A Struggle for Power: Islamism and Democracy (Review article) (original) (raw)

The Muslim Brotherhood: Between Democracy, Ideology and Distrust

The Muslim Brotherhood: Between Democracy, Ideology and Distrust, 2014

Following the Arab Spring, democracy exercised through free and fair elections had allowed Islamist political parties to gain power in Egypt. There was a transformation happening in the ideology of Islamists, who were increasingly trying to influence legislation through democratic processes and social activism. It could be argued that for a time, the u.s. and other Western governments no longer viewed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood as a threat comparable with Jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda. This did not translate into a domestic political success, however, once Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood was elected into power in 2012, it simplified good governance to a single and effective slogan: "Islam is the solution!" Yet, it had no real solution to the everyday problems of Egyptians and the sheer chaos that characterizes the daily lives of its people. In a devout region with growing inequality and poverty, religious credentials will matter less than offering specific solutions to these growing social issues. This paper argues that the myth of political Islam has been exposed in Egypt and that the Muslim Brotherhood's identity, torn between political pragmatism and religious conservatism, shaped its political actions under Morsi's rule.

The Shifting Legitimization of Democracy and Elections: The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis (2014c)

POMEPS - Rethinking Islamist Politics, 2014

Islam in a Changing Middle East is a POMEPS initiative to meet the deep, powerful need in the policy community, academic community, and broader public for new knowledge about the evolving role of Islam in the politics and societies of the Middle East . Islam in a Changing Middle East is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation . For more information, see http://www .pomeps .org/islam-initiative .

The Fall of the Muslim Brotherhood: Implications for Egypt

Middle East Policy, 2013

This article sets out the factors underlying the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and argues that domestic and regional factors were interwoven in this failure. We suggest that this failure was due to the climate created by the 2011 uprising that enhanced the focus on Egyptian national interests rather than transnational ideologies but was also due to the Muslim Brotherhood’s inability to fully or convincingly employ its vision for Egypt and the Middle East, which was crucial in order to meet the heightened demands of the post-2011 uprising Egyptian public. Consequently, the ‘Islamist threat’ discourse has not only been reasserted but also strengthened. This will limit the influence of political Islam, while enhancing Egypt’s impact on post-Arab Spring regional alliances.

Upended Path: The Rise and Fall of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood

This article examines the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt after the 2011 uprising. It analyzes the Brotherhood’s behavior and strategy since taking power in June 2012, exploring the underlying factors leading to their downfall in 2013. The article argues that the short-lived Islamist government’s fall can be ascribed to three key factors: its lack of a revolutionary agenda, the Brotherhood’s organizational stagnation and inertia, and its leaders’ incompetence and inexperience in governance.