Emotions, Poverty, or Politics? Misconceptions about Islamist Movements

Abstract

The term "Islamism" or "political Islam" is preferable to "Islamic fundamentalism," since the term fundamentalism is derived from the Protestant Christian context and only loosely fits the movement in Islam. 2 Middle East and Islamic specialists are often area-bound, remaining uninfluenced by social science's extensive research into oppositional politics and unwittingly operating with discredited theoretical frameworks. Theory-oriented scholars for their part generally steer clear of Islamism, perhaps out of a belief in the area's presumed cultural exceptionalism, or due to its admittedly complicated particulars.