Analysis: “Why Islamists Won’t Win (Even If They Do)”

As’ad AbuKhalil, writing for Alakhbar English, argues that the success of Islamist political parties is “the dominant story,” but the coverage is not mentioning that these parties “have been organized for decades while some leftists and liberals have just started, … have been benefiting from Gulf money and have utilized that external funding effectively,” and “that they have been striking deals under the table with the US and European governments to reassure them not only regarding the pro-capitalist (neoliberal) policies that they would pursue, but also regarding not antagonizing Israel.”

The author asserts that “if [Islamist parties] continue to postpone their agenda, their rank-and-file will accuse them of abandoning their principles, and if they push ahead with their agendas, they will alienate voters and also alienate their new friends and sponsors in Western capitals.” Additionally, AbuKhalil contends, “The Islamists are in a bind. The demise is rather inevitable. They can’t fulfill their promises and win. They have been striking deals with GCC countries and Western powers in contradiction with their own ideology and earlier promises.”