Islamic fundamentalism

Cultural  

1. A movement that has gained momentum in recent decades within several Muslim nations. Islamic fundamentalists oppose the infiltration of secular and Westernizing influences and seek to institute Islamic law, including strict codes of behavior. They also target political corruption in Muslim nations. Severely repressed by the governments of their own nations, such as Algeria, Egypt (see also Egypt), and Saudi Arabia, they nevertheless target the United States as the “Great Satan,” chant “Death to America,” and provide ready recruits for terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda. (See terrorism.)

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Example Sentences

Mazzola, who works for Italian public RAI TV and is an expert on Islamic fundamentalism, created a network of associations to host 70 Afghans, mostly Hazara women activists and their families.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 10, 2022

The son of a pharmacology professor, Zawahiri first embraced Islamic fundamentalism at the age of 15.

From Reuters • Aug. 1, 2022

They pledged to stand up against the Taliban’s Islamic fundamentalism and fight for the same pro-democratic platform the Northern Alliance touted decades before.

From Washington Times • Dec. 28, 2021

When Bagia Arif Saputra was growing up in a university town near Jakarta, becoming a jihadist seemed a natural choice for young men like him, who were steeped in the teachings of Islamic fundamentalism.

From The Guardian • Jan. 8, 2020

In recent years, jihadist terrorism defendants — those thought to have acted in the name of Islamic fundamentalism — have been convicted in nearly all cases.

From Washington Post • Jan. 9, 2015