Arabs between Silent, Active Fundamentalism

Cairo- The Arab world has recently witnessed many developments proving that the Arabic environment still preserve fundamentalism that’s supported by old extremism intellect. This state raises important questions which must be asked. For instance, how did people and the political and social systems contribute in the transformation of a silent fundamentalism into an active draconian one?

The fundamentalist or extremist is unfortunately an individual who never tried to heal from this complex; his fundamentalist intellect was the result of many obstacles he faced in his life, which pushed him to stick to old negative thoughts and at the same time, translate them into violece.

Many factors have contributed in transforming the silent fundamentalism into an active one, mainly the intellectual regression, which dominated all the scientific, literary, cultural and social achievements reached in the Arab world.

First factor

The failure of the modern education process, its lack for intellect of innovation of followers has pushed people to live with ignorance and to justify it; it has also transformed the communities elite into groups that seeks their interests.

This education system has brought forward the type of people who don’t believe in the other or his right of living and expression, in addition to systems believing they possess “the absolute truth”, which has resulted in the formation of intellectual dictators. The regressive intellect and authoritative irrational visions stimulate the active fundamentalism, which calls for killing people and behead them under the name of religion and belief.

Second factor

The patriarchal model that eliminates the space of freedom; the new structure of modernism in the Arab and Muslim communities have not succeeded in eradicating the tribal and magical structure that resides in the depth of the Arabian individual and dominates his thoughts. Thus, people who refuse this patriarchal model are often stimulated by active fundamental groups that provide them with humanitarian and financial support and lead him to waive identities for the fundamental ideology and to adopt the concept of suicide to defend the case he believe in.

Third Factor

The economic crises in its political and financial aspects like the policy of privatization which damaged the Arab world and limited the resources of its people. The hard economic problems have eased the recruitment of thousands of youth in fundamental groups, regardless of the names and ideologies. The absence of political charismatic leaderships had also played a significant role in pushing people toward the fundamental leaders, who call for revolutions that turns into violent acts and open wars.

Fourth Factor

Consequences and repercussions of the so-called “Arab Spring” have moved many members from the silent to the active fundamentalism. These members have been waiting for the right political and economic environment to begin a new wave of violence, which will be harder and more difficult than its precedents.

It is worth mentioning that the spread of armament across the Arab world has paved the road for more negative outcomes that are still pending.

The real issue is that the disappointment of the public after the failure of its revolution and the collapse of its high expectations have offered fundamental groups a perfect opportunity to drag those desperate and hopeless members who lost their revolutionary bets to the circles of violent fundamentalism.

Arabs between Silent, Active Fundamentalism