THE STARTING POINT OF POLITICAL ISLAM

Naglašavanje razlike između islama i islamizma ima iznimnu političku važnost u današnjim međunarodnim odnosima. Islamizam je prvenstveno instrumentalizacija islama radi realizacije konkretnih političkih ciljeva. U tom se smislu govori i o političkom islamu. Jačanje islamizma ima svoje povijesne zasade u kojima postoji i znatna odgovornost niza zapadnih zemalja s obzirom na njihovu imperijalističku prošlost. Stoga je islamizam i pokret otpora neokolonijalističkom utjecaju moćnih zemalja Zapada. Islamizam posebno jača od kraja 1960-ih godina sa slomom ideološkog koncepta arapskog nacionalizma. Kao što islam i islamizam nisu sinonimi, važno je istaknuti i razlikovanje islamizma od terorizma. Pojedine islamističke skupine poduzimaju i terorističke akcije ali one nisu težišno obilježje islamističkog pokreta u cjelini. Ključni aspekti koji definiraju suvremeno značenje i razvoj islamizma odnose se na složeni kompleks arapsko-izraelskih odnosa, pitanje iranske islamske revolucije i na ukupnost geopolitičkih i drugih zbivanja u Afganistanu. Događaji i procesi koji su se odvijali i traju na širem području Izraela, Irana i Afganistana impliciraju i snažnu islamističku komponentu. Uključuju također i ulogu utjecajnih europskih zapadnih zemalja (prvenstveno Velike Britanije ali i Francuske, Italije, Rusije i dr.) te Sjedinjenih Američkih Država. Na početku 21. stoljeća upravo se islamizam pokazuje kao snažan politički pokret u nizu zemalja Bliskoga i Srednjeg istoka. O njegovoj političkoj afirmaciji te odnosu sa SAD-om kao vodećoj svjetskoj sili koja ima globalno izražene geopolitičke interese, ovisit će i politička stabilnost šire regije Srednjeg istoka ali i svih ostalih afričkih, azijskih i europskih područja u kojima islamizam predstavlja realnu ili potencijalnu političku snagu. Ukoliko se politika SAD-a i njegovih saveznika prema svijetu islama bude težišno svodila na strateške aspekte (vojne intervencije, stvaranje baza i vojnih uporišta, prodaja naoružanja savezničkim islamskim zemljama i dr.), na strani Zapadu opozicijskih islamističkih krugova nailazit će se na sve izraženiji i veći otpor. Takve okolnosti pogoduju i snaženju islamističkog terorizma koji je već pokazao da nije isključivo regionalni problem već da ima znatno šire dosege i politički utjecaj.The emphasis put on the differences between Islam and Islamism has an exceptional political importance in today’s international relations. Islamism is primarily the instrumentalization of Islam due to the realization of explicit political goals. In this sense, political Islam is spoken about.The strengthening of Islamism has its historic foundation in which there is an important responsibility towards a chain of Western countries considering their imperialistic past. Therefore, Islamism and its neocolonialist resistance movement had a powerful influence on countries of the West. Islamism has especially grown stronger since the end of the 1960s with the collapse of the ideological concept of Arab nationalism. Just as Islam and Islamism are not synonyms, it is significant to accentuate the distinction between Islamism and terrorism.Certain Islamist groups are undertaking terroristic attacks but they are not prime features of the Islamite movement as a whole. Key aspects which define contemporary meaning and development of Islamism refer to a complex of Arab-Israeli relations, the question of Iran’s Islamic revolution and the totality of geopolitical and other events in Afghanistan. The events and processes which occurred and are continuing across wider areas of Israel, Iran and Afghanistan are implying a strong Islamite component. Also including the influences from other powerful European countries (primarily Great Britain but as well as France, Italy, Russia and others), and the United States of America. In the beginning of the 21st century Islamism has proven itself as a strong political movement throughout the Middle East. About its political affirmation and relationship with the US as a leading world power which has marked the global geopolitical interests, and will depend on political stability in the wider regions of the Middle East and all other African, Asian and European regions in which Islamism poses a real or potential political force. If the policy of the U.S. and its allies with the world of Islam is simply reduced to the strategic aspects (military intervention, creating military outposts and bases, selling weaponry allied Islamic countries, etc.), on the West side of the opposition Islamic circles they will encounter a more severe and greater resistance. Such circumstances are favorable and strengthen Islamist terrorism which has already demonstrated itself not only a regional problem, but as to having a much wider reach and political influence