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 »
Category: Islamists
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 »
Stepan, Turkey and Islam’s democratic compatibility
The emergence of an “upstart populist party” like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been facilitated in no small part by a widespread fear that Islam and democracy are incompatible,… Read more »
CVE report: non-violent Islamist groups ‘a recruitment pool for jihadists’
Non-violent Islamist groups have acted as a recruitment pool for dozens of jihadists who have gone on to join al-Qaeda, Islamic State and similar extremist groups, according to research… Read more »
Corruption, poor economy, illiberalism threaten Tunisia’s exceptionalism
Poor economic conditions and corruption are at the source of intense public dissatisfaction in Tunisia, according to a new poll by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research:… Read more »
Countering violent extremism: learning from other democracies
How does terrorism end? Is it effective as a means of securing political power? Robin Wright asks in The New Yorker: Sinn Féin—the I.R.A.’s political wing—is the most popular party… 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 »
West ‘losing the war of ideas’ against extremist ideology
After more than a decade, efforts to counter the ideology of terrorist networks by the United States and its partners have yet to accrue a tangible return on investment, according… Read more »
Extremism-fueled strategic instability threatens Asia’s democracies
Asia’s democracies are threatened by a growing source of strategic instability at the sub-state level, as increasing religiosity and extremist ideologies gain momentum in the national consciousness of several countries in… Read more »
Democracy in Iran: Why It Failed, How It Might Succeed
How resilient is the Islamic Republic of Iran? asks analyst Eric Lob. The answer to this question is that the future survival of the Islamic republic is tenuous at best… Read more »