In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC Professor John Esposito — one of the world’s foremost scholars on political Islam — unpacks 120 years of modern Islamic movements. From Afghani and Abdu’s 19th-century reformist vision, through Hassan al-Banna and Maududi’s activism, to Sayyid Qutb’s radical turn, we trace the intellectual and political forces that shaped the Muslim world. We explore the Iranian Revolution, the Afghan war, democratic Islamists, authoritarian crackdowns, and how the West’s perceptions of Islamism were forged. This is a masterclass in the history, ideas, and global impact of political Islam. UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim Chapters0:00 – Intro & episode setup 2:33 – Esposito’s unlikely journey 5:41 – Immersion in Muslim scholarship 10:14 – Plan: 120 years’ history 12:14 – Afghani & Abdu’s vision 15:45 – Islam as civilization & faith 18:09 – Abdu’s modernist reform ideas 22:02 – Anti-colonial political Islam roots 23:54 – Al-Banna & Maududi emerge 26:44 – Movements spread transnationally 30:58 – Ideas spread without media 33:15 – Critique of elites & clerics 38:58 – Sayyid Qutb’s radical turn 43:39 – America through Qutb’s eyes 47:14 – Nasser’s crackdown & prisons 50:33 – Cross-pollination of movements 52:47 – Iranian revolution reshapes politics 55:03 – Authoritarianism fuels radicalisation 57:12 – Gradualists vs violent factions 1:04:05 – Revolution’s impact on perceptions 1:09:58 – Shah, hostage crisis, US errors 1:18:22 – Afghan jihad to al-Qaeda 1:27:05 – Democratic Islamists in power 1:35:48 – Post-Cold War Islamism shifts 1:40:19 – 9/11 & war on terror 1:49:15 – Arab Spring & Brotherhood 1:53:32 – Egypt’s coup & repression 2:02:08 – Islamism, democracy & inclusion 2:07:39 – Misrepresentation in Western discourse

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

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