[1] It can refer to a wide range of individuals or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic principles.
[8] Some of the experts also use other descriptive terms in order to distinguish various ideological courses within political Islam: conservative, progressive, militant, radical, jihadist, etc.
[13] In 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center included him in a list of ten anti-Islam hardliners in the United States.
"[15]John L. Esposito (Georgetown University) and Emad El-Din Shahin (American University in Cairo) give the following definition in The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics:"In recent years, political Islam has manifested itself in two diametrically opposed orientations: an increasing involvement in the democratization process by mainstream movements after the success of pro-democracy popular uprisings in toppling autocratic regimes and a growing inclination toward violence by fringe groups.
This process involves different views of the place of Shari`ah in society and the approach to bringing about change.
Its origins lie in the perceived failure of the secular ideologies of nationalism and socialism to deliver on their promises of anti-imperialism and prosperity.
While it is a broad and diverse movement with various interpretations, variations, and organizations, there are core characteristics associated with Political Islam in general.
The region experienced turbulence for many years as Arab countries fell within the cultural and colonial sphere of European nations.
Other contributing factors may have been opposition to modernizing influences, overall poor governance and low levels of education in the population.
[27] In the wake of the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, the Austrian organization produced a report on the efforts of the Islamic Republic to exert influence abroad in the cultural, religious and educational sectors in Europe through foundations and religious centres, including the Islamic Center in Hamburg and the Imam Ali Center in Vienna.