Political Islam in the Middle East

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: AlgerieEgyptUtvalgtHamasJordanJordanske MBLibanonmuslimsk BrorskapPalestinaStudier & ForskerSyriaSyrisk MBTyrkiaTyrkias AKP

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