Islamism

Roughly one fifth of people now living are Muslims. Their societies are located in every corner of the globe and vary in language, ethnicity, political ideology, nationality, culture, and wealth. Yet we tend to imagine this 1.5 billion people, despite such diversity, as a cohesive and united whole, defined above all by their Muslim identity.

Theologian Professor Hayreddin Karaduman wrote that casting a "yes" vote could be interpreted as a religious duty. Another theologian, Professor Hayri Kırbaşoğlu, objected with a tweet, saying voting "yes" or "no" had nothing to do with religious duty. "It is a political choice. We do not live in the Middle Ages; let's wake up from this deep sleep."

Sweden has now suffered its first major terrorist attack in its capital Stockholm, with four killed and many injured. A suspect for the terror attack, an Uzbek citizen by the name of Rakhmat Akilov has been arrested. He has confessed that he is the one who carried out the terror attack on orders from ISIS.

'Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State' by Olivier Roy, translated by Cynthia Schoch (Hurst, 130 pages, £16)

After every jihadi attack in the West, fevered media debate centers on familiar questions. Who are these people? What is their relation to ISIS? How to stop them? Why do "they" hate "us"?

I review readers' messages as a sociological study to understand how different segments of society think.

 After my April 10 column titled "The Islamic World," I received many comments and messages. I would like to "analyze" what was written by two esteemed readers. 

A programme to rehabilitate former Isis fighters and other extremists with housing, employment, education and financial support is being trialled in Sweden.

Local authorities in the city of Lund say the controversial measures aim to reintegrate returned jihadis into society and prevent them reverting to their former networks.

Relations between Turkey and the West have never been easy since the fall of the Soviet Union, but they've got even worse after the so-called Arab Spring.

One year ago Belgium was reeling from an attack by three suicide bombers on Brussels airport and a metro station in the capital.

Thirty-two people were killed and others were injured. The perpetrators were identified as Islamists extremists who were all Belgian nationals.

How nice were our dreams when we were entering the "information age." All totalitarian regimes, left and right, had fallen. The correctness of democracy and the market economy were certainly proven. 

The "Arab Spring" had elevated this optimism all together; "Muslim democracy" concepts started being debated.