Liberal discomfort with piety movements exceeds their actual threat level

Evidence

We might remind ourselves that the mosque movement (like the larger piety movement of which it is a part) is neither a fascist nor a mili.. tant movement, nor does it seek to gain control of the state and make Egypt a theocracy. As such, it is quite diff from other politico..religious movements like the Hindutva movement in India, the Gush Emunim in Israel, the Jam�ft al— slami in Pakistan, or the international group al— aeida. Yet the depth of discomfort the pietistic character of this movement evokes among liberals, radicals, and progressives alike is extraordinary. — Saba Mahmood, Politics of Piety, 266

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why does a non-state-seeking piety movement provoke repugnance comparable to militant organizations?
• XREF: Connects to the moral-panic literature and to critiques of liberal secularism’s blind spots. — connects to: The produced moral panic far exceeds the actual terrorist threat — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 762