Some remarks on Islamism, social justice, and civility in Islamic history

This paper examines Islamism from a religious studies perspective in that it is interested in Islamism as both a phenomenon and category. It seeks to explore the relationship between Islam, justice, and civility; particularly, the way that Islam, as a religious doctrine and praxis, has come to spearhead sociopolitical and geopolitical agenda, and in doing so the paper will proceed to problematise the category. Islamism is typically treated as political Islam, being the experience of Islam in modernity. The problem, however, is that Islam is not a political religion, but a religion that has historically seen political power as part of its religious project. Islamism is both modern and politically engaged, but especially as a reaction to perceived social and economic injustice. As such, this paper will discuss Islamism as a modern religio-political and socio-economic experience of Islam, inspired by contact between Islam and Marxism.