Merits and limits to democracy promotion in the Middle East
To advocate true democracy in the Arab world is a tough sell at the best of times. In the wake of the “Arab Spring,” a half-decade that witnessed some of… Read more »
Search Results for: muslim brotherhood
‘Struggle Over Scripture’ Could new agency tackle ideological problem of jihadism?
Claims by groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda to have theological backing for their brands of violent extremism are going virtually unchallenged by mainstream Islamic scholars, according to a… Read more »
Egypt’s ‘classic authoritarian bargain’ proves to be the worst ever counterterrorism strategy
When it comes to the Middle East these days, the buzzword in the international community is “stabilization,” as opposed to “transition,” notes Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow at the European… Read more »
What the royal Saudi purge means: prelude to reform or power consolidation?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been considered a bulwark of stability in the Persian Gulf region. But Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s extraordinary weekend roundup against alleged corruption shook… Read more »
Political Islam After the Arab Spring: Between Jihad and Democracy?
Around 1,000 Indonesians, led by hardline Islamist groups, protested outside parliament on Tuesday as lawmakers approved a presidential decree banning civil organizations deemed to go against the country’s secular… Read more »
Idealism as realism in the Middle East: Re-thinking political Islam?
In the pre-Arab Spring era, the Muslim Brotherhood and the many movements it inspired reached a consensus for how to pursue their aims: bide their time, do their best… Read more »
Will Hamas’s ‘Hezbollah model’ scupper Palestinian reconciliation?
Hamas’ supreme leader says his group will not give up its weapons, a vow that is sure to complicate reconciliation talks with the rival Fatah movement, The Washington Post reports:… Read more »
Kurdish vote reflects Middle East’s ‘existential quandary’
Turkey threatened potentially crippling restrictions on oil trading with Iraqi Kurds on Thursday after they backed independence from Baghdad in a referendum that has alarmed Ankara as it faces… Read more »
How illiberals, uncivil society transition from protest to power
Civil society activists have often struggled to make the transition from protest to politics, to effect a shift from social movement to party in power. Illiberal and authoritarian movements –… Read more »
A realist case for advancing Arab democracy
Despite the reportedly path-breaking retreat from even the rhetoric of promoting democracy and human rights, there is a robust realist argument for advancing freedom in the Middle East, according to Elliott… Read more »