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Interregional Challenges of Islamic Extremist Movements in North Africa

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ISS MONOGRAPH 180 For a long time the region of North Africa enjoyed what seemed like political stability. Th e reality behind this false image has been Interregional challenges unveiled lately by the events that have taken place in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. A closer INTERREGIONAL CHALLENGES OF ISLAMIC look at these uprisings shows that they have of Islamic extremist been simmering for a very long time. Th is La région de l’Afrique du Nord a pendant monograph examines the way in which a range longtemps vécu un semblant de stabilité politique. of factors, including poverty, unemployment movements in North Africa La réalité de ce simulacre a été récemment and denial of political participation, dévoilée par les événements survenus en Tunisie, collaborated to generate anger and frustration en Egypte et en Libye. Si l’on regarde de plus près among various groups, particularly the youth, ces soulèvements populaires on se rend compte que ces pays étaient en ébullition pendant une pushing them to adopt extreme stands using très longue période. Cette monographie examine Islamic ideologies. It demonstrates that the la manière par laquelle plusieurs facteurs, au extremist variances and tendencies of political EXTREMIST IN NORTH AFRICA MOVEMENTS nombre desquels la pauvreté, le chômage et le Islam should not be separated from the factors déni de participation politique, se sont combinés that generate them in the fi rst place. pour susciter la colère et la frustration au sein de divers groupes, notamment les jeunes, les poussant à adopter une position extrême en utilisant des idéologies islamiques. Elle démontre que les divergences extrémistes et les tendances d’un Islam politique ne devraient pas être séparées des facteurs qui les produisent à la base. ISS Monograph No 180 ISBN 978-1-920422-46-2 9 781920 422462 This monograph has been made possible through funding provided by Humanity United and by the governments of Norway, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Edited by Muna Abdalla As a leading African human security research institution, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) works towards a stable and peaceful Africa characterised by sustainable development, human rights, the rule of law, democracy, ISS Head Offi ce collaborative security and gender mainstreaming. The ISS realises this vision by: Block D, Brooklyn Court, 361 Veale Street New Muckleneuk, Pretoria, South Africa ■ Undertaking applied research, training and capacity building Tel: +27 12 346 9500 Fax: +27 12 346 9570 E-mail: [email protected] ■ Working collaboratively with others ISS Addis Ababa Offi ce ■ Facilitating and supporting policy formulation 5th Floor, Get House Building, Africa Avenue, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ■ Monitoring trends and policy implementation Tel: +251 11 515 6320/24/67/98 Fax: +251 11 515 6449 E-mail: [email protected] ■ Collecting, interpreting and disseminating information ISS Cape Town Offi ce ■ Networking on national, regional and international levels 2nd Floor, The Armoury Building, Buchanan Square 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, South Africa Tel: +27 21 461 7211 Fax: +27 21 461 7213 E-mail: [email protected] © 2011, Institute for Security Studies ISS Dakar Offi ce Copyright in the volume as a whole is vested in the Institute for Security Stèle Mermoz, 100x Elhadji, Studies, and no part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express Ibrahima Niasse MZ83, Senegal permission, in writing, of both the authors and the publishers. Tel: +221 33 824 0918/21 Fax: +221 33 824 2246 The opinions expressed do not necessarily refl ect those of the Institute, its trustees, members E-mail: [email protected] of the Council or donors. Authors contribute to ISS publications in their personal capacity. ISS Nairobi Offi ce Braeside Gardens, ISBN 978-1-920422-46-2 Off Muthangari Road, Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 386 1625 Fax: +254 20 386 1639 First published by the Institute for Security Studies, E-mail: [email protected] P O Box 1787, Brooklyn Square 0075 ISS Pretoria Offi ce Pretoria, South Africa Block C, Brooklyn Court, 361 Veale Street www.issafrica.org New Muckleneuk, Pretoria Tel: +27 12 346 9500 Fax: +27 12 460 0998 Cover photograph Gallo Images/AFP E-mail: [email protected] Design, layout and printing Marketing Support Services +27 12 346-2168 www.issafrica.org Interregional challenges of Islamic extremist movements in North Africa Edited by Muna Abdalla Monograph 180 May 2011 Contents Note . v About the authors . .vi Introduction . ix Muna Abdalla Background and rationale . ix Chapter 1 ‘Political Islam’ . 1 Theoretical underpinnings Larbi Sadiki Introduction . 1 Keywords . 2 Islam and Islams . 4 Contextualisation of political Islam . 5 From Al-Banna to Qutb and Islamic revival . 10 Revisioning Islamism: an intellectual map . 13 Conclusion . 25 Chapter 2 Blurring geopolitics . 31 Party politics and Islamist political parties in North Africa Mohamed Salih Abstract . 31 Introduction . 32 Islamist political organisations and parties in North Africa: from national to transnational networks of the Muslim ummah . 35 Monograph 180 i Contents Muslim transnationalism in the realm of Islamic political organisations and parties . 48 Conclusion . 51 Chapter 3 Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Algerian Salafi networks . 57 Amel Boubaker Introduction . 57 Jihadi Salafi sm and the emergence of the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb . 59 Conclusion . 70 Chapter 4 Moroccan Islamism . 77 Between local participation and international Islamist networks of infl uence? Sami Zemni Abstract . 77 Islamist kamikazes and networks: Salafi sm, takfi rism and jihadism? . 79 Integrating some Islamists and excluding others . 84 Islam, Islamism, jihad: the monarchy looking for scapegoats? . 90 Religious reforms against jihad? . 94 Some tentative conclusions . 95 Chapter 5 How the Muslim Brothers formulate their political position . 99 A reality-based conceptual review Amr Elshobaki Introduction . 99 Stages of development of Brotherhood ideology . 101 The Brotherhood’s discourse and democracy: ideological or political dilemmas? . 110 Conclusion and the way forward . 119 Chapter 6 Islamism in the Sudan . 125 Who was the challenger, what was at stake? Stefano Bellucci Introduction . 125 Who is the ‘fundamentalist’? Cultural subversion or political revolution . 127 ii Institute for Security Studies Edited by Muna Abdalla The challenge of Sudanese Islamism to regional stability and the West . 137 Islamic ‘revolutionary’ reforms and the power of status quo . 141 Final remarks . 147 Chapter 7 Militant Islamist movements in Libya . 155 The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) Muhammad Kabir Isa Abstract . 155 Introduction . 155 An assessment of the impact of the operations of the Libyan Islamic fi ghting group (LIFG) . 156 An evaluation of the role of regional and international responses to combating Islamic fundamentalism in Libya and North Africa . 165 Summary, conclusion and recommendations . 167 Chapter 8 Women in Islamist movements . 173 Omayma Abdel-Latif Introduction . 173 Inclusion versus exclusion . 177 Islam and women’s rights: can they be reconciled? . 179 Conclusion . 191 Chapter 9 Triangulating on shifting sands . 195 Aspects and eff ects of regime responses to Islamist movements in North Africa Hugh Roberts Introduction . 195 Features of North African states . 196 Triangulation in North African politics . 202 Triangulating Egyptians . ..
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