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DEFINITIONS The definition offered by American historian Ira Lapidus, distinguishes between mainstream Islamists and Fundamentalists. Although a fundamentalist may also be an Islamist, a Fundamentalist is "a political individual" in search of a "more original Islam," while the Islamist is pursuing a political agenda. He notes that Islamic fundamentalism "is at best only an umbrella designation for a very wide variety of movements, some intolerant and exclusivist, some pluralistic; some favourable to science, some anti-scientific; some primarily devotional and some primarily political; some democratic, some authoritarian; some pacific, some violent." Lapidus, 823 Author Olivier Roy distinguishes between Fundamentalists (or neo-fundamentalists) and Islamists in describing Fundamentalists as more passionate in their opposition to the perceived "corrupting influence of Western culture," avoiding Western dress, "neckties, laughter, the use of Western forms of salutation, handshakes, applause." While Islamists like " in Iran have remained Iranian citizens, are required to perform Military Service and to pay the same taxes as Muslims, and have the right to vote (with separate electoral colleges). Similarly, the Afghan Jamaat, in its statutes, has declared it legal in the eyes of Islam to employ non-Muslims as experts, Other distinctions are in
INTERPRETATION OF TEXTS Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the unadulterated word of God as revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Archangel Gabriel ). Islamic fundamentalists, or at least "reformist" fundamentalists, believe Islam is based on the Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah and "criticizes the tradition, the commentaries, popular religious practices ( Marabout ism, the cult of saints), deviations, and superstitions. It aims to return to the founding texts." Examples of this tendency are the 18th-century Shah Waliullah in India and Abd Al-Wahhab in the Arabian Peninsula. Roy, Olivier, ''The Failure of Political Islam'', Harvard University Press, 1994. p.31 This view is commonly associated with Salafism today. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL GOALS As with adherents of other Fundamentalist movements, ''Islamic fundamentalists'' hold that the problems of the world stem from Secular influences. Further, the path to peace and Justice lies in a return to the original message of Islam, combined with a scrupulous rejection of all Bid'ah ("religious innovation") and perceived anti-Islamic traditions. Some scholars of Islam, such as , Volume 11, No. 1 (June 2006) CONFLICTS WITH THE SECULAR STATE Islamic fundamentalism's push for Sharia and an Islamic State has come into conflict with conceptions of the Secular , Democratic state, such as the internationally supported Universal Declaration Of Human Rights . Among human rights disputed by fundamentalist Muslims are:
As a result of this sharp conflict, some say that fundamentalist Islam is incompatible with modern Liberal Democratic states. SEE ALSO
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