Martin Kramer

In the subsequent viewpoint, Martin Kramer, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, asserts that Islam does not support the principles of democracy. He claims that the true agenda of Islamic movements is to gain power, establish authoritarian rule, and repress dissent. Based on their belief that they are implementing the will of God, Kramer maintains, Islamic fundamentalists are trying to dominate the West.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Kramer define “ideological Islam”"

2. What are the ways by which Islamists pursue power, according to the author"

3. As stated by Kramer, what is the role of the Islamic state"

Will the real political Islam stand up? In July 1996, the leader of Turkey’s Islamist Refah (Welfare...