What about the Islamists? Assessing the Consequences of Political Exclusion after the Arab Spring

Only a few years after the Arab Spring protests generated hopes that the Middle East and North Africa would turn democratic, Tunisia stands out as the only country in which this dream has materialised. In all the other countries, the process has stagnated or even gone in reverse. In Egypt, the biggest losers of the authoritarian backlash are the Islamists. It would be short-sighted to believe that the exclusion and repression of Islamist groups, their ideologies, and their supporters will be without costs.

Based on intensive research in the Middle East and North Africa, the GIGA scholars will explore the impact of the political exclusion and suppression of Islamist groups since the uprisings in the region. For one thing, the supporters of the Islamists have lost their voice. Who supported the Islamists during the Arab Spring? What are their demographic backgrounds and their political values? And then there are the Islamist groups themselves: How has their exclusion affected their mindset and political practices? What lessons have they learned regarding the legitimacy of violent means?

Introduction and Chair: Henner Fürtig, Director, GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies (IMES)

Referents: Miquel Pellicer is a research fellow at the GIGA IMES. He works on education and grievances in the Middle East. In his presentation, he will examine the demographic background of Islamist voters.

Annette Ranko is a research fellow at the GIGA IMES. Her research focuses on Islamist movements. She specialises in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Her presentation looks at the strategic and ideological changes within the Muslim Brotherhood since Morsi’s ouster in 2013.

Eva Wegner is a research fellow at the GIGA IMES. Her work focuses on parties and electoral politics in the Middle East. In her presentation, she will discuss attitudes of Islamist supporters towards democracy, towards gender roles, and towards the economy.