system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is Islamism an imperialist movement?

Could one make the case that the different islamist movements, organizations and armies that try to create Sharia states in Africa, the Middle East and SE Asia are a form of imperialist force? That Islamism is an Empire?
gpt
I'd unpick the term Islamism a bit first. There are not settled definitions, and almost every academic introduces the term with his/her own coherent meaning. Associated Press recently told their journalists to avoid the term. 

Its become a catch all term to describe a variety of different Muslim anti-colonial/post-colonial reform movements. They can range from politically quietist (certain Salafi groups) to staunchly in favour of democracy (Ikhwaan) to seeking violent upheaval (al-Qaida). They can share very little in common.

So is it an imperial movement? Well no, it is too diverse, too heterogeneous, with too many different aims. At a distance, they may look similar (helped along by a lack of nuance in media and politics) but appearances are deceiving.