NEO-ISLAMISM AFTER THE ARAB SPRING: CASE STUDY OF THE TUNISIAN ENNAHDA PARTY TAREK CHAMKHI Murdoch University 2015 Supervisors: Prof. Vedi Hadiz & Prof. Garry Rodan This thesis is presented to obtain the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Politics, at Murdoch University, Western Australia, 2015 I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work which has not previously been submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. ............................................... Tarek Chamkhi ABSTRACT This thesis has focused on debate surrounding the commitment of the Arab Spring’s neo-Islamists to democracy and pluralism. It examines neo-Islamism as a tendency that emerged within the mainstream Muslim Brotherhood movement and its pro-democracy affiliates in the Muslim World that uses politically liberal sets of concepts, for tactical or strategic purposes. Neo-Islamism is distinguished by an ethical and theological emphasis on Islam that combines social conservatism with political moderation. Neo-Islamists are united in the view that Sharia law is not an immediate reform priority. However there are divisions over whether this is a tactical pause in the ultimate pursuit of shariatisation, whether it should be diluted if introduced at some future point, or whether it should never be introduced. This study has brought to light six preferences of neo-Islamism as a socio-political phenomenon: gradualist Islamisation, modernisation, moderation, nationalistic Islamism, and pragmatism in Western relationships. It has been shown, through the case study of Tunisian Ennahda Party, that neo-Islamism employs tactical measures such as gradualism and pragmatic relations with the secularist elite and the West, and implements ideological reforms related closely to the concepts of democracy, civic participation and peaceful transitioning of power. i Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisors Prof. Vedi Hadiz and Prof. Garry Rodan, whose, intellectual sharpness, unfailing support, patience and kindness helped me to the finish line safely. It was absolute pleasure to work with both of you. I would also thank my wife Joanne for encouragement and logistic support throughout my research journey with all its ups and downs, as well as my six kids: Suhaib, Chihab, Safiyah, Zakareya, Imani and Zayd for their patience and enduring the reduction in time spent with them during last three years. Also, special thanks to my draft editor Debora McNichol. Thank you all for coming along for the ride. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ iii INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 Framing thesis topic ...................................................................................................... 4 Neo-Islamism paradigm ................................................................................................ 5 Major research aims ..................................................................................................... 8 THE ARAB SPRING AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN ISLAMISM ............................... 10 Bouazizi’s self-immolation .......................................................................................... 11 The Role of Social Networks in the Arab Spring ......................................................... 13 Arab Spring ideology ................................................................................................... 19 The language of the Arab Spring ................................................................................. 21 The historical origins of Islamism ................................................................................ 26 Emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood ..................................................................... 28 Muslim Brotherhood: revolutionary or conservative? ............................................... 31 Transnational ‘copy and paste’ experiences ............................................................... 35 Conclusion: .................................................................................................................. 41 THE RISE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NEO-ISLAMISM ..................................................... 44 A New approach to Islamism ...................................................................................... 46 Definition of neo- Islamism ......................................................................................... 48 Differentiating between post-Islamists and neo-Islamists ......................................... 53 Characteristics of neo-Islamism .................................................................................. 58 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 68 ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY BEFORE AND AFTER THE ARAB SPRING ................................. 69 Arab democracy deficiency ......................................................................................... 73 Islamism and democracy ............................................................................................ 85 What sort of democracy do Arabs want? ................................................................... 94 iii Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 98 TUNISIAN CONTEMPORARY POLITICS AND THE EMERGENCE OF ENNAHDA PARTY ... 100 Tunisia’s postcolonial authoritarianism dilemma ..................................................... 102 Bourguibism’s radical secularism .............................................................................. 103 Ben Ali and Islam cleansing policies .......................................................................... 111 Radicalisation and deradicalisation climate .............................................................. 122 The role of the Tunisian army ................................................................................... 126 Tunisian Ennahda Party ............................................................................................ 130 Conclusion: ................................................................................................................ 140 ENNAHDA AS A NEO-ISLAMIST PLAYER IN POWER....................................................... 142 Chronology of events: ............................................................................................... 144 Moderation Test ....................................................................................................... 153 Economic test ............................................................................................................ 163 Salafi Test .................................................................................................................. 170 Facing Ansar a-Sharia ................................................................................................ 175 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 176 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 178 Neo-Islamism defined ............................................................................................... 178 Neo-Islamism and illiberalism ................................................................................... 179 Future of Ennahda and neo-Islamism in general ...................................................... 180 Neo-Islamism vs. counter-revolution forces ............................................................. 181 The Tunisian democratic model ................................................................................ 183 The limits of this study .............................................................................................. 185 GLOSSARY OF TERMS .................................................................................................... 188 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. 191 INDEX ............................................................................................................................ 201 iv INTRODUCTION -describes the wave of violent and non (الربيع العربي :The Arab Spring (Arabic violent revolutions in the Middle East, that started in Tunisia on 18 December 2010.1 To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt (four times), Libya and Yemen. Civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain, and a civil war commenced and is ongoing in Syria. Major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Sudan; minor protests have occurred in Mauritania, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Western Sahara. The Arab world stretches geographically from the Atlantic Ocean on the western shores of Mauritania in North Africa to the Iranian borders of Iraq, and from the southern borders of Turkey to the Horn of Africa. Arabic is the