ABSTRACT
A visible triumph of the ongoing global movement known as Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic revivalism, or Islamism 1 has been the spread of Islamic banks. Throughout the Islamic world, the successes of Islamic banking have alarmed many supporters of secularization, modernization, and economic development. One worrier was Uğur Mumcu, a widely read Turkish columnist who was assassinated in January 1993 for his outspokenness. 2 Mumcu saw the advent of Islamic banking as part of a sinister ploy to advance Islamism, isolate Muslims from global civilization, and force Muslim nations into a despotic political union established on Medieval principles.
