Political Islam in the Middle East
| Aug 20, 2010 | Kommentarer 0
Er Knudsen
This report provides an introduction to selected aspects of the phenomenon commonly
referred to as “political Islam”. The report gives special emphasis to the Middle East, i
particular the Levantine countries, and outlines two aspects of the Islamist movement that may
be considered polar opposites: democracy and political violence. In the third section the report
reviews some of the main theories used to explain the Islamic resurgence in the Middle East
(Figure 1). In brief, the report shows that Islam need not be incompatible with democracy and
that there is a tendency to neglect the fact that many Middle Eastern countries have been
engaged in a brutal suppression of Islamist movements, causing them, some argue, to take up
arms against the state, og mer sjelden, fremmede land. Bruken av politisk vold er
utbredt i Midtøsten, men er verken ulogisk eller irrasjonell. I mange tilfeller til og med
Islamistiske grupper kjent for sin bruk av vold har blitt forvandlet til fredelige politiske
partier som deltar i kommunale og nasjonale valg. Ikke desto mindre, islamisten
vekkelse i Midtøsten forblir delvis uforklarlig til tross for en rekke teorier som søker det
stå for dens vekst og populære appell. Generelt, de fleste teorier mener at islamisme er en
reaksjon på relativ deprivasjon, spesielt sosial ulikhet og politisk undertrykkelse. Alternativ
teorier søker svaret på den islamistiske vekkelsen innenfor rammen av selve religionen og den
kraftig, stemningsfullt potensial for religiøs symbolikk.
The conclusion argues in favour of moving beyond the “gloom and doom” approach that
portrays Islamism as an illegitimate political expression and a potential threat to the West (“Old
Islamism”), and of a more nuanced understanding of the current democratisation of the Islamist
movement that is now taking place throughout the Middle East (“New Islamism”). This
importance of understanding the ideological roots of the “New Islamism” is foregrounded
along with the need for thorough first-hand knowledge of Islamist movements and their
adherents. As social movements, its is argued that more emphasis needs to be placed on
understanding the ways in which they have been capable of harnessing the aspirations not only
of the poorer sections of society but also of the middle class.Filed Under: Algerie • Egypt • Utvalgt • Hamas • Jordan • Jordanske MB • Libanon • muslimsk Brorskap • Palestina • Studier & Forsker • Syria • Syrisk MB • Tyrkia • Tyrkias AKP
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