What Could Globalization Mean for Domestic Islamic-Socio-Political Activism?

Abstract

As a result of globalization, a spectrum of Islamic believers, ranging from moderate reformers to radical extremists, is involved in a religious-socio-political awakening that is bound to have tremendous consequences for the global world. Islamic socio-political activism, recently quite present abroad, is not reserved for foreign realms. On the domestic front, US policymakers are considering a dramatic shift in US foreign policy in response to the Muslim Brotherhood’s new political power in places such as Egypt. Such a change, along with other conditions - some seemingly stagnant and others rapidly evolving - might newly spur Muslim Americans, their leaders, and the charitable sector to mobilize for alterations to US post-9/11 domestic policies, laws, and government actions. Modifications could address the policies that problematically have alienated many Muslim Americans, chilled Muslim Americans’ philanthropy, hurt US-based Islamic charities, and blocked aid to needy Muslims abroad, tarnishing the reputation of the United States as a result. Assisted by contemporary communicative technologies, new Islamic socio-political activism in the United States could bring not only domestic and worldwide attention to these injuries, but also improvements and perhaps even remedies.