastern European countries is further fuelled by the rise of extremist groups and the use of terror by such groups as an instrument to further their aims and which, given the worldwide spread of such terrorist attacks, has understandably given rise to increasing concerns amongst Western-style democracies as to the threat which Islamic extremism may pose to the national security of states. This paper will examine the nature of "Islamic Fundamentalism" and attempt to show that, although fundamentalism in itself, may pose no threat in terms of the security of states, it’s very nature lays the foundation for extremist interpretations of Islamic law. This in turn gives rise to extremist actions, including the use of terror, in the furtherance of the aims of such extremist groups. It will further be shown that these extremist groups have developed a worldwide network and that an examination of these groups’ aims and links to South African groups with social, political and criminal agendas may well pose a threat to the security of South African citizens. The nature in which it manifests, could well threaten state security in the future. The paper will conclude with a summation of conclusions reached and recommendations as to how the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism/extremism may be managed in the South African context. TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM The Popular View Since the end of the Cold War, the rise of Islamic consciousness as well as the concurrent rise of extremism and terror has been given almost unprecedented coverage in both the print and the electronic media. Edward W. Said (1:xi-xii) in the introduction to his book states that "… there has been an intense focus on Muslims and Islam in the American and Western media, most of it characterised by (a more) highly exaggerated stereotyping and belligerent hostility…". This would appear to stem from the many incidents of extremism and provocation that have occurred during the past two decades. Some of these include the bombing of the United States Marines barracks in 1983 in which 240 soldiers were killed, the bombing of the United States Embassy in Beirut, the taking of American hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s and a number of aircraft hijackings and bombings. The most notorious is the bombing of PAM AM Flight 109 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. These incidents were either traced to or were openly claimed by Islamic groups as the work of their "warriors" and the cumulative effect of many such incidents has been the demonising of Islam as a whole in the media and in the psyches of many citizens of non-Muslim countries, particularly in the United States and Western Europe. As Said states (1:144): "The media, the government, the geo-political strategists and … the academic experts on Islam are all in concert: Islam is a threat to Western civilisation".
Approximate Word count = 2198
Approximate Pages = 8.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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