Islam, Islamism, and Radical Islam: Differences?

Bill Vallicella

I had a brief conversation with my old friend Bill Vallicella over the meaning of "radical" in the expression "radical" Islam:

HODGES:

Dear Bill,

I see we're both still struggling (our inner jihad) with what to call 'radical' Islam.

"I am coming to the view that the qualifier 'radical' in 'radical Islam' is redundant: True Islam is radical by its very nature." (Vallicella)

"Islamism is not Islamic extremism; rather, it is radicalism at the root of Islam." (Hodges)

I'm playing with the root meaning of radical, as you know.

Yours,

Jeffery

VALLICELLA:

Hi Jeff,

You appear to be distinguishing Islam from Islamism. How would you characterize the difference?

Regards,

Bill

HODGES:

Dear Bill,

I contend that Islamism is not a form of extremism because Islamism is not peripheral to Islam. Islamism is at the root because it is the root of Islam. Islamism is usually suppressed because it is so horrible even to Muslims, but when Islam radicalizes, it is true to its root.

Yours,

Jeff

VALLICELLA:

Hi Jeff,

So you are saying that Islamism is the essence of Islam, the ineradicable root without which Islam cannot exist?

So there cannot be a moderate, an 'enlightened,' Islam?

Regards,

Bill

HODGES:

Dear Bill,

I wouldn't say that there could be no enlightened Islam - humans are pretty clever at reinterpretation - but Islam doesn't make it easy.

What I'm trying to do with my formulation - "Islamism is not Islamic extremism; rather, it is radicalism at the root of Islam" - is get people to think about the supposed distinction between Islam and Islamism.

Yours,

Jeff

And thus do things stand . . .