On Islamic Extremism: Qutb and his Vision

Qutb's vision:

a. The governments in the Islamic world are in a state of unbelief, much like the condition of the world before the advent of Islam.
b. These governments create their own law and in so doing stand against God's law. In standing against God's law they lose all legitimacy.
c. A religious/political vanguard needs to be created that will struggle against the effects of unbelief.
d. The model of training for that vanguard will be the Quran. Here he's looking back at Muhammad and the expansion of the early Islamic community. The idea is that they were successful because all they had as a guide was the Quran. For Muslims to once again thrive they need to turn back to their sacred text.

What comes next the LHG actually finds very cool:

Creating a truly Islamic government is not just a human desire, it's God's will. God has created everything and thus has rights over everything. Secular government and society places humanity and our laws before God. For Qutb, unless Islamic law rules, we're guilty of idolatry - worshipping ourselves and our desires over God.

What the LHG likes about this is the great urgency behind this vision and the way it's connected to democracy. For Qutb, a true democracy - a true egalitarian vision - can only take place if we live under God's law. Otherwise, some people rule over other people.

Anyway, cool - but also dangerous.