Political movements that interpret Islam as a call to arms against the West are frequently called "medieval.” Their emphasis on religious belief is understood to be a rejection of modernity. This paper demonstrates that such movements are, in fact, far more modern than is commonly assumed. A range of movements considered to be primarily theocratic -- from Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Republic of Iran to Osama bin Laden's "Islamic Nation" and the new "Islamic State" -- were consciously framed as a reaction to secular nationalism. Whether by accident or design, they thus ended up adopting and adapting many, if not all, of the fundamental principles of nationalism. Under close examination, every other extremist movement of Sunni Islam reveals nationalist roots. Understanding the secular orientation of such movements will allow us to distinguish them from traditional Muslims.
