Introduction

Actors of Political Islam pursue the political goals that are derived from the idea that Islam, as they understand it, should play the central role in shaping political, legal, social and cultural systems worldwide. While it is a broad and diverse movement with different interpretations, variations and organisations, there are some common characteristics associated with Political Islam in general. The first and most important is the integration of religion and politics. Political Islam emphasises not only the integration of religious principles and values into the political sphere, but the priority of religious values in politics. It seeks to establish an Islamic system of governance based on Islamic law as the primary source of legislative jurisdiction and executive decision-making.