Islamist Opposition Parties and the Potential for EU Engagement
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This study presents a country-by-country analysis of Islamist opposition parties ranging from Morocco to Indonesia, written by leading experts on those states. It provides clear and concise details of the histories and current policies of those parties and describes how they relate to the wider political systems of their respective countries. for EU Engagement and the Potential Islamist Opposition Parties The European Union has committed itself to advocating democratisation in its external affairs and faces a situation, particularly in its neighbouring areas of North Africa and the Middle East, where its partner countries are undemocratic and where the most influential opposition parties are Islamist. This presents an interesting challenge for EU policy makers because there are questions over some Islamist parties’ policies on matters pertaining to human rights and democratic procedures that raise questions over how Islamists should participate politically. This report argues that no single strategy is available. What is needed is for European policy makers to have a greater knowledge of the differing Islamist political parties across the countries of the Muslim world, and to be prepared to respond to the Islamist Opposition challenges and the opportunities that arise on a case-by-case basis. This study aims to help fuel this debate. Parties and the Potential for EU Engagement ISBN 951-769-195-5 Edited by Toby Archer and Heidi Huuhtanen islamismi_kannet.indd 1 19.3.2007 12:01:03 Islamist Opposition Parties and the Potential for EU Engagement Toby Archer and Heidi Huuhtanen (eds.) Ulkopoliittinen instituutti Utrikespolitiska institutet The Finnish Institute of International Affairs www.upi-fiia.fi Islamist Opposition parties and the potential for EU engagement Toby Archer and Heidi Huuhtanen (eds.) English language editor: Don McCracken Arabic language editor: Kaj Öhrnberg Layout: Pauli Pakarinen Design: Jaana Laakko Cover design: Mikael Siirilä The Finnish Institute of International Affairs Mannerheimintie 15 A FI-00260 Helsinki ISBN-10 951-769-195-5 ISBN-13 978-951-769-195-6 Printed by Vammalan Kirjapaino, Vammala 2007 Contents About the Contributors .....................................................................................................5 Foreword ............................................................................................................................ 9 Algeria .......................................................................................................................13 François Burgat and François Gèze Bangladesh ................................................................................................................25 Ali Riaz Indonesia ...................................................................................................................35 Greg Fealy Jordan ........................................................................................................................43 Janine A. Clark Malaysia ....................................................................................................................57 Farish A. Noor Morocco ....................................................................................................................65 George Joffé Pakistan ....................................................................................................................73 Iftikhar H. Malik Tunisia ......................................................................................................................93 Larbi Sadiki Islamism dialogue: Framework of Analysis ..................................................................111 List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................114 About the Contributors Toby Archer – EDITOR Toby Archer is a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. His areas of interest include the politics of Islamism, U.S. counter-terrorism policy, the position of Islam in Europe, and the politics of “weapons of mass destruction”. He has Masters degrees from the Universities of Leeds and Glasgow and is a PhD candidate at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dr. François Burgat – ALGERIA Dr. François Burgat is Director of Research at France’s Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques (CNRS). He works at the Institut de Recherches et d’Etudes sur le Monde Arabe et Musulman (IREMAM) in Aix-en-Provence. Dr. Burgat has taught law for seven years in Algeria, studied for five years in Cairo’s French studies Center (CEDEJ), and was director of the French Centre for Archaeology and Social Sciences in Sanaa, Yemen from 1997 to 2003. Among others, Dr. Burgat is the author of the following books: L’ Is l a m i s m e e n f a c e (1995, 2002), translated as Face to face with Political Islam (2002); L’Islamisme au Maghreb: la voix du Sud (1988, 1995), translated as The Islamic Movement in North Africa (1988-1997) and L’Islamisme à l’heure d’Al Qaïda (2005). Prof. Janine Clark – JORDAN Professor Janine A. Clark is Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph, Ontario. Her research interests include Religion and Politics in the Middle East, Civil Society and Development, Women and Development, Women and Party Politics, Civil Society and Democratisation. Professor Clark has published two books: Islam, Charity, and Activism: Middle-Class Networks and Social Welfare in Egypt, Jordan and Yemen (2004); and Economic Liberalization, Democratization and Civil Society in the Developing World, co-edited with Remonda Bensabat-Kleinberg (2000). She has also published numerous articles, including: “The Conditions of Islamist Moderation: Unpacking Cross-Ideological Cooperation in Jordan” (2006); “‘Honor Crimes’ and the International Spotlight on Jordan” (2003); and “Who Opened the Window? Women’s Struggle for Voice within Islamist Political Parties”, with Jillian Schwedler (2003). 5 I SLAMIST OPPOSITION PARTIES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EU ENGAGEMENT Dr. Greg Fealy – INDONESIA Dr. Greg Fealy is Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Indonesian Politics at the Faculty of Asian Studies and the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. His recent studies include transnational Islamist and neo-revivalist movements in Indonesia, as well as terrorism in Southeast Asia and trends in contemporary Islamic politics. Dr. Fealy has also been Visiting Professor in Indonesian Politics at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C., Lecturer in Southeast Asian History at the Monash University, Indonesia analyst with the Australian Government and consultant on Indonesian civil society and election programs. Dr. Fealy’s publications include Voices of Islam in Southeast Asia: A Contemporary Sourcebook, co-edited with Virginia Hooker (2006); Local Jihad: Radical Islam and terrorism in Indonesia, with Aldo Borgu (2005); Joining the Caravan? The Middle East, Islamism and Indonesia, co-authored with Anthony Bubalo (2005) and Islamic radicalism in Indonesia: A Faltering Revival? (2004). François Gèze – ALGERIA François Gèze is the President Director-General of Editions La Découverte in Paris. He is one of the rare French personalities who have denounced the Algerian military junta as well as the support of the French State for it. Mr. Gèze has written in the following publications, among many others: Armées et nations (“Armée et nation en Algérie: l’irrémédiable divorce?”) (2005) and Le drame algérien (“La rente pétrolière: Le grand gaspillage de l’économie de rente”) (1996). He has also participated in the Revue Mouvements journal. Heidi Huuhtanen – EDITOR Heidi Huuhtanen is the Director of the Middle East Project at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). She has consulted on Islamism-related issues for several years, especially with regards to state weakness and radicalisation. Her research interests lie in the links between democratisation and security in the Middle East, and she has focused particularly on Syria and Egypt. She is currently researching the influence of the external security environment on Syrian authoritarianism and reform. Prof. George Joffé – MOROCCO Professor George Joffé is a lecturer at the Centre for International Studies of Cambridge University, Fellow at the Centre of Islamic Studies at Oxford University and Visiting Professor of Geography at Kings College, London University. He specialises in the Middle East and North Africa and is currently engaged in a project studying connections between migrant communities and transnational violence in Europe. Prof. Joffé is also former Director of Studies at the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London (Chatham House). Prof. Joffé’s research interests include transnational risk in the Mediterranean, legal systems and migrant communities and Euro-American relations. 6 A BOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Prof. Iftikhar H. Malik – PAKISTAN Professor Iftikhar H. Malik is Senior Lecturer of International History at Bath Spa University. Since 2000, he has been a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, while during 1989-1994, he held the Quaid-i-Azam Fellowship at St. Antony’s College, Oxford. During 1997-2003, he led an annual seminar at the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. Professor Malik’s areas of research are mainly U.S. history, Asian history and politics with special reference to Modern South and Southwest Asia, Muslim communities in the West, and the U.S.-Muslim