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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000003663022 | BP63.A4 N34 1997 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
The rise of Islamic movements in the Arab world over the last decade coincided with a move toward democratization throughout the region, yet after hopeful early signs, progress toward democratization has stalled or even been reversed in all but a few countries. This book explores the linkages between the move to democratize and the Islamist challenge, focusing on the struggle among ruling elites, secularists, and the Islamists to define collective identity--that is, to define what common orientations unite the polity and how disagreements can be addressed, particularly regarding the place of Islam in politics. The author surveys democratization measures since 1980 and analyzes the nature of the Islamist challenge, exploring the factors behind the rise of fundamentalism, the agendas of various Islamic movement, and Islamist concepts of democracy. In a final section the author offers in-depth case studies of Egypt and Jordan.
Author Notes
Najib Ghadbian is a research analyst for the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Ghadbian covers familiar ground concerning the growth of Islamic movements in the Arab world that have sought to displace autocratic rulers with regimes guided by Islamic law and its moral codes. The book's main thrust and originality is the stalled process of democratization in the Arab countries whereby the Islamist groups, despite their considerable grassroots support, have been denied political ascendance. The author surveys recent measures taken toward democratization and analyzes the nature of the Islamist challenge and the political agendas of various Islamist movements and their concepts of democracy. He focuses exclusively on the mainstream Sunni Islamism of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates, whose ideological agendas he considers moderate. Two case studies contrast Egypt's exclusionary policies toward the Islamists with Jordan's inclusion of Islamist parties in King Hussein's controlled experiment in democratization since 1989. The author concludes with a plea of accommodation between the ruling elites and the moderate segment of the Islamist movement. A useful volume for specialists on political Islamism and democratization. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. R. H. Dekmejian; University of Southern California
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. xiii |
| Acknowledgments | p. xv |
| Part 1 Charting Democracy In the Arab World | p. 1 |
| 1 Studying Democratization In the Arab World | p. 15 |
| 2 Identity and Democracy A History | p. 37 |
| Part 2 Democratization And Islamic Resurgence | p. 41 |
| 3 Islamists and Democracy The Intersection | p. 43 |
| 4 The Islamist Challenge | p. 82 |
| Part 3 The Politics Of Inclusion and Exclusion Two Case Studies | p. 85 |
| 5 Egypt Coercion and Containment | p. 112 |
| 6 Jordan: a Case of Inclusion | p. 117 |
| 7 Conclusions and Prospects | p. 139 |
| Part 4 Conclusions | p. 139 |
| Bibliography | p. 151 |
| About the Book and Author | p. 161 |
| Index | p. 163 |
