The "war on terror" tends to circumscribe crucial developments in the Islamic world within a narrow definition of "Islamic terrorism." This partial and incomplete perspective fails to comprehend the links between today’s scenario and the Iranian revolution of 1979--a revolution fought in the name of God and spearheaded by religious scholars. It is vital to examine the relationship between religious and revolutionary ideologies and the revolutionary potentials of Islamic teachings. In a penetrating new study, Najibullha Lafraie examines how revolutionary ideologies function, and applies these insights to the Quran and its interpreters in the vanguard of the Iranian revolution. By unpacking these discourses, Lafraie develops and refines the concept of a "Quranic" revolutionary ideology. Revolutionary Ideology and Islamic Militancy delineates the different ways in which the Quran was used to mobilize action in 1979, and in so doing provides a context for understanding today’s Islamist movements.
Author(s): Najibullah Lafraie
Series: International Library of Iranian Studies
Publisher: Tauris Academic Studies
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 256
Cover
......Page 1
REVOLUTIONARY IDEOLOGY AND ISLAMIC MILITANCY: The Iranian Revolution and
Interpretations of the Quran
......Page 4
ISBN: 978 1 84511 063 5......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Introduction......Page 16
An Historical Review of the Uses of "Ideology"......Page 20
Definitions of Revolution......Page 26
Conceptual Framework: A model of Revolutionary Ideology......Page 28
2. The Ideology of Revolution in the Holy Quran......Page 35
Political Consciousness......Page 37
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 40
Quranic Set of Values......Page 42
Outline of the Good Society......Page 47
Program of Action......Page 56
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 61
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 63
Simplification......Page 66
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 69
Political Consciousness......Page 73
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 77
Outline of the Good Society......Page 83
Program of Action......Page 85
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 90
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 92
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 93
Political Consciousness......Page 96
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 99
Set of Values......Page 101
Outline of the Good Society......Page 102
Program of Action......Page 108
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 110
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 111
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 112
Political Consciousness......Page 114
Set of Values......Page 118
Outline of the Good Society......Page 119
Program of Action......Page 121
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 123
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 125
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 126
Political Consciousness......Page 128
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 133
Set of Values......Page 134
Outline of the Good Society......Page 135
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 136
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 138
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 139
Political Consciousness......Page 142
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 153
Set of Values......Page 155
Outline of the Good Society......Page 156
Program of Action......Page 157
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 163
Sacrifice and Revolutionary Patience......Page 165
Simplification......Page 166
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 169
Political Consciousness......Page 174
Criticism of Existing Social Arrangements......Page 178
Set of Values......Page 180
Outline of the Good Society......Page 181
Program of Action......Page 183
Commitment to Action and Self-Confidence......Page 187
Claim to Truth and Rationality......Page 188
The Leaders' Contribution to the Ideology of Revolution......Page 190
Revolutionary Ideology in the Quran and the Works of the Iranian Leaders -- a Brief Comparison......Page 194
10. The Ideology of the Islamic Revolution, Terrorism and "The Clash of Civilizations"......Page 203
A Clash with the "west" or with Arrogance, Oppression and Injustice?......Page 204
Al Qaeda, Islamic Militancy and Islamic Revolutionary Ideology......Page 209
"Islamic Terrorism": a Contradiction in Terms......Page 219
Conclusion......Page 230
Notes......Page 236
Bibliography......Page 268
Index......Page 276
