ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the worldview and organization of contemporary Islamic movements, assesses their strengths and agendas, and examines their ideological challenges, their attitudes toward political liberalization and democratization, and their impact on US foreign policy. From North Africa to Southeast Asia, people associated with Islamic movements have participated in parliamentary elections, filled cabinet positions, and challenged and confronted governments. An Islamic revolution has indeed occurred and has affected Muslim politics, but its causes and manifestations are pervasive and diverse. Common to the worldview of contemporary Islamic movements is the affirmation of an Islamic ideological alternative to secular nationalism, western capitalism, and Soviet Marxism. Islamic organizations, like Islamically oriented governments, vary widely in ideology and methods, from moderate to radical, from traditionalist to reformist. In Egypt thousands of Islamic organizations and voluntary associations provide cheap, efficient clinics, hospitals, and social and educational centers.
