MODERATE ISLAM - A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS OR A POLITICAL FORCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY? John Horrocks A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of MPhil at the University of St. Andrews 2007 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/149 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License MODERATE ISLAM – A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS OR A POLITICAL FORCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY? A Thesis Submitted for the Award of the Degree of Master of Philosophy Submitted by: John Horrocks Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence School of International Relations University of St Andrews Date of Submission: 10 October 2006 DECLARATIONS I, John Horrocks, hereby certify that this Thesis, which is approximately 40,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date: 10 October 2006. Signature of Candidate: I was admitted as a research student in September 2004 and as a candidate for the degree of Master of Philosophy in September 2004; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2004 and 2006. Date: 10 October 2006. Signature of Candidate: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this Thesis in application for that degree. Date: 10 October 2006. Signature of Supervisor: In submitting this Thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. Date: 10 October 2006. Signature of Candidate: ii ABSTRACT Arab states are ruled almost exclusively by authoritarian regimes, as typified by Egypt, which enjoys a unique regional centrality in Arab politics, Islamic activism and international relations. Opposition political organisations are closely controlled, rarely functioning in a meaningful capacity. Denied political access, radical Islamist groups embraced violence in an attempt to overthrow regimes perceived as un-Islamic and closely aligned with Western powers. However, Egyptian regimes highlighted the power of entrenched personal-authoritarian rule; they have endured, and have skilfully suppressed Islamic activism of all types, ultimately destroying radical groups by force. The wider, mainstream Islamic opposition movement is generally described as ‘moderate’ because the groups within it eschew violence and recognise established political structures. However, while a younger, more democratic trend is emerging within it, it nonetheless contains enduring fundamentalist factions that still share the radical aim of establishing an Islamic state. The moderates proved adept at mobilizing support in restrictive political environments, but have not subsequently gained official political party status. If a resurgence of violent extremism is to be avoided, a new political course is needed. This must be definitively Muslim in character, democratic, just, and of direct popular appeal. It is such a project that the nascent Islamist modernist trend in Egypt seeks to construct. It is enormously ambitious, and currently lacks a unified mainstream following; the concepts of Muslim democracy and an Islamic state are presently mutually competitive. The struggle between traditional moderate Islamists and the more modernist influence emerging in Egypt is one among several factors that will determine the future viability of moderate Islamism; there are powerful external influences at play that will also shape the evolution of this movement. At present, moderate Islamism is a movement in transition, tending more towards democratic political participation, away from autocratic religious utopianism; its disparate factions do not yet enjoy complete unity of purpose. Looking to the future, it does, however, offer significant potential as a catalyst for democratic transition. iii CONTENTS Chapter 1 – Introduction and Structure. - Research Issue, Aim of Dissertation. - Significance of Research. - Summary of Chapters; Research Questions. Chapter 2 – Methodology. - Centrality of Egypt in Arab Politics. - Importance of Egyptian Islamist Groups in Islamist politics. - Comparative Case Study Methodology – Explanation and Justification. - Common Factors and Trends of Wider Applicability in Arab Politics. Chapter 3 – Conceptual and Theoretical Grounding. - Background of Political Islam. - Summary of Social Movement Theory work on Islamic Activism. Chapter 4 – Past and Present – The Evolution of the Moderate Islamist Movement and the Emergence of the Islamist Modernist Trend. - Part 1: Moderate Islamism and Egyptian Politics Since 1952. - Part 2: The Characteristics of the Moderate Islamist Movement in Egypt. - Part 3: Islamism in Transition. Chapter 5 – The Future – Democratization, Muslim Democracy and Islamist Modernism. - Democratization as a Catalyst for Political Reform. - Modernist Islam as a Potential Democratic Alternative to Authoritarian Rule. - The Future of Moderate Islamist Politics in the Wider Middle East. 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