* From: Michael Hoover ________________________________ >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 06/13/06 3:31 PM >>> Political Islam is just another term for radical Islam or Islamic fundamentalism, etc. It includes Hamas, al-Qaeda and other such groups. <<<<<>>>>>
not sure that one can simply exchange above terms - political islam, radical islam, islamic fundamentalism - one for another, although i guess doing so makes for shorthand identification given their kinship... in any event, origins of contemporary militancy are in late 20s/ early 30s founding of *moslem brotherhood* in egypt...brotherhood emerged out of period in which eygpt initially gained nominal independence and later had it sovereignty *official* recognized...of course, britain retained significant economic and military presence in the country... brotherhood leader hassan al baan had twin aims - revitalize what he believed to be corrupted islamic faith *and* create islamic political organization...political appeal of islam was that it had been neither inherited from nor borrowed from the west...desire for independence was understood to involve process of spiritual purification in which colonized peoples regained self-respect by ridding themselves of western ideas and influences... doesn't seem a coincidence that the moslem brothehood formed in ismailiya which was where suez canal company was headquartered and where a sizeable number of british troops were based...also doesn't seem to be a coincidence that the brotherhood spread into countries under british or french control: jordan, sudan, syria... moslem brotherhood strategy for accomplishing its objectives included significant effort to train young people physically and militarily... one feature of all militancy (regardless of name) is willingness to use *extra-legal* political action... Mh ^^^^ CB: Thanks for the info. Bush regime war on Iraq is extralegal too. It is a Crime Against Peace under UN conventions. Labelling something ( not by you)"state terrorism" doesn't make it better or lesser crime than "regular" terrorism. State terrorism encompasses "regular" terrorism in covert operations that may be just like terrorism of non-state actors , as well as bigger terrorisms. We (not you ) shouldn't be adopting imperialism's concept of "terrorism".
