Neo-Islamism after the Arab Spring

The term neo-Islamism refers to a phenomenon within Islam . He was influenced by authors such as Mohammed Ayoob, Robert Wright, Olivier Roy and Tarek Chamkhi , among others . They describe a current in which the Sharia and the achievement of Islamic society functions as a political utopia and as a source of value. However, it does not insist on tying every political situation or decision to religious texts or justifying them with them.

As a result of the Arab Spring and the resulting upheavals in power politics, the neo-Islamist ideas and their supporters, namely various forces within the factions of the Muslim Brotherhood , gained in importance. By means of new political strategies, they sought to connect Islamic ideas to the new political realities.

Historical context

Contrary to the assumptions of Western theories of modernization took place in the Muslim countries of the Middle East no modernization, secularization s- and democratization sprozesse as they have taken place in European countries, being incurred.

Instead, according to the Islamic scholar John L. Esposito, there was a resurgence of Islam, which grew into the "Muslim mainstream" by the 1990s at the latest and can be understood as a socio-religious movement within broad sections of the population. Islam formed the central point of reference in politics and coexistence in the Arab world.

It is noticeable, however, that despite the “mainstream revivalism”, the nationwide Islamic revolution failed to materialize and no Islamic societal plans were established outside of Iran. Instead, until the Arab Spring, despotic nationalist or monarchical oligarchies dominated the political landscape.

In the context of the Arab Spring, new Islamist political forces emerged who tried to gain political power by changing their political strategy towards more openness to pluralistic values and democracy. In the form of the Tunisian Ennahda Party, these forces even managed to win elections and play a key role in drafting the Tunisian constitution.

"Modern" Islamism

This current, which can be understood as Modern Islamism, has little to do with theology or the laws of Sharia.

This can rather be understood as a political utopia with the aim of integrating Islam into the political sphere, economy and law and thus anchoring it in all areas of society.

While at the same time banishing outdated ideological concepts, a new generation of political leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and their factions around the time of the Arab Spring created the willingness to include liberal and pluralistic concepts such as democracy and the separation of powers in their political demands.

Since the long-term goal remains the establishment of Sharia law, neo-Islamism and the associated transformation of religious values (into vaguely conservative values such as family, property or work ethic) appears to be more of a changed political strategy than a new ideology .

According to Chamkhi, political Islam and democracy have become highly interdependent since the Arab uprisings in 2010.

Characteristics of neo-Islamism according to Tarek Chamkhi

Tarek Chamkhi describes neo-Islamism based on six essential factors.

1. New forms of religiosity	Everyday religious practices are changed through the use of modern media and communication tools. A tendency to decouple personal beliefs and collective identities can be seen
2. Gradual Islamization	Opening of the neo-Islamist parties to members of other religious communities. Not through laws, but through political campaigns and social initiatives, one hopes for a gradual Islamization.
3. Modernization of Islam	Acceptance of scientific interventions and the establishment of democratic values. Synchronization of Islam and Democracy.
4. Nationalist Islam	Focus on domestic activities; Acceptance of the limits set in the 20th century.
5. Pragmatic relationship with the West	Willingness to enter into alliances and collaborations with the West.
6. Moderation	Accepting moderate positions in the political arena.

In summary, Chamkhi characterizes neo-Islamism as a tendency that has developed out of the mainstream of the Muslim Brotherhood, using liberal concepts for tactical or strategic reasons, but still pursuing the same traditional goals of the Islamic movement. Whether neo-Islamism and democracy can actually come together remains a question of the future and may be decided in states like Tunisia . The question of whether a lasting secularization from the neo-Islamist movements can perpetuate remains open.

bibliography

Ayoob, M., 2008: The many faces of political Islam: Religion and politics in the Muslim world. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
Chamkhi, T. 2014: Neo-Islamism in the post-Arab Spring, in: Contemporary Politics, Vol. 20, No 4 2014, pp. 453–468.
Davutoğlu, A. 1999: “Rewriting Contemporary Muslim Politics. A Twentieth-Century Periodization ”, in: Fred Dallmayr (ed.): Border Crossings: Toward A Comparative Political Theory , New York, Lexington, 1999, pp. 89–119.
Esposito, JL 2010: Contemporary Islam: Reformation or Revolution ?, in: Dallmayr, Fred (Ed.): Comparative Political Theory, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 71–83.
Gerges, FA 2013: The Islamist movement: from Islamic state to civil Islam? Political Science Quarterly, 128 (3), pp. 389-426.
Khalifa, S., 2012: The neo-Islamists, Foreign Policy. Available from: http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2012/01/29/the-neo-islamists/
Roy, O. 2011: The paradoxes of the re-Islamization of Muslim societies , 10 years after September 11.
Wright, R. 2012: Don't fear all Islamists, fear Salafis, The New York Times, August 29, 2012.
Zapf, Holger 2016: Human Rights and Democracy in Arab Political Discourse, in: De La Rosa, Sibylle / Schubert, Sophia / Zapf, Holger (ed.): Transcultural Political Theory. Trans- and intercultural political theory and history of ideas, Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien, pp. 175–199.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Ayoob M .: The many faces of political Islam: religion and politics in the Muslim world . In: Ann Arbor (Ed.): E University of Michigan Press . S. 2 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chamkhi T .: Neo-Islamism in the post-Arab Spring . Ed .: Contemporary Politics, Vol. 20, No 4 2014. S. 466 .
^ ^A ^b ^c Roy O .: The paradoxes of the re-Islamization of Muslim societies, 10 years after September 11 . ( ssrc.org ).
^ Wright R .: Don't fear all Islamists, fear Salafis . The New York Times, August 29, 2012.
^ ^A ^b Esposito JL: Contemporary Islam: Reformation or Revolution? Ed .: Dallmayr, Fred. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 82 .

[:0-1] Ayoob M .: The many faces of political Islam: religion and politics in the Muslim world . In: Ann Arbor (Ed.): E University of Michigan Press . S. 2 .

[:1-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chamkhi T .: Neo-Islamism in the post-Arab Spring . Ed .: Contemporary Politics, Vol. 20, No 4 2014. S. 466 .

[:2-3] A ^b ^c Roy O .: The paradoxes of the re-Islamization of Muslim societies, 10 years after September 11 . ( ssrc.org ).

[4] Wright R .: Don't fear all Islamists, fear Salafis . The New York Times, August 29, 2012.

[:3-5] A ^b Esposito JL: Contemporary Islam: Reformation or Revolution? Ed .: Dallmayr, Fred. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 82 .