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Capstone Workshop: How Do Islamists Rule?
Recent upheavals in the Middle East have spawned many questions about democracy and the role of Islam, especially Islamic fundamentalism.
Even before the so-called “Arab spring,” a increasing number of Islamist parties has risen to power through democratic elections. In a 2011 Capstone workshop, a group of SIPA students examine how governing – especially at the local level – affects the movements and their ideology.
The students’ report confirms some beliefs about Islamist parties in political power, such as their effect on gender equality. But it challenges others, such as the belief that Islamists are dictators who rule by coercion and disrespect democratic transitions of power.
“In many ways, we found that Islamist parties behave similarly to non-Islamist parties in positions of political power: opportunists who will stray from their campaign platforms if they find it in their institutional self-interest,” reads the report, which was conducted for The Century Foundation.
“Our main findings, especially in the case of Frontier Province of Pakistan, suggest that Islamists are not different than non-Islamists when it comes to socio-economic issues and administrative initiatives,” says Faisel Ali Raja (MIA ’11).
“Islamists and non-Islamists work under the influence of mores, folkways, and culture,” he continues. “Most of the policy initiatives taken by Islamists are in line with the cultural environment of the region. And they are not immune to corruption, gerrymandering, manipulation and highhandedness.”
Alex Burnett, June 6, 2011