The paper deals with the politicization of Islam in the modern world. Since a politicized Islam has been a constant topic of conversation in the last two decades, this paper aims to distinguish the roots and causes of political Islam, also known as islamism. The main argument is that radical political activity is not firmly rooted in the basics of the islamic religion. Nowadays, people interpret Islamic texts in different ways, causing several different variations of the same religion. The reason for the appearance of the political interpretation is mainly the influence of the imperialistic west and the strong defiance of the east. Having found no other ideology to be as powerful in offering resistance as political Islam, the supporters of this movement mobilize mases by offering them an idea of a pure, pristine Islam. This movement is sometimes followed by acts of terrorism by which radical Islamic activists spread terror and consequently, the negative opinion of Islam as a religion. In conclusion, since there is no one firm cause for political Islam and the history of the movement shows inconsistencies and contradictions, further research needs to be done in order to conclude whether politics is indeed deeply rooted in the foundations of Islam or the movement in question is only a more radical interpretation of said religion.