This survey attempts to show how that theme is relevant to the many different regimes across the middle east and north africa region. This policy was stepped up after the al qaeda attack of september. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east is wellwritten, thoroughly researched, and provides interesting details about many of the islamist movements included, such as details about their internal debates over strategies and tactics. The united states and its allies could best counter the destabilizing forces of radical islam by gaining an understanding of the broad range of views among muslims that make some potential allies and others determined adversaries. Nov 23, 2020 abdelfattah rose to prominence with the 2011 pro democracy uprisings that swept the middle east and in egypt toppled longtime president hosni mubarak. Feb 26, 2019 terrorism and the threat to democracy. It is neither a new phenomenon nor limited to a particular region, nationality, or ideology. Indeed, a democratic middle east would probably result in islamist governments unwilling to cooperate with washington. The weaker the egyptian regime is, the stronger is the islamic islamist terrorism. The report gives special emphasis to the middle east, in particular the levantine countries, and outlines two aspects of the islamist movement that may be considered polar opposites. Political violence in north africa brookings institution. Islamic terrorism and democracy in the middle east middle.
It is the mainstream islamist organizations, not the radical ones, that will have the greatest impact on the future political evolution of the middle east. The new york times best seller inside the revolution takes you inside the winnertakeall battle for the hearts, minds, and souls of the people of the middle east. Nothing justifies terrorism, but we also have to acknowledge that it does not occur in a vacuum. Usip had an indepth discussion with katerina dalacoura on the launch of her usipfunded book titled islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east on december 7th from 34. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east by katerina dalacoura. Sep 01, 2005 the bush administration contends that the push for democracy in the muslim world will improve u. Islamist terrorism and the democratic deficit in the. Islamic terrorism, the middle east, and central asia.
Moreover, even if the objectives of terrorism are justified, it is a criminal act since it does not abide by legal procedures. Islamic terrorism, islamist terrorism or radical islamic terrorism are terrorist acts against civilians committed by violent islamists who have a religious motivation the largest numbers of incidents and fatalities caused by islamic terrorism have occurred in india, iraq, afghanistan, nigeria, pakistan, yemen, somalia, syria, and mali. Islamist terrorism and the democratic deficit in the middle. While the whole book cannot be summarized here, just a couple of brief examples should paint a suf. In a challenge to the conventional wisdom, she concludes that islamist terrorism is not a direct consequence of authoritarianism in the middle east and that there are many key factors that generate radicalism includes bibliographical references and index 1. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east katerina dalacoura. The roots of authoritarianism in the middle east springerlink.
How future events unfold, particularly the future course of the islamic fundamentalism, jihad, and terrorism, greatly hinges on the u. It comes as no surprise that most islamist terrorists in the uk are british men aged 1834. Its increase in complex masscasualty attacks in iraq and syria therefore became a routine to terrorise the populations and seek control. Its impact on the region and on the middle east conference.
Qaeda and other radical islamist terrorist groups, additional threats emerged in a postseptember 11 world. General interest islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east. When it comes to islamic regimes and islamic islamist terrorism we should realize that in the arab middle east the notion of islam on the one hand and democracy on the other hand is mutually exclusive. Durham modern middle east and islamic world series. Such topics as the meaning of jihad, the role of clerics as authoritative interpreters, and the place of human rights and toleration in islam have become subjects of urgent public debate. Sanctions on irans irgc bars immigration by revolutionary. We have deliberately chosen this minimalist definition as the starting point of a. September 2012 elizabeth obagy middle east security report 6. The middle east policy council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to contribute to american understanding of the political, economic and cultural issues that affect u. In brief, the report shows that islam need not be incompatible with democracy and. Her research analyzes the origins and evolution of social movements and political protest. A lecture series sponsored by the mershon center for. The assumption that there is a causal link between the two phenomena was widely accepted in the post2001 period and appeared to inform western foreign policies in the region, but does the premise really stand up to scrutiny. To many, his imprisonment three years later at a time when authorities imposed draconian laws banning public gatherings and unauthorized demonstrations was a sign of egypts return to.
May 06, 2014 the future of democracy in the middle east. This paper interrogates the role of the middle east in international terrorism and the spillovers of this on global security. It was at the end of world war one that the middle east was created as an imaginative. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east united. The rise of violent transnational movements in the middle east. Both traditional statesponsored international middle east. But the reader learns also that 16% of offenders were converts, 76% were known to the authorities prior to their terrorist offences and 26%.
Beyond this, islam s endtimes narrative in so many ways is simply the biblical endtime story. The following is a summary of an osi forum, islamic terrorism, the middle east, and central asia. Geopolitics and democracy in the middle east 11 the middle east and north africa mena is undergoing a profound geopolitical recon. The gia appealed to the hittistes urban youth, while the ais support came from the pious middle class. Confronting militant islam in egypt with lawrence rubin, terrorism and political violence, 20, 4 october 2008 pdf. Oct 15, 2015 the core assumptionbuilding on a specific understanding of the recent political history of latin america and eastern europeis that civil society activism is positively correlated with democracy and democratization. It will analyze the formation of religious approaches to politics and government. Political exclusion, repression and the causes of extremism the.
Research paper democracy and the ovember middle east. Islam, democracy, and cosmopolitanism cambridge core. In 2017, is ambitions and objectives seem to have changed. Lessons from egypt, jordan, and kuwait carrie rosefsky wickham is the author of mobilizing islam. Stockholm international peace research institute sipri 2017, 2019. Oct 17, 2017 a total of 51,321 of these incidents73% of the global totaloccurred in the islamic states in the middle east and north africa or mena region. Islamist movements and the democratic process in the arab world. 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.
Request pdf islamist terrorism and the middle east democratic deficit. Terrorist groups, such as the islamic state of iraq and sham isis, alqaeda, the boko haram group and others, are composed of many nationalities and sects. Current multidisciplinary perspectives on root causes, the role of ideology, and programs for counterradicalization and disengagement. It now appears that the islamic state is honing its efforts to inspire followers, and focusing on more careful planning and coordination in its attacks. Four sets of variables are used to explore whether these patterns are significant in the 2005 survey data. Interrogating the work of contemporary theorists of islamic modernity such as mohammed arkoun, abdul annaim, fatima mernissi, talal asad, saba mahmood and aziz alazmeh, this book explores the debate on islam, democracy and modernity, contextualized within contemporary muslim lifeworlds. A basic issue for any democratic transformation in the middle east must be the. Selected literature on radicalization and deradicalization. Islam and the patterns in terrorism and violent extremism.
Raymond hinnebusch, in his study of the international politics of terrorism also warns against the dangers of an ahistorical approach. Jihadist terrorism is the most prominent and persistent threat to u. The party had two major leaders representing its two bases of its support. The radicals grandiose goals of reestablishing a caliphate uniting the entire arab world, or even of imposing on individual arab countries laws and. May 23, 2006 as noted above, differences in opinions about terrorism have been linked not only to demographic variables, notably age and gender, but also to views about islam, democracy, and the united states. Many argue that in the presence of democracy in the middle east, te will decline or. Published in the mid1990s, david garnhams democracy, war and peace in the middle east exposes the role of conflict in shaping the democracy deficit in the middle east, especially with regards to the everlasting arabisraeli conflict.
Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east. Across the region, power struggles mask a more fundamental divide over the meaning of the modern nationstate. Lisa blaydes professor, department of political science. The implications of gender for voter recruitment and mobilization with safinaz eltarouty, middle east journal, 63, 3 july 2009 ideological reorientation and counterterrorism. The main focus will be on the expected perceptions and reaction to us policy of selected important middle east actors, regime stability and changing regional alignments. Egypt adds leading activist, politician to terror watch list. As an ongoing response to the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, and a justification for the u. In it, dalacoura raises serious and thoughtprovoking questions about policies and theoretical. This report provides an overview of the political islam in the middle east, with a special emphasis on the islamic resurgence in the levant egypt, israel, jordan, lebanon, palestine and syria. Abbassi madani appealed to pious small businessmen, and ali belhadj appealed to the angry, often unemployed youth. Dictator beleaguered war militias and islamist military terrorism regime. The middle east has been, since 1984, the major stage andor source of international terrorism on the world scene.
Military confrontation with russia seems unlikely, although miscalculations remain possible, but russia poses more than a military threat. Another slogan, the end of history, would make its appearance with the demise of the cold war in the early 1990s. By the end of 1994, the islamic salvation army ais controlled over half the guerrillas of the east and west, but barely 20% in the center, near the capital, where the gia were mainly based. The impact of religious orientations on attitudes towards democracy in four arab countries, comparative politics, 34 3, pp. Mar 14, 2019 however, long before the age of islamist terrorism, western conceptions and representations of muslims had already consigned them to the category of the east, oriental or islamic world, as produced by the narratives of orientalism. Islam and democracy in the middle east the impact of religious orientations on attitudes toward democracy in four arab countries mark tessler discussions about democracy in the arab world often include attention to the political orientations of ordinary men and women. A sourcebook, edited by charles kurzman oxford university press, 2002 the modernist islamic movement was a major force in africa, asia, and eastern europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, generating tremendous intellectual ferment by attempting to reconcile islamic faith and modern ideals. Islamist terrorism and the middle east democratic deficit. Islam and democracy in the arab middle east are mutually.
Since 1989, the middle east and north africa mena has been plagued by growing terrorist attacks and conflicts, fueling significant increases in the regions military expenditure me sandler and george, 2016. Protecting the homeland from international and domestic. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east what were the reasons behind the terrorist attacks of september 11 and the many others perpetrated by radical islamist groups. It is important to note, however, that only a relatively small portion of the incidents can be attributed to isis, even using the highest start estimate. Where terrorism finds support in the muslim world pew. For instance, menas global share of terrorist attacks rose from 9. Front islamique du salut, fis was an islamist political party in algeria. Pdf islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east by. The arab spring is transforming the politics of the middle east in myriad. Course description the course will deal with the interaction between islam and politics in the modern middle east 19th and 20th centuries. Islamic terrorism, islamist terrorism or radical islamic terrorism are terrorist acts against civilians committed by violent islamists who claim a religious motivation.
Religion, activism and political change in egypt columbia, 2002 and of articles in comparative politics, ps and middle east policy. Islamist terrorism and democracy middle east politics. Pdf islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east. The narrative traces the roots of terrorism to the middle east, noting. Perhaps, the most extensive and informative english. Mar 18, 2004 islam s own internal struggles make it difficult for outsiders to understand the actors and the issues.
Political exclusion, repression and the causes of extremism the terrorist attacks of september 11 created a consensus. However, a conceptualization of arab civil society in liberal terms is destined to disappoint since liberal and democratic values have much shallower roots than would be. Course description the course will deal with the interaction between islam and politics in the modern middle east 19th. The summary is reprinted courtesy of eurasianet, the news and information website of osis central eurasia project. In four years, the region has transitioned from the great hopes for democratisation emanating from the 2011 wave of popular revolutions towards a spiral of fragmentation, insecurity and fragility. Does the cause of islamist terrorism relate to the lack of democracy in the middle east. The events of september 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism have provoked widespread discussion about the possibility of democracy in the islamic world. Islamist terrorism and democracy in the middle east is wellwritten, thoroughly researched, and provides interesting details about many of the islamist. September 2012 elizabeth obagy middle east security.
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