Political Islam: How Religion Was Hijacked to Undermine the State

 An Analytical Reading of the Experience — and the Agenda Behind It

Since the early 20th century, the phenomenon of political Islam has been growing in the Arab world — with Egypt at its core.

But what began as slogans calling for “a return to religion” quickly morphed into a tool for threatening the very existence of the state — replacing patriotism with party loyalty, constitutions with pledges of allegiance, and political dialogue with fatwas.

So, were these movements truly extensions of Islam’s spirit?

Or were they part of an alternative identity project — exploiting religion to achieve authoritarian goals?

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From One Group to Many: The Not-So-Innocent Origins

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, at a time when Egypt was caught between British occupation and the dream of a modern nation-state.

But history suggests the movement’s birth wasn’t entirely organic or innocent.

Declassified British documents from the National Archives in London reveal that intelligence services (like the S.I.S.) monitored and facilitated the Brotherhood’s rise — seeing it as “a potential tool against rising Egyptian nationalism and socialism.”

(Source: Mark Curtis – Secret Affairs: Britain’s Collusion with Radical Islam)

The group’s early support wasn’t rooted in mass popularity but in a desire to create a supra-state entity that would challenge the legitimacy of national institutions — presenting “obedience to God” as a substitute for loyalty to the homeland.

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A Double-Faced Narrative and a Deep-Rooted Hostility to the State

From the beginning, political Islam relied on two-tiered messaging:

Publicly: Calls for virtue and anti-corruption.

Internally: A push for power monopoly and a belief that the state was a “secular infidel” system that had to be dismantled.

This thinking was most clearly laid out in the writings of Sayyid Qutb, especially his book Milestones, where he introduced the concept of “modern Jahiliyya” — claiming that a real Muslim society no longer existed and must be rebuilt from scratch.

This worldview rejected the modern state entirely, placing the group (or the movement) in the role of divinely chosen leader, while portraying national institutions as illegitimate tools of tyranny.

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Real-World Trials… Ending in Blood and Failure

Sudan: Ruled for decades by the “Islamic Front” led by Hassan al-Turabi and later Omar al-Bashir.

Result: Civil war, South Sudan’s secession, economic collapse.

(Source: Crisis Group – Sudan: Preventing State Collapse, 2021)

Iran: Though doctrinally different, the model of religious rule produced a security state, repressing dissent in the name of revolution, leading to chronic international isolation.

(Source: Human Rights Watch – Annual Reports on Iran)

Egypt (2012–2013): The short-lived Muslim Brotherhood government revealed its true colors:

Ignored state institutions and constitutional norms.

Attempted to infiltrate the military and police under the guise of “empowerment.”

Triggered national polarization and collapse in public trust.

The result? A massive popular uprising that ousted them in less than a year.

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Why the “Islamic Model” of Governance Failed

1. Confusing Preaching with Power:

What reforms souls doesn't necessarily govern nations.

2. No National Development Vision:

No economic model. No educational strategy. Only vague “renaissance” promises.

3. Religious Supremacy Complex:

Opponents were not rivals — they were “enemies of God.”

4. Allegiance to a Transnational Organization:

One that undermines national sovereignty.

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Islam… and the Nation-State

Islam is not inherently anti-state — in fact, it endorses its necessity.

The Prophet Muhammad established a state in Medina with a written constitution (The Constitution of Medina).

The Rightly Guided Caliphs worked within institutional frameworks — with courts, consultation, and civil registries.

But political Islam transformed religion from a unifying moral force into a divisive political weapon — manipulating spiritual sentiments to undermine modern governance.

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Conclusion

Political Islam failed not because it was Islamic — but because it wasn’t truly reformist.

It was a project of replacement:

Replacing national loyalty with group allegiance.

Replacing the constitution with their version of Sharia.

Replacing citizens with obedient followers.

Every real-world experiment in this model ended in collapse, repression, or isolation.

What Egypt needs is not a religious state,

but a just state — one that draws ethical inspiration from Islam,

not structural blueprints.

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Key References

1. Mark Curtis – Secret Affairs: Britain’s Collusion with Radical Islam

2. Sayyid Qutb – Milestones

3. Gilles Kepel – Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam

4. Crisis Group – Sudan: Preventing State Collapse (2021)

5. Human Rights Watch – Annual Reports on Iran

6. Dr. Rifaat El-Said – The History of Islamist Groups in Egypt

7. Dr. Abdel Wahab El-Messiri – My Intellectual Journey

8. British National Archives – Documents cited in The Guardian (partial access)