Introduction

[ 62 ] asia policy Introduction Emile A. Nakhleh In the last two decades “Islamization” has grown by leaps and bounds throughout the world. Islamization is characterized by increased piety, expanding education, growing proselytization (or da’wa), deepening awareness by Muslims of their Islamic identity, spreading linkages (both electronic and face-to-face) among Muslims, and more active involvement in the societies where Muslims reside. For the most part this phenomenal growth has occurred equally in Muslim majority and Muslim minority countries and has been lawful and non-violent. A small segment of Islamic activists, however, espouse extremist and radical ideologies and have resorted to violence and terrorism against both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Factors that have been driving the Islamization process and the radicalization of segments of Islamic activists include a sense of defeat, a “culture of humiliation,” a search for identity, and the psychological need among many Muslims to view their faith as their enduring identity anchor. Other socio-political drivers include the rapid expansion of Islamic media via the Internet and satellite television stations; economic policies and the remarkable growth of global Islamic business (banking, finance, investment, insurance, etc.); regional conflicts in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, Indonesia, and the Philippines; perceived anti-Islamic policies by the Christian West; and recruiting efforts by Islamic radicals. Some of these factors, especially proselytization, have forged a universal sense of Islamization among mainstream Muslims through the use of Arabic, the language of the Quran. Financial support from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states and the active role of international Islamic NGOs and charitable foundations—such as the Muslim World League, the International Islamic Relief Organization, al Haramayn, and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth—have contributed greatly to the growth of Islamization globally. Vast majorities of newly “Islamized” Muslims have concentrated their activism on increased piety at the personal, familial, and immediate society levels, viewing Islam principally as the moral compass of daily life. To many of these Muslims, faith underpins family values (including family emile a. nakhlehretired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2006 after fifteen years of service as a Senior Intelligence Officer and Director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program in the Directorate of Intelligence. Before joining the CIA, Dr. Nakhleh was the John L. Morrison Professor of International Studies at Mount St. Mary’s University (MD). He can be reached at . [ 63 ] roundtable • islam in japan cohesion and raising of children), socializing with both Muslims and nonMuslims , attending Islamic “Sunday” schools, supporting the building of new mosques, and generally observing the five key tenets of Islam. These Muslims view Islamic teaching as a guide to what is permissible (al ma’ruf) and what is forbidden (al munkar), but do not look to this interpretation of Muslim faith as a prescription for political action. A few Islamic activists, on the other hand, have extended their activism to the political sphere, both within their own societies and globally. This expansion has led some activists to become involved in elections and other facets of the political process, involvement that has in some cases spurred violent confrontation with their regimes. Some extremists have used a radical, narrow-minded, and intolerant interpretation of Islam as a justification for terrorism against perceived enemies of their religion. The Islamization of mainstream Muslims and the confrontation of radical Muslims with the West—especially since the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001—have energized the debate among Muslim thinkers and intellectuals regarding which vision of Islam Muslims should pursue. Raging within Muslim communities across the globe (including in Western countries), this debate has focused on three key questions: How should a Quran that was revealed in 7th century Arabia be translated in order to better serve Muslims living in a globalized and highly connected 21st century? How can Muslims adhere to Islamic laws and practices while living in a non-Muslim country, especially one that is open, free, and democratic? How can Muslims reconcile the basic tenets of the faith—that salvation is only achieved through Islam—with religious pluralism that is the hallmark of most non-Muslim societies? These questions have impacted Muslims wherever they live in Muslim and non-Muslim countries: whether in France...