The Resurgence of Political Islam

Paper Summary:

This paper provides an assessment of the resurgence of political Islam in the Middle East. It briefly discusses the history of political Islam but focuses on the period from the 1970s onward, when political Islam took the place of Arab nationalism, with particular reference to Egypt.

Paper Outline:
What is Political Islam?
Why Islam?
The Origins of Modern Islamism in Egypt
Why Was There a Resurgence at the End of the 1960s?
Political Islam as a Tool of the State
Political Islam as a Challenge to the State
Conclusion
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"Although Islamism has been used as an alternative to secular government, it has also been used by the state. In Egypt, Sadat was known as "the Believer President" and used Islam to gain legitimacy. He engaged in a number of Islamic projects such as mosque construction and family law reforms and often made use of Islamic rhetoric. As Kepel describes it in Jihad, Sadat's gamble was that by encouraging the emergence of a socially conservative Islamist movement, this new movement would "hold the line' against the radical groups."

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