Different observers have named these new phenomena Islamic revivalism, revitalisation, upsurge, reassertion, renewal, awakening. Others have called these phenomena Islamic fundamentalism, neo-fundamentalism, militant Islam, and political Islam. All these names are useful to analyse the new wave of Islamic movements, but they cover only certain aspects of the phenomena and neglect others.
‘Islamic reassertion’, the term used by Mohammed Ayoob (1981), for example, captures the idea of regaining power and position by the Islamic movements, but it does not reflect the notion of threat and challenge to the status quo and the dominant paradigms (Muzaffar 1987). Moreover, it merely conveys the political aspects of the Islamic movement, but neglects other aspects of the movements, such as social and ritual aspects, which are the main characteristics of these movements as religious movements.
Similarly, the ‘Islamic revivalism’ concept does capture the idea of idealising the era of the Prophet and his companions. It suggests the notion of reviving practices and ideas and the notion of renaissance and renewal of thought. This is a true description of certain segments of the Islamic movements, but it does not explain their whole outlook. The notion of back to the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the example and tradition of the Prophet) and idealising the period of the Prophet and his companions, does not mean going back 1500 years to antiquated traditions and practices. ‘Back to Qur’an and Sunnah’ means reinforcing Muslims’ loyalty to ‘perennial and eternal values’ (Muzaffar, 1987:3).
Likewise ‘Islamic Fundamentalism’, the most common term used by Western press and even academics, merely explains minor aspects of the current Islamic phenomena. To quote Esposito (1992:7) the term ‘Islamic Fundamentalism’ “tells us everything and yet, at the same time, nothing”. It is true that Islamic movements call Muslims to return to their basic fundamental faith and beliefs (Aqidah). However, the word ‘fundamentalism’, which derives from a unique phenomenon in a certain period of American Protestanism, is not appropriate to the current phenomena in Islam (cf. Khurshid Ahmad, 1987:226). ‘Fundamentalist’ in Christian traditions refers to those “who advocate a literalist biblical position and is thus regarded as static, retrogressive and extremist… and wish to return to and replicate the past” (Esposito 1992:7). In fact leaders and founders of the so-called ‘Islamic Fundamentalist movement’, are Western educated people,[12] and are fond of modern technology. In addition, the image of ‘Islamic Fundamentalism’ as “political activism, extremism, terrorism, fanatism and anti-Americanism” might be true to refer to some radical religiopolitical activism, especially in the Middle East. Many Islamic movements, however, are involved within the existing system. Furthermore, as Gregory F. Rose, an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas observes (1990:219–28), the main problem with the term ‘fundamentalism’ is a not semantic one, but a ‘misconceptualization’ as a result of misleading cross-cultural analogies.[13] ‘Fundamentalism’, he argues, is an “ethnocentric, militantly secularist sociological categorization”, which in turn makes it difficult to analyse comprehensively the current Islamic resurgence.
Like many recent observers, such as Hillal Dessouki, Chandra Muzaffar, John Esposito and Daniel Regan,[14] I will use term the ‘Islamic resurgence’. Borrowing Muzaffar’s (1987) idea, the word resurgence, meaning “reappearance and growth of a particular attitude or activity among a group of people, especially one which has been forgotten for some time” (Collin Cobuild Dictionary 1992) perfectly explains the current emergence of new Islamic movements. In Muslims’ view, Islam has been for a long time forgotten by Muslims themselves, and now they are increasingly aware of their Islamic identity. Through their attachment to Islam they regain their self esteem and dignity, and this indicates clearly that Islam has become important again in Muslims’ lives. Another point is that the word “reappearance” explains the relation between the recent development of Islamic movements and the past glory of Islam and the ideal society in the era of Prophet and his companions. As Muzaffar (1987:2) puts it, the term resurgence represents the idea of challenge and threat. Many Muslims believe that Islam as an alternative way of life challenges the dominant social systems. On the other hand, the dominant groups and those who are being challenged, view their position as being threatened by these Islamic movements.
Two good definitions of Islamic resurgence have been offered by Khurshid Ahmad, Chandra Muzaffar and Hillal Dessouki. A combination of these definitions, I believe, are representative enough to explain current Islamic development throughout the world. According to Ahmad (1987:226), Islamic resurgence is a “future-oriented movement” concerned with the problems of modernity and the challenges of technology and offering solutions based on the original sources of Islam, the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is a movement that on the bases of these sources tries flexibly and capably to innovate what have been neglected by conservatives who stick to a particular school of fiqh (law).
Another definition offered by Muzaffar (1987:2) says that:
Islamic resurgence is a description of the endeavour to re-establish Islamic values, Islamic practices, Islamic institutions, Islamic laws, indeed Islam in its entirety, in the lives of Muslims everywhere. It is an attempt to re-create an Islamic ethos, an Islamic social order, at the vortex of which is the Islamic human being, guided by the Qur'an and the Sunnah.”
Dessouki (1982:4) defines ‘Islamic resurgence’ as referring to
“an increasing political activism in the name of Islam by governments and opposition groups alike. It designates a politicized, activist form of Islam and the growing use of Islamic symbolism and legitimation at the level of political action… We are not dealing with calls for or attempts to provide a new interpretation of the Qur'an but, rather, with social and political movements that are engaged in mobilization, organization and possibly the seizure of political authority. Thus [it] refers to the increasing prominence and politicization of Islamic ideologies and symbols in Muslim societies and in the public life of Muslim individuals”
When these definitions are attached to the word ‘movement’ they refer to a “worldwide, open and diffuse system in which individual Muslims or Muslims organised in groups are consciously working towards the reconsolidation of the Ummah into a behavioural, operational and goal seeking system” (Siddiqui, 1980:9). Based on these definitions the resurgent Islamic youth movement in Bandung Indonesia is a part of the worldwide Islamic movement which endeavours to establish Islamic values, practices, institutions, laws, politics and its entirety in Muslims' lives everywhere.