Formulation of the Claim
This atom holds that contemporary Islamist movements have led to an intensification of the politicization of Islam.
Explanation
At this point, Islam is presented not only as a domain of meaning and spiritual reference, but as a banner deployed within factional and ideological struggles. Religion thus becomes tied to political organization and to the competition among groups to represent truth and legitimacy.
This statement is understood within Arkoun’s critique of turning Islam into an instrument of mobilization, whereby religious discourse is exploited to direct loyalties and intensify division. The point is not to describe religiosity itself, but to indicate Islam’s shift in the public sphere into the language of political conflict.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom belongs to the broader argument that traces Islam’s transformation in the modern era from a religious and historical reference point into an object of ideological contestation. It converges with Arkoun’s theses on the crisis of Islamic thought when it is confined within political uses rather than understood in a wider critical horizon.
It also illuminates an aspect of his critique of contemporary Islamist movements, especially when they are invoked as an example of exploiting Islam for mobilization and the organization of loyalties. It is therefore not a judgment on religion in itself, but on the way it is employed within the context of modern conflict.
Limits of the Claim
This atom should not be read as a sweeping claim that equates Islam with Islamist movements, nor as a denial of any religious or ethical dimension outside politicization. It also does not provide a historical account of these movements or their various names.