foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary

Introduction
1. In keeping with the current practice of most scholars ofIslam and the Middle East,
we have usually used the term "Islamism" to designate a number of more fundamentalist
versions of Islam, as found in Khomeini's movement, the Afghan mujahedeen, and
similar movements that have proliferated over the past three decades. The phrase "Islamic
fundamentalism," used more commonly in journalistic accounts, has the advantage of
making an obvious and sharp distinction between these versions of Islam and other more
tolerant ones, while also allowing comparisons to other forms of religious fundamentalism,
whether Christian, Hindu, or Jewish. However, "fundamentalism: which originated a
century ago as a description of Protestant revivalism, has the decisive disadvantage
of evoking a tendency by believers to return to the original sacred texts, supposedly
unencumbered by interpretation. This is never the case with Islamism, whose adherents
fo llow not only the original texts, but also a body of interpretation, much of it very recent.
Another phrase sometimes used by scholars is "militant Islam," but this implies that the
Islamists are merely advocating more forcefully what all Muslims believe, thus minimizing
th e distinction between Islamism and other versions of Islam.
2. See the appendix. All material included there is cited in this form in the text; "app."
signifies the appendix to this volume.
3. Shortly before his death, Foucault spoke of plans for a new book on "technolOgies
ofthe self." For his various essays between 1978 and 1984 on this issue, see Carrette 1999
and Martin, Gutman, and Hutton 1988.
4. Unless otherwise indicated, in-text translations from French or Persian sources are
by the authors.
S. However, Cohen's attempt in this article to show that Michael Hardt and Antonio
Negri's Empire (2000) also embraced militant Islamism is not very convincing. Tjark
Kunstreich (2004) also paints with too broad a brush, while making some valid links to
Heidegger's concept of authenticity.
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