hashem alhjouj - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Subsequent to 9/11 the conclusion was drawn that the prevalence of authoritarianism in the Middle... more Subsequent to 9/11 the conclusion was drawn that the prevalence of authoritarianism in the Middle East undermined Western interests by contributing to the emergence of Islamist terrorism. This paper argues that there is no evidence that a causal relationship exists between the democratic deficit in the Middle East and the emergence of Islamist terrorism. The paper explores the three main types of Islamist terrorism: the transnational terrorism of al Qaeda; the Islamist terrorism associated with national liberation movements such as Hamas and Hizbullah; and Islamist terrorism in the context of domestic insurgencies such as the Egyptian Gamaat Islamiya and the Algerian GIA. The case studies show that the Islamist movements' lack of political participation and repression contributed to radicalisation in some cases, but not in others. The paper also explores the obverse argument, whether political participation leads to the emergence of non-violent Islamism. The Turkish Justice and Development Party, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the Tunisian Nahda and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood/Islamic Action Front are studied in this context. The evidence, again, is mixed: the moderation of some movements is clearly linked to their being included in the political process, but in other cases repression had the same outcome.
Subsequent to 9/11 the conclusion was drawn that the prevalence of authoritarianism in the Middle... more Subsequent to 9/11 the conclusion was drawn that the prevalence of authoritarianism in the Middle East undermined Western interests by contributing to the emergence of Islamist terrorism. This paper argues that there is no evidence that a causal relationship exists between the democratic deficit in the Middle East and the emergence of Islamist terrorism. The paper explores the three main types of Islamist terrorism: the transnational terrorism of al Qaeda; the Islamist terrorism associated with national liberation movements such as Hamas and Hizbullah; and Islamist terrorism in the context of domestic insurgencies such as the Egyptian Gamaat Islamiya and the Algerian GIA. The case studies show that the Islamist movements' lack of political participation and repression contributed to radicalisation in some cases, but not in others. The paper also explores the obverse argument, whether political participation leads to the emergence of non-violent Islamism. The Turkish Justice and Development Party, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the Tunisian Nahda and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood/Islamic Action Front are studied in this context. The evidence, again, is mixed: the moderation of some movements is clearly linked to their being included in the political process, but in other cases repression had the same outcome.