Page 281 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1582 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

modernity, including the experience of religious pluralism who even entertained the idea of coming to terms with
and the often accompanying tendency to relativize “truth,” the Palestinians. Many in this “Bloc of the Faithful” were
is it not true that many religious movements had to fight offspring of barely observant Jews who in their new turn
off their own “modernities” long ago? Thus New England “went all the way” into and beyond Orthodoxy. Members
Puritans abhorred the very idea of “innovation,” and pro- make claims that they are relying on ancient sacred texts
moted the old ways. If this is the case, would not one in which the land of Israel was given, with stipulated and
have to begin the story of any modern religious funda- precise boundaries, to the people of Israel, the Jews.They
mentalism by looking at precedents and antecedents find support from and kinship with American Protestant
through history? Thus Hindus and Muslims have had to fundamentalists and their slightly more moderate kin
fight off modernisms in many generations. Protestant fun- who read biblical passages “fundamentalistically” in order
damentalists bear some resemblances to Anabaptist or to certify and sustain their support of Israel.
sectarian movements of the sixteenth and seventeenth In India, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
centuries. So what is new? organized what many Hindus call a cultural,not a religious
institution. Maharashtrian Brahmans developed it within
The Place of Hinduism and it became a base for militant opposition to
Fundamentalisms equally militant Muslims.The two hard-line groups fought
American Protestant fundamentalism, for one instance, over sites that were holy to both.The RSS is an ideology
fights its battles in the context of a republic where politi- of the Hindu nation. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder
cal means are accessible. Resorting to violence is extremely of the movement, now a party, wanted to purge India of
rare. Exceptions such as the bombing of abortion clinics by non-Hindu influences. It is highly organized in order to
radical fundamentalists are criticized by mainstream fun- stimulate emotional response to Hindu appeals and to
damentalists, who find their movements set back by such stand off the Muslims. Many Indians welcome talk of a
violence.They may express resentment against a modern Hindu nation, but memories of the assassination of
world that they believe is depriving them of their rightful Mohandas Gandhi by RSS people makes them uneasy.
place. After that, their energies go into political organiza- And the RSS did teach people to use western instruments,
tion, attempting to persuade voters, to gain power with including weaponry.The RSS literature suggests a sense of
holders of office, to employ mass media to make their case. embattledness, but the leaders have taught ordinary mem-
In the United States it is hard to remain a “pure” fun- bers to take out their rage on Muslims, who crowd what
damentalist.To gain anything in a republic a movement they think of as uniquely Hindu holy places.
must enter into coalitions, make alliances, swallow some The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt under
principle for a common cause. Or one may turn to more the leadership of Hasan al-Banna’ (1906–1949), a
moderate movements that are religiously satisfying in moralist who was repulsed by moral and spiritual cor-
respect to message though less attractive in their cultural ruption in Egypt and wanted to use the resources of Islam
roles. Fundamentalists have been in the public eye since to counter it. The Brotherhood organized schools and
the Scopes trial, a battle over evolution in public schools hospitals, and became a very vocal critic of semisecular
in 1925. Many people on all sides have been nettled, or nominally Muslim governments there. Most influential
unsettled, angered, frightened lest their cause be defeated, in the Brotherhood was Sayyid Qutb (1906–1966), a
but they have not had to fear guns. former secularist who turned to be a zealous Sunni Mus-
In Israel one of the very rare fundamentalist move- lim leader. He abhorred what he saw in the United
ments was Gush Emunim. It was a very modern force, States, which looked corrupt, sensual, immoral, godless.
organized under charismatic rabbis who agitated in Qutb was executed by the Egyptian government for his
America and in Israel especially against Israeli leaders subversion, but his version of Wahhabi Islam thrived,