American Islam (term) explained
American Islam (term) should not be confused with Islam in the United States.
American Islam is a pejorative political term used by advocates of political Islam to describe an allegedly inauthentic form of Islam advocating separation of religion and state and lacking in anti-Americanism. The term was reportedly first used by Sayyid Qutb in 1952, an Islamist and prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is widely used in the Islamic Republic of Iran where its critics describe it as a type of Islam that is, among other things, indifferent to oppression, extravagance, encroachment on the rights of the oppressed, that helps the oppressors and the powerful, and emphasizes ceremonial Islam.[1]
Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader and founder of the Islamic Republic, used the term[2] [3] [4] [5] describing it as "fake Islam",[6] [7] [8] intended to deceive Muslims, preaching a separation of state and religion,[9] that stands in opposition to "pure Mohammedan Islam".[9] According to the current Supreme Leader of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, (speaking in 2010), "American Islam means ceremonial Islam, an Islam that is indifferent in the face of oppression."[2] [10]
Background
At least according to the Iranian Fars News Agency, Sayyid Qutb, (Egyptian author, Islamist theorist), was the first one to use the phrase American Islam.
American-religion (idiom)
In addition to this idiom ("American Islam"),[11] [12] Iran's first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini used a similar idiom called "American-religion"; at 1989, he wrote a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev (known as Khomeini's letter to Mikhail Gorbachev). There, Khomeini mentions the expression of "American religion", and called it an "unreal religion".
On the other hand, Khomeini mostly referred to "pure and authentic Muhammadan Islam" which stood in sharp contradiction to "American Islam"; In his perception, called "American-Islam" for the separation of "religion and politics".[13]
Point of view
Khomeini
Seyed Ruhollah Khomeini called American Islam:
Khamenei
According to Seyyed Ali Khamenei:
See also
References
Works cited
- Book: Calvert, John . Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism . Hurst & Co / Columbia University Press . 2010.
Notes and References
- https://www.farsnews.ir/news/13940828000799 "Seyed Qutb" was the first person to warn about American Islam
- https://nationalinterest.org/feature/irans-greatest-fear-american-islam-11951 Iran's Greatest Fear: "American Islam"
- https://www.aljazeera.net/blogs/2016/9/27/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A American Islam
- https://ir.voanews.com/a/6639838.html American Islam
- Book: Keddie . Nikki R. . Iran and the Surrounding World: Interactions in Culture and Cultural Politics . Matthee . Rudolph P. . Matthee . Unidel Distinguished Professor of History Rudi . University of Washington Press . 2002 . 978-0-295-98206-9 . 281 . en.
- https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1399/03/10/2275925 The difference between pure Islam and American Islam should be explained by explaining the character of Imam (RA) for the young generation
- https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4556040 Imam Juma Arak stated; The enemy seeks to promote American Islam / our beacon is pure Islam
- https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4312276 Hujjat al-Islam Dhu'alm:Velayat al-Faqih is the distinguishing line between American Islam and pure Muhammadan Islam
- Book: Shiʿite Salafism? . Mohammad . Ali . Fazlhashemi . Springer Nature Switzerland . 136 . 2022.
- https://irdc.ir/fa/news/5666 The difference between "American Islam" and "pure Mohammedan Islam" from Imam Khomeini's point of view
- https://www.imna.ir/news/656200 Hojjatul Islam Mahmoudi:Stateless Islam is American Islam/Students should follow the instructions of the leadership seriously
- https://kualalumpur.mfa.ir/portal/NewsView/597314 American Islam
- Book: A Critical Introduction to Khomeini . Arshin . Adib-Moghaddam . Cambridge University Press. 161 . 2014.
