When Islamists Go into Politics

{
  "authors": [
    "Amr Hamzawy",
    "Marina Ottaway"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Egypt",
    "Gulf",
    "Levant",
    "Maghreb"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform"
  ]
}

In The Media

When Islamists Go into Politics

Islamist parties and movements in Arab countries have gained political influence by making the difficult strategic decision to participate in the existing legal political process, forcing them to confront thorny ideological issues.

By Amr Hamzawy and Marina Ottaway

Published on Jan 18, 2010

Source: The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs

When Islamists Go into PoliticsIslamist parties and movements in Arab countries have gained great political importance by making the strategic choice to participate in the legal political process and to acknowledge the legitimacy of the existing constitutional framework. Their political participation has given rise to two major concerns both in the Arab world and in the West. First, are these parties and movements truly committed to democracy? And, will participation itself strengthen their commitment to democratic norms and procedures? The experience of participating Islamist parties and movements in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and Yemen, as well as the armed parties in Lebanon and Palestine, reveals a complex picture.

About the Authors

Amr Hamzawy

Director, Middle East Program

Amr Hamzawy is a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. His research and writings focus on governance in the Middle East and North Africa, social vulnerability, and the different roles of governments and civil societies in the region.

Marina Ottaway

Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program

Before joining the Endowment, Ottaway carried out research in Africa and in the Middle East for many years and taught at the University of Addis Ababa, the University of Zambia, the American University in Cairo, and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Political Reform Egypt Gulf Levant Maghreb

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is it NATO’s Job to Support Trump’s War of Choice?
Donald Trump has demanded that European allies send ships to the Strait of Hormuz while his war of choice in Iran rages on. He has constantly berated NATO while the alliance’s secretary-general has emphatically supported him.
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together
The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.
Rym Momtaz
Commentary
Strategic Europe
The EU Needs a Third Way in Iran
European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.
Richard Youngs
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Europe on Iran: Gone with the Wind
Europe’s reaction to the war in Iran has been disunited and meek, a far cry from its previously leading role in diplomacy with Tehran. To avoid being condemned to the sidelines while escalation continues, Brussels needs to stand up for international law.
Pierre Vimont
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Can Europe Still Matter in Syria?
Europe’s interests in Syria extend beyond migration management, yet the EU trails behind other players in the country’s post-Assad reconstruction. To boost its influence in Damascus, the union must upgrade its commitment to ensuring regional stability.
Bianka Speidl, Hanga Horváth-Sántha

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is it NATO’s Job to Support Trump’s War of Choice?

Donald Trump has demanded that European allies send ships to the Strait of Hormuz while his war of choice in Iran rages on. He has constantly berated NATO while the alliance’s secretary-general has emphatically supported him.

Rym Momtaz, ed.

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together

The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.

Rym Momtaz

Commentary

Strategic Europe

The EU Needs a Third Way in Iran

European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.

Richard Youngs

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Europe on Iran: Gone with the Wind

Europe’s reaction to the war in Iran has been disunited and meek, a far cry from its previously leading role in diplomacy with Tehran. To avoid being condemned to the sidelines while escalation continues, Brussels needs to stand up for international law.

Pierre Vimont

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Can Europe Still Matter in Syria?

Europe’s interests in Syria extend beyond migration management, yet the EU trails behind other players in the country’s post-Assad reconstruction. To boost its influence in Damascus, the union must upgrade its commitment to ensuring regional stability.

Bianka Speidl, Hanga Horváth-Sántha