| Description |
1 online resource (208 pages) |
| Series |
Routledge/ St. Andrews Syrian Studies Series |
| Contents |
Cover; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Introduction; 1 The democratic option of Islamism; What is Islamism?; Islam and democracy; The concept of opposition in democratic systems; Elections, nationalism and Islamism; From the 'Failure' of political Islam to post-Islamism; The democratic option of Islamism; References; 2 Key ideologues of the SMB; Early stages; Mustapha Sibai, post-Islamist avant la lettre?; Citizenship; Socialism; Popular sovereignty; The role of Islam; Yes to ikhtilaf and no to fitna; Said Hawa and the change in context; A vague understanding of democracy |
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Islamic government and democracy in Hawa's thinkingSecularism and Islam; His stance on reforming the SMB; Hawa and Marwan Hadid; Conclusion: Sibai and Hawa: two figures, two methods and some similarities; References; 3 The Fighting Vanguard and the radicalisation of the SMB's discourse; A particular context; Was sectarianism the primary cause of the uprising?; The Baath in power; The Fighting Vanguard: the origin of the armed struggle; The SMB and armed action; Confusing wheat with chaff; Differences over how to end the conflict; Short-lived alliances |
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The Islamic revolution: the SMB's attempt to grab hold of the situationDiscrepancies with Khomeini's Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979; The aftermath of the massacre; The SMB and the negotiations with the regime; The national alliance for the liberation of Syria; Early stages; The role of the Iraqis and the Lebanese; One last attempt; From direct contacts to mediations; Early mediations in the time of Hafez al-Asad; Hamas' early incursions; The dilemma of the Islamist groups in the region; Conclusion: the pitfall of the SMB after years of splendour; References |
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4 Back to basics under Bashar al-AsadTwenty years after Hama; Bashar I of Syria; The so-called 'Damascus spring'; The National Honour Pact; The document's content; The eighties Achilles' heel: the thorny sectarian issue; A further political impulse: the SMB's political program; Religion and politics; The civil State; The Islamic reference; Freedom; The rejection of violence; Citizenship and equality; The functioning of the State; The role of Zuhair Salim; Secularism; Reflections on the State; The Damascus Declaration; The Syrian regime and Islamist actors; Hamas; The AKP's involvement |
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The alliance with Khaddam and the return of HamasSuspension of their opposition activity; Conclusion: involution, negotiations and stalemate; References; 5 The SMB and the Syrian revolution; A late incorporation; The calls for demonstrations; The political front; The creation of the first opposition group and its expansion; Declaration of principles; The creation of a political party; The militarisation of the revolution; The SMB's role in the armed conflict; Al-Nusra: how to deal with Al-Qaeda's presence in Syria; The Revolutionary Honour Pact |
| Summary |
Anyone who follows world events has heard of the Muslim Brotherhood. Usually considered a fundamentalist religious organisation opposed to secular regimes, the so-called Arab Spring began to challenge this conception, and showed the MB's commitment to democratic principles and elections, albeit with certain difficulties. Until now though, most analysis has focused on the Egyptian branch - the group that gave spiritual birth to the local branches in other countries - with very little having been studied about the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, especially since the Hama massacre of 1982 and the formal disappearance of the group from Syria. This book provides a deep insight into the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's ideological evolution from its inception until present-day. Since Syria has unfortunately become the place where all forms of Islamism converge, understanding the SMB, their ideological evolution, and their potential role as moderating forces, is essential in order to debunk some clichés on the MB in general. Each chapter corresponds to a specific period in the SMB's timeline, while the final chapter discusses how the endemic gerontocracy of the group calls for an urgent renovation of structures, and stresses the importance of younger generations in renovating the ideology of the SMB. Through the examination of original primary sources written by the SMB themselves, and relevant groups related to them, this book challenges the traditional categories applied to Islamist movements. It will therefore be a key resource for anyone studying Islamist movements, as well as for students and scholars of Middle East and North African Politics |
| Subject |
Jamʻīyat al-Ikhwān al-Muslimīn (Syria)
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Jamʻīyat al-Ikhwān al-Muslimīn (Syria) |
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Islam and politics -- Syria
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RELIGION -- Religion, Politics & State.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Regional Studies.
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Islam and politics
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Politics and government
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Syria -- Politics and government.
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Syria
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9781315203928 |
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1315203928 |
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