Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
As Islamist movements in the Arab world become more politically active, they are struggling to pursue their moral and religious agenda while navigating daily political tussles. In the face of repressive regimes, they have achieved some popular support, but enjoyed few concrete successes.
As Islamist movements in the Arab world become more politically active, they are struggling to pursue their moral and religious agenda under unfriendly or repressive regimes.
The international Muslim Brotherhood is not a rigid and disciplined organization with control over its local branches; instead, it is better understood as a framework of loosely linked, ideologically similar movements.
Oil-importing countries in the Middle East and North Africa were relatively unharmed by the Great Recession, but in the changing global economy, new policies are needed to ensure that growth remains robust.
In advance of President Obama's meetings with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Palestinian–Israeli direct talks, Carnegie experts previewed expectations for the talks and discussed Mubarak’s visit as the country approaches critical parliamentary elections this fall.
A recent U.S. Senate resolution that addresses human rights and civil liberties in Egypt is meant to pressure the regime ahead of upcoming elections, but it is symbolic and not binding.
Egypt has changed significantly in the past decades, as spheres of public activity that once were off limits -- free media and civil society advocacy -- have become legitimate in the eyes of the government, and even more important, in the eyes of Egyptian citizens.
With budget deficits on the rise, the Middle East and North Africa’s oil importing countries must reform their fuel subsidy programs, which benefit the rich more than the poor and waste fiscal resources.
The private sector has become the main driver of growth in the Middle East and North Africa, but more consistent and equitable regulations are needed to transform the region into a diversified, high-performance economy.
Obama's Cairo speech had the admirable goal of improving relations with the Muslim world, but the administration has focused almost exclusively on building bridges with leaders and governments rather than supporting political and human rights.