Salafists Assaulted Pro-Democrats Raise Fear on Political Transition
The chairman of the association Doustourouna (Our Constitution), Jawhar Mbarek, warned (French) against the 'danger' of the democratic transition because of the increased number of violent acts from Salafist movements. During a press conference, Mbarek asserted that members of its association were ...
April 24, 2012
Category: Featured, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Justice, Tunisia
Tensions Between the Government and Moroccan Monarchy Figures?
In Morocco, confrontation seems raised between the King's entourage and the government that received strong support during last November's parliament elections. Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane from the Party of Justice and Development, is committed to tackling corruption and poverty, and a moneyed elite ...
POMED Notes: “Islam and Constitutions”
On Tuesday, the Institute for Middle East Studies, in conjunction with the Project on Middle East Political Science, & The Middle East Policy Forum, hosted their annual conference entitled, “The Legal Dimensions of the Arab Spring,” at The Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. The event featured a series of panels, the last of which discussed, “Islam and Arab Constitutions.” The panel was chaired by Nathan Brown, ...
April 19, 2012
Category: Countries, DC Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political transition
Egyptian Villages and Parliamentary Elections
Yasmine Moataz Ahmed wrote in Egypt Independent on Tuesday about Egypt’s villagers, who they voted for, and why. Ahmed goes on to explain why villagers, who are a large part of the Egyptian electorate, voted largely for Islamist ...
April 13, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam
Rami Khoury: The Counter-Revolution is in Full Swing
Rami Khoury writes in the Daily Star today that the fight to “beat back the revolutionary democratic waves” sweeping across the Arab world “is now in full swing.” This counterrevolution, he writes, is evidenced in Washington’s “rock solid ...
April 11, 2012
Category: Bahrain, Countries, Egypt, Featured, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Monarchy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, US foreign policy, Yemen
April 9, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Islamists in Power: Views from Within”
On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a conference with high-level representatives of Islamist parties from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Libya. Jessica Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, gave opening remarks. The first panel, titled “Building New Regimes After the Uprising,” featured Mustapha Elkhalfi, Moroccan minister of communication, Abdul Mawgoud Rageh Dardery, member of parliament for the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt, Nahil ...
April 6, 2012
Category: Egypt, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
POMED Notes: “Egypt and the Dynamics of Transition and Revolution”
On Thursday, the Middle East Institute hosted an event titled “Egypt and the Dynamics of Transition and Revolution.” The speaker was Shafeeq Ghabra, professor of political science at Kuwait University, who spoke about the roots of Egypt’s revolution and the current political situation. Professor Ghabra was introduced by Kate Seelye, Vice President for Programs and Communications at the Middle East Institute. For full event notes, continue reading below, or click here ...
“The Decline of Political Islam in the Arab World”
In Time Magazine, Tony Karon writes that the U.S. may be happy with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) nominating Khairet al Shater for the presidency, and desire a MB dominated Egypt. Liberals, seculars, and even members of the Brotherhood ...
April 4, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Tunisia, US foreign policy
Muslim Brotherhood’s Political Gamble
Marc Lynch writes in Foreign Policy today that the Muslim Brotherhood’s nomination of Deputy Supreme Guide Khairet al-Shater “sent an earthquake through Cairo’s already wildly careening political seen.” He believes that the nomination is not part of a ...
April 2, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Political transition
Sources Say Egypt’s Brotherhood Reaches Constituent Assembly Compromise
On Thursday, Al Arabiya reported that the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) would switch ten of its members on the Constituent Assembly for representatives from liberal and secular groups. The decision came after a week of ...
March 30, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties
Foreign Affairs: “After the Arab Spring”
Foreign Affairs hosted a debate concerning the status of the region post-revolution featuring Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center, and Robert Malley, Program Director for Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis group. The duo discussed the latest developments of the Arab Spring, including possible intervention in Syria, events that may challenge the stability of the so-far stable monarchies, the legitimate fears of minorities ...
March 27, 2012
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Category: Civil Society, Countries, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Public Opinion, US foreign policy
No Sharia’a Law in the New Tunisian Constitution
A performance by Tunisian Association for Drama Arts was was interrupted when members of the Salafi movement disrupted the cultural events and damaged equipment in the main theater of the city on Bourguiba Avenue. The protests lead by the radicals group gathered thousands of Tunisian who ...
March 26, 2012
Category: Constitutional Issues, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Legislation, Middle Eastern Media, Political transition, Protests, Secularism, Tunisia
POMED Notes: “The Rise of Islamist Parties in the New Middle East”
On Thursday, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University hosted a discussion entitled ‘The Rise of Islamist Parties in the New Middle East’. The panel featured Dr. Jocelyne Cesari, Director of the Harvard Islam in the West Program and Dr. Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Aaron Lobel, President of America Abroad ...
March 25, 2012
Category: DC Event Notes, Egypt, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Political Islam, Political transition, Tunisia
Egypt’s Brotherhood May Nominate Presidential Candidate From Within
On Wednesday, senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood suggested the group might nominate one of its own to run for Egypt's presidency. The decision would be a reversal of an earlier pledge not to back the candidacy of ...
March 21, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition
Egypt’s Parliament Votes on Constituent Assembly Framework
At a joint session of parliament held Saturday, 427 of 590 members of parliament (MPs) voted in favor of a proposal by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) for the make-up of the Constituent Assembly, which is
March 19, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Government, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood
Freedom of Expression under Debate in Tunisia
Amna Guellali, researcher at Human Rights Watch, reacts to the Consitutional draft that proposed by Tunisia’s leading Ennahda saying, “freedom of thought, expression, press, and publication are guaranteed while taking into consideration the sanctities of peoples and religions.” In February, Egyptian cleric Wajdi ...
Post-Revolution Quests for Personal Liberty and Human Rights
On March 8, 2012 a protest was staged in Cairo involving a wide spectrum of feminists, human rights activists, political actors, members of the 9th March movement for academic freedoms, and members of Kifaya, demanding equal representation for women in the soon to be elected constitutional assembly. According to Hania Sholkamy of the American University of Cairo, the group gathered to air grievances about “proposed changes to personal status laws which could mean that Egyptian women lose ...
March 14, 2012
Category: Countries, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Muslim Brotherhood, Women, Women's Rights
March 12, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Legislation, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political transition
The Future of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood
Writing in Foreign Policy, director of the Middle East Graduate Studies Program at the University of Exeter Omar Ashour discusses the development and formation of the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The Libyan MB, he writes, announced on March 3rd the establishment of the Justice and Construction party, showing signs that Libya is likely to follow the “electoral path of Islamist success” seen across other Arab countries. Long oppressed and ...
March 12, 2012
Category: Civil Society, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political transition