Islamist Politics in the Middle East Movements and Change

For over three decades, Islamist politics, or political Islam, has been one of the most dynamic and contentious political forces in the Middle East. Although there is broad consensus on the importance of political Islam, there is far less agreement on its character, the reasons for Islamist?s success, the role of Islamist movements in domestic and international affairs, or what these movements portend for the future.

This volume addresses a number of central questions in the study of Islamist politics in the Middle East through detailed case studies of some of the region?s most important Islamist movements. Chapters by leading scholars in the field examine the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbullah, Morocco?s Justice and Benevolence, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq and Islamist politics in Turkey and Iran. The topics addressed within this volume include social networks and social welfare provision, Islamist groups as opposition actors, Islamist electoral participation, the intersection of Islam and national liberation struggles, the role of religion in Islamist politics, and Islam and state politics in Iran, among other topics.

All of the contributing authors are specialists with deep knowledge of the subject matter who are committed to empirically based research. These scholars take Islamists seriously as modern, sophisticated, and strategic political players. Together, their work captures much of the diversity of Islamist politics in the region and will contribute to the scholarship on a topic that continues to be important for the Middle East and the world.

Introduction Part 1: Islamist Politics: Theory and Critique 1. Islam and Islamist Politics in the Arab World: Old Theories and New Facts? 2. Degrading Democracy: American Empire, Islam, and Struggles for Freedom in the Arab Islamic WorldPart 2: Case Studies: Islamist Movements and Politics in the Middle East 3. Islamist Social Networks and Social Welfare Services in Turkey 4. Patronage, Prestige, and Power: The Islamic Center Charity Society’s Role within the Muslim Brotherhood 5. The Religious Dimension of Islamism: Sufism, Salafism, and Politics in Morocco 6. The Muslim Brotherhood – Between Evangelizing and Politics: The Challenges of Incorporating the Brotherhood into the Political Process 7. Political Da‘wa: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood’s Participation in Semi-Authoritarian Elections 8. Mobilization and Ideology in the Iraqi Insurgency: The Role of Islam 9. Hizbullah and Regional Non-state Actors 10. Hamas as a Ruling Party 11. A Decade of Reformists and Islamists in Power in the Islamic Republic of Iran: 1997-2007

Samer Shehata is an Assistant Professor of Arab Politics at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. He is the author of Shop Floor Culture and Politics in Egypt.