Several years after the Arab uprisings, the diverse landscape of Islamist actors continues to shift in different directions, often tailored by and for the existing challenges.
Carnegie scholars explore the transformations that Islamist groups and parties in the region (across national, ethnic, sectarian, and doctrinal divides) are undergoing, by examining both the external factors that impact them, and their internal dynamics and tensions around questions of governance, ideology, and violence.
This project was made possible with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY).
These two volumes of work aim to shed light on the changing dynamics within and among some of the Arab world’s major Islamist groups, as well as their interaction with state and society following the 2010–2011 uprisings. Seismic shifts unleashed by the uprisings fueled Islamist groups’ protests and power but also resulted in their repression and conflict. The volume ultimately reveals some important nuances of Islamist politics and parties in a tumultuous period for the Middle East and North Africa.
The Islamist political party Ennahda has decided to focus on politics over preaching. This shift has forced it to rebuild its legitimacy on argument rather than religion.
Understanding Algeria’s various Islamist communities—including militant groups, moderate factions, and grassroots movements—offers a window into the country’s uncertain sociopolitical future.
Iraq's leading party from 2003 to 2018, Dawa has lost political relevance and become divided by internal factions. It will struggle to sell its vision of political Islam in Iraq's new climate.
Hurras al-Din is watching what happens to the Islamic State in the hope of recruiting its members on the run.
The Syria-Hezbollah relationship has long been defined by resilience amid shifting power dynamics, and this looks set to continue with the latest developments in Syria’s civil war.
Jihadi violence in Mauritania has peaked and appears to have been contained through a mix of coercion and co-option. Yet the government’s triumphalism should be treated with care; Mauritania remains mired in corruption and poverty.
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