What factors have caused the popularity of Islamic fundamentalist movements in the Middle East and North...?
469595
The biggest factor is the meddling by the US in political and social affairs in the ME.  Most of this came from our incessant need to control nations that have OIL.  We need oil and will do anything to get it.\nWe overthrew and then had killed the Iranian leader Mossadegh and put the Shah in his place.  The Shah was a puppet of the US govt.  THAT is why Iran hates us.\nHowever, the next biggest factor is our unreasoning support of Israel, who was given Arab land and was forced on its neighbors in 1947. Arab leaders warned us about this but Truman ignored them, saying "Arabs don't vote.  jews vote."\nHe forgot about oil.  Oil in 1947 was $2 a barrel....
671113
I think you may find that recent usa activity in the middle east is at least questionable in some countries.\nAnd this Iran thing now... \nYou could only hear muslims (don't get me wrong here) before, talking bad about america, now it's a global discussion...\nNo conclusion. Just thinking...\n\nI don't dislike americans. Have to go there and see what is this "new world" deal all about. lol.\nWhat's the best way to contact you? email me.
445425
I believe it was muslum fundamentalists, I was just a kid watching t.v. when they were having a military parade in egypt.Sadat was president at the time as they were parading by, all the sudden a few of the marchers broke off the parade, ran toward sadat firing automatic rifles,killing abunch of officers and sadat.Probably because he was making peace with Israel.
155044
The west is already at war with a small segment of Islam. The question is, will Islam go to war with itself and extinguish the radical element, or will mainstream Islam join the radicals.\n\nPeople should recognize that huge percentages of muslims are non practicing and don't even go to mosque. This is especially true in Europe where some estimates show 80% of the muslim population not really formally participating.
590798
I think you have a point, but there is another alternative.\n\nThere are *different* interpretations of Islam.  Right now, the "let's kill anyone who we think is in our way" is winning in most circles, and (obviously), this attitude isn't going to lead to peace in the Middle East or anywhere else!\n\nIslam isn't going away.  It is probably more realistic to hope that the more moderate voices are heard (before they're killed off by the extremist elements).
643902
So after Muhammad died, the Shias wanted Ali to be the Caliph, because they believed that the imam of Muslims should be from the family of the Prophet. This caused the split. The Sunnis believe the Shias glorify Ali to much, to the extent that it is against Islamic teachings. That's pretty much the basis of it. Nothing to do with what is stated in the Koran or any of the Prophet's hadiths, but just because they want their tribes to be in power. But if the Shias were in control of the leadership of Muslims, what about Muslims in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas?
1140468
Why is USA so full of religious fundamentalists?
644937
I have friends who are fundamentalist, but at the same time do not push their views on other people, nor do they try to push their Bible's influence on the country.  The people who are fundamentalist, and at the same time trying to move their agenda into everyone else's life are the ones who are a plague on society.\n\nIt all depends on the individual.  The friends that I have are not cheating, or beating their kids and cheap in restraints.  My Brother and his Wife are about as fundamental as you can get and they are very much against the Neo Con agenda.
252103
Islam is not to blame for the violence and abuse of women. Alot of fundamentalist beliefs have no basis in the Quran and are largely cultural-centric. The Middle East, Africa, some parts of Asia have to a larger extent adopted a  very conservative cultural perspective in recent years. Perhaps this is a back-lash to Western "ideologies of excess or economic oppression/suppression"......\n\nNon-Western cultures/countries have a long and tumultuous history with the western world and there is a alot of "hang-over resentment".\n\nPoint is.....Just because it is cloaked in Islam does not mean that it is Islam.......you will find alot of racist ideologies touted as Christian belief's but I am hard pressed to find a verse in the Bible saying so.
1022440
Terrorists come from all walks of life.  There are terrorists in every country of the world, including the United States.  They are motivated by religion, politics and cultural/socio-economic backgrounds.  Being that Islam is only the 3rd most popular religion in the world, your information is faulty at best and downright inflammatory and willfully hateful at the worst.
544849
I do agree that fundamentalists and extremists exist in ALL groups---christians, atheists, muslims, etc. ALL groups. No groups are exempt from such dogmatic attitudes.  I don't trust the extremeists and fundamentalists of the liberals, nor do I trust the extemists of the other end of the spectrum.
604393
Some people in the US and Europe are influenced by these people. This shouldn't happen. Islam is not always good. The people who believe in it try to exaggerate over some issues. I think they need to know that sometimes what they do and say make no sense at all.
31846
I think the entire muslim faith must be distinguished from Islamic Fundamentalism, which is as it's name implies is much more fundamentalist in nature. \n\nUnfortunately, I think there are a large number of Islamic fundamentalists who condone the actions of terrorists.\n\nMercifully Islamic Fundamentalism is the credo of only a small percentage of those of the Muslim faith.
543021
Hi there. I am not related into these matters in any way, I am just an IT professional so my knowledge is very limited. Country is suffering mostly from Kurdish terrorists and some fundamentalist Muslim terrorists. As I know some of these measures are:\n\n- Aviation security. I noticed airports are more secure than it was 5-6 years ago. Surveillance cameras, tighter scanning of luggages and passengers, photos at the passport control etc.\n- Stricter control on change of addresses, money transfers, etc.\n- New photo identity cards with microchip is coming soon.\n- Stricter control on the borders of Northern Iraq and Iran.\n- Allowing Kurdish media and language schools.\n- Special security forces to tackle terrorist groups inside the country.\n- Tracking people that are frequently travelling to countries that support terror. Unfortunately there are EU member states in the list.\n- Tracking European media run by terror organisations.\n- Narcotics police is working hard on the drug trafficking issue that is the main financial source for Kurdish terrorists. I guess the fundamentalist Muslims are funded by some Middle Eastern countries run by sheria law.\n\nI am sure a lot going on this issue, but that's all from me :-)
20074
Al Qaeda were responsible for 9-11. This is an extreme fundamentalist Islamic group that believes (amongst other things) that Western influence is undermining the very tenants of their religion. They especially despise the US, its support of Israel, its presence in the middle east and the amoral culture it espouses. 9-11 wasn't just targeting our land and people, it was a direct attack on our economic base.
144995
It is not simply the cartoons that started this violence.  Sure, they were the flashpoint, but this has been building up for years.  Radical muslims hate the western world.  They hate the free speech.  We are two different cultures, and it will be interesting how this will play out.\nI personally think that normal, honest, good natured Muslims, of which 99 percent of Muslims are, should begin to do something about their radical 1 percent brothers.  It's getting old to keep saying "Those are just the extremists that are beheading and bombing."  Well show some damn remorse when it happens, and then teach or kill, whichever the radicals respond to.\nSide note:  Prez Ahmadinejad of Iran blames the Jews for the cartoons.  "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the caricatures showed the "impudence and rudeness" of Western newspapers against the prophet as well as the "maximum resentment of the Zionists (Jews) ruling these countries against Islam and Muslims."  Yup, and the Holocaust didn't happen.
172144
Good question, it could be.  What they riots definitely don't do is improve the image of muslims in the eyes of the world.  Hopefully these riots will serve as a wake up call to the leaders of islam that there are problems in their ranks.  I don't think the radicals will back down, even if mainstream muslims condemn them.  I read that in the middle east some muslim clerics tried to stop the protests, but were unsuccessful.  I think maybe those who view this behavior as embarrassing were already to some degree sympathetic to the west.  While those who engage in it probably already had negative feelings toward the west.  Those in between, i'm afraid, are probably going to be more likely to see this situation as an attack on islam. It may end up helping the radicals if they are seen by ordinary muslims as protecting the religion while the liberals sided with outsiders.  Typically in past events, muslims have sided with other muslims against outsiders, especially the west who they see as oppressing them, I don't think this will be different.