ABSTRACT
Introduction Much of the Islamic world is in turmoil. Wars, foreign occupation, authoritarian rule, religious fanaticism and economic problems are the prevalent features of many Islamic countries. Whether living under clerical, tribal, military or civilian governments, the regimes in these societies, to different degrees, lack democracy and tolerance. The failure of modernization programmes carried out under the auspices of multinational capital and authoritarian regimes and the suppression of secular left and liberal forces have turned radical Islamists into a potent political force, promising the establishment of ‘truly’ Islamic states. The regimes in power resort to more violence against these forces while at the same time giving in to pressures for further Islamification of the societies concerned. In countries where Islamists are in power, the imposition of rigid moral codes of conduct alienates and angers a part of the population, and particularly youth, which constitutes the majority of the population.
