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Temptations of Power - Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East (Paperback)
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Temptations of Power - Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East (Paperback)
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In 1989, Francis Fukuyama famously announced the "end of history."
The Berlin Wall had fallen; liberal democracy had won out. But what
of illiberal democracy-the idea that popular majorities, working
through the democratic process, might reject gender equality,
religious freedoms, and other norms that Western democracies take
for granted? Nowhere have such considerations become more relevant
than in the Middle East, where the uprisings of 2011 swept the
Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups to power. In
Temptations of Power, Shadi Hamid draws on hundreds of interviews
with leaders and activists from across the region to advance a new
understanding of how Islamist movements change over time. He puts
forward the bold thesis that repression "forced" Islamists to
moderate their politics, work in coalitions, de-emphasize Islamic
law, and set aside the dream of an Islamic state. Meanwhile,
democratic openings in the 1980s-and again during the Arab
Spring-pushed Islamists back toward their original conservatism.
With the uprisings of 2011, Islamists found themselves in an
enviable position, but one for which they were unprepared. Groups
like the Brotherhood combine the features of both political parties
and religious movements, leading to an inherent tension they have
struggled to resolve. However pragmatic they may be, their ultimate
goal remains the Islamization of society. When the electorate they
represent is conservative as well, they can push their own form of
illiberal democracy while insisting they are carrying out the
popular will. This can lead to overreach and significant backlash.
Yet, while the Egyptian coup and the subsequent crackdown were a
devastating blow for the Islamist "project," obituaries of
political Islam are premature. As long as the battle over the role
of religion in public life continues, Islamist parties in countries
as diverse as Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan will remain an important
force whether in the ranks of opposition or the halls of power. But
what are the key factors driving their evolution? A timely and
provocative reassessment, Hamid's account serves as an essential
compass for those trying to understand where the region's varied
Islamist groups have come from and where they might be headed.
General
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