Political Islam is any interpretation of Islam as a source of political identity and action and can refer to a wide range of individuals or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic principles.

Political Islam represents one aspect of the Islamic revival that began in the 20th century. Whenever contemporary Islamists ponder their own genealogy, there are two pivotal figures that invariably come up to invigorate their imaginings namely, Mohammad Abduh, who laid the foundation of modern-day Political Islam and his disciple Sayyid Jamal aldin al Afghani.

The discussion focusses on the origins of Political Islam with focusing on the local contextual expression of Islam and the affect political Islam played on the S.A landscape through the political activism of the Muslim Youth Movement.

Host: Mohammad Groenewald
Guest: Ibrahim Bardien