Why are salafi islamists contesting egypts election. Salafism has also become very popular in several lowermiddleclass neighborhoods in cairo, where salafi bookstores have proliferated and salafi dress is common in the street. This article explores the rise of salafism after mubarak and examines its effects on the democratic transition in egypt. Nov 12, 2015 the two historically dominant salafi communities in egypt were the ansar alsunna almuhammadiyya, founded in cairo in 1926, and the salafi school, founded in 1977 by a group of students with ties. Pdf the rise of revolutionary salafism in postmubarak. Precise use of the term is needed because there is a tendency to equate it with islamism.
In egypt, like in the other countries affected by the arab spring. The two historically dominant salafi communities in egypt were the ansar alsunna almuhammadiyya, founded in cairo in 1926, and the salafi school, founded in 1977 by a. The extreme islamist nour party party of the light, with 25% of the ballots, produced the biggest surprise of the first round of egypts parliamentary voting at the end of november. Political actors 98 executive summary the kingdom of saudi arabia ksa supports salafi charities, websites and media channels as well as the salafi nour party in egypt. To salafis, the answer lies, in its simplest explanation, in returning to the purest roots of islam and the strict emulation of its prophet and his companions.
Its roots are in the ilmiyya, or scientific, school of salafism, which is historically characterized by its insistence on a traditional and rigidly scriptural nonviolent approach to proselytizing that also generally shuns organized political participation. Nov 16, 2015 the presence of salafi parties in the political sphere in egypt and tunisia adds value to the process of democratic transition. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe will benefit by having. It can best be described as a tendency that envisions an austere form of islam. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the salafism in lebanon, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. The salafi force is expanding its influence across thearab countries including egypt and tunisia. Over the last five years, the salafi party, hizb alnour, has taken a pragmatic, flexible approach to politics, but maintained its intransigent religious stances. Sunnishiite tensions in countries such as saudi arabia. Despite their diversity, there is wide agreement among the different strands over central tenets of salafism, and the essential objectives of political participation, namely. Jan 28, 20 in egypt, salafis are now a vocal and powerful part of the political process. Salafism is an islamic reformist movement that emphasizes a restoration of islamic piety and practice as was perceived to exist during the time of the prophet muhammad and his followers the latter referred to as the salaf or forefathers.
This modern trend within islam began as a corrective movement in 18th century arabia to bring muslims back to the religions original creed. Egyptian salafism in revolution1 journal of islamic. This articles examines the revolutionary salafi movement that developed around the charismatic leadership of hazem salah abu ismail in post2011 egypt. Salafis tend of be clustered in northern egypt, however, salafi belief is similar to that of the followers of gamaa islamiyya, an islamist organization based in upper egypt responsible for terrorist attacks in. Jun 11, 2012 the rise of political salafism has reshaped the egyptian political scene. It had roots in the 18thcentury wahhabi movement that originated in the najd region of modernday saudi arabia. Request pdf the rise of islamism in egypt this book provides an overview of the sudden ascendancy of islamism in postmubarak egypt and a detailed history of the power grab by the muslim. Request pdf egyptian salafism in revolution the political breakthrough of salafism during and after the revolts in the arab world in 201112 has challenged established descriptions of.
For more on the history of wahhabism, see alexai vassiliev, the history of saudi arabia, new york university press, 2000. Apr 16, 20 they became keen to form political parties, contest elections, and vie for power. Such a conflation ignores the diversity of views within salafi trends toward political. Pious men with unkempt beards were targeted by the secular and autocratic regime of president hosni mubarak, and the movement went largely underground. Professor ahmad moussalli, january 30, 2009 unbelievers. Dec 20, 2017 the most important thing about salafism may be the durability of its main concerns. In egypt, the salafi parties fared well in the post.
There are currently two camps competing for legitimacy and trading accusations over political violations and breaches of the bylaws governing internal elections. Saudi arabia is trying to contain the spread of salafism. Salafism in egypt had its roots in the crisis of modernity muslim ideologues have grappled with since the late 19th century. Islamists were not in the vanguard of the revolution. Salafism is relatively rare in upper egypt, where sufi shrines and practices are predominant. Salafi jihadism or jihadistsalafism is a transnational religiouspolitical ideology based on a belief in physical jihadism and the salafi movement of returning to what adherents believe to be true sunni islam the terms salafist jihadist and jihadistsalafism were coined by scholar gilles kepel in 2002 to describe a hybrid islamist ideology developed by international islamist. Pdf political salafism in egypt khalil alanani academia. Goldblog reader patrick elyas writes, in reference to the rise of islamism in egypt, which i wrote about here with the new political muscle the salafists showed in egypt today, the muslim. Different scholars of islam throughout time have striven to emulate the early muslim generations in the legal sphere, in theological matters, or in. Salafism is an ideology that posits that islam has strayed from its origins. Blanchard analyst in middle eastern affairs foreign affairs, defense, and trade division summary the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, and subsequent discussions of religious extremism have called attention to islamic puritanical movements known as wahhabism and salafiyya. The majority of muslim scholars rejected the wahhabi definition of shirk and tawhid.
Egypts ultraconservative salafi party, al nour, has seen its newfound political ambitions stymied by morsis ouster. In line with other puritanical islamic teachings, salafis generally believe. For many decades, the kingdom exported salafism and. The ikhwan of najd and their role in the creation of the. Satellite salafism hit egypt in 2003, with around 10 salafithemed tv channels broadcasting from egypt on nilesat. Salafi jihadism or jihadist salafism is a transnational religiouspolitical ideology based on a belief in physical jihadism and the salafi movement of returning to what adherents believe to be true sunni islam. As a movement, salafism emerged as early as the 0s in response to the perceived corruption of muslim leaders and rise of rigid institutions, including juridical institutions, and rejected both the popular practice of sufism and. In the introduction to what has already become a standard text on salafism, roel meijer states that its relation to politics is intensely puzzling and fascinating and that the central problem of modern salafism is how to act nonpolitically in a political world. Muslim brotherhood and the salafis in egypt find, read and cite. Special reports the salafist movement al qaedas new. Politiciation of salafism in egypt uprisings rapidly spreading from tunisia to egypt, libya, syria and yemen in 2011 have become a landmark of a new period in the arab world. In postmubarak egypt, there was a belief that this was a makeorbreak moment. It sets out to explore the degree to which egypt s current salafi networks may justifiably be described as a saudi arabian phenomenon, and as promoting behaviours that clash with egyptian religious and cultural traditions.
Egypts salafi kingmakers suffer backlash egypt al jazeera. The rise of revolutionary salafism in postmubarak egypt. Salafism is a branch of sunni islam whose modernday adherents claim to emulate the pious predecessors alsalaf al. Trends in egyptian salafi activism the web site cannot be found. In fact, it would be more accurate to treat wahhabism as a type of salafism. Activist salafism emerged as a reaction to the sclerotic inability of scholastic salafism to confront and respond to western ideologies in general liberal, socialist, secularist, and in particular to attempts by muslim reformers to recast these ideologies in a muslim garb such as the projects of nasr hamid abu zayd, muhammad arkun, and hasan. Egyptian salafism between religious movement and realpolitik. Postuprising transformations of the egyptian salafist schools.
Khalil alanani political salafism in egypt egypts political salafism emerged after the twentieth century. Nader bakkar, a young engineer, is the spokesman for egypt s most successful salafi political party, nour. The emergence of the political salafism in egypt after the january 25 uprising took many observers by surprise. Egypts difficulties are particularly pronounced given the countrys status as the leader of the arab world, but salafists of various stripes are slowly emerging as political stakeholders across the region, especially in libya, tunisia, yemen, gaza, lebanon, jordan and syria.
The city is not a center for this ideology or its movement, partly due to recent economic success, belief in democratic principles and egyptian muslims rejection of violent tactics. Islamism referred to as salafi, has won 25% of the total seats in the peoples assembly, which is equivalent to the lower house, and 26% of the seats elected of the shura council, an equivalent to the upper house. They became keen to form political parties, contest elections, and vie for power. In egypt, the dominant strain of salafism prior to the ouster of mubarak was quietist. The intensely popular alnas, arabic for the people, began broadcasting in 2006.
Although these parties are conservative, they accept peaceful political action as a vehicle for change and reject the use of violence, which permits the integration of an important segment of society into the political process. Wahhabi theology treats the quran and hadith as fundamental texts as understood by alsalaf alsalih pious ancestors and developed further by many various commentaries, including ibn. Summary the rise of salafism in egypts political life salafism since the uprising increasing salafi discipline and party politics sufi political parties conclusion. Nader bakkar, a young engineer, is the spokesman for egypts most successful salafi political party, nour. The conflict in syria shows no signs of resolution. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. This support takes various forms, ranging from ideological guidance to material assistance. Salafism is considered by its adherents as the purest islam, both a cozy refuge for believers and an unassailable fortress for the enemies. Aug 02, 2011 satellite salafism hit egypt in 2003, with around 10 salafithemed tv channels broadcasting from egypt on nilesat. The salafi movement in egypt illustrates that the dynamics of sectarianism are fluid and sometimes contradictory. While a salafi trend emerged in egypt in the 19th century, the wahhabi trend has been an important influence on salafism in the modern era, even though salafism and wahhabism are sometimes treated as two different phenomena. In egypt, salafis are now a vocal and powerful part of the political process. The city is not a center for this ideology or its movement, partly due to recent economic success, belief in democratic principles and.
Owing to the new process in egypt, the most significant country of the arab and african region, social groups have had a chance to do legal politics, established political. Today, salafis are out in the open and flourishing. The two historically dominant salafi communities in egypt were the ansar alsunna almuhammadiyya, founded in cairo in 1926, and the salafi school, founded in 1977 by a group of students with ties to the gamaa alislamiyya who had spent time in saudi arabia. Salafis in egypt prior to egypts revolt in 2011, salafis were repressed. As a state institute, alazhar has filed lawsuits against figures such as writer islam behery and sheikh abdallah nasr, who urge religious reform and oppose. Presence of salafism in the middle east and north africa. The word salaf is arabic for ancient one and refers to the companions of the prophet mohammed. Crs2 2 for a comprehensive discussion of sunni islam and the schools of islamic legal thought, see crs report rs21745, islam.
This statement perfectly reflects what i refer to as the quest for purity. The salafist orientation the age of ideology between sunna. Alexandria, egypts secondlargest city, became the most active salafi hub. The nour party which at first dominated political salafism. The birth of modernday salafism in egypt coincided with the rise of islamist movements across the middle east in the 1970s after the defeat of egypts secular, panarab regime under gamel abdel. In line with the general accounts of salafism as disorganized, egyptian salafism has been called a front jabha or a broad movement comprising different groups, rather than a party. The most important thing about salafism may be the durability of its main concerns.
The current shaykh alazhar rector of the school, ahmad altayyeb, is a hereditary sufi. Salafism ascendant1961 1980 salafis divide 1980 2001. Furthermore, the salafis in egypt entered a new phase when the muslim brotherhood was established in 1928, through which salafism, which used to exist only in the discourses by intelligentsia, began to spread among the ordinary stpeople with its organization sources. The rise of political salafism in postmubarak egypt, digest of middle. The salafi movement, also called salafist movement, salafiya, and salafism, is a reform branch or revivalist movement within sunni islam that developed in egypt in the late 19th century as a response to western european imperialism. Salafism appeared in egypt in the early 20 th century, represented early on by the ansar alsunna or helpers of the prophet. Khalil alanani and maszlee malik, pious way to politics. The birth of modernday salafism in egypt coincided with the rise of islamist movements across the middle east in the 1970s after the defeat of egypt s secular, panarab regime under gamel abdel. Working papers carnegie endowment for international peace. Most of alazhars scholars, imams and preachers adhere to wahhabism, a branch of salafism, so, contrary to its reputation, alazhar is not solely in the hands of the muslim brotherhood. The presence of salafi parties in the political sphere in egypt and tunisia adds value to the process of democratic transition. The nour party egyptian wahhabis exploiting the salafi. Egyptian salafism in revolution1 journal of islamic studies. April 14, 2017 salafism originated in the mid18th century in an area that now encompasses saudi arabia.
It sets out to explore the degree to which egypts current salafi networks may justifiably be described as a saudi arabian phenomenon, and as promoting behaviours that clash with egyptian religious and cultural traditions. Salafis, whom once deemed politics as heresy and religiously prohibited haram, became a key political force after the uprising. The dawa is egypts largest, most organized group of politicized salafis. Egypts salafis emerge as powerful and controversial. Abstractthe aim of the article is to introduce the reader to the nature of salafism in egypt and its growing influence on the population. The future of political salafism in egypt and tunisia. Current developments in the egyptian salafist scene.
Oct 02, 2012 egypt s difficulties are particularly pronounced given the countrys status as the leader of the arab world, but salafists of various stripes are slowly emerging as political stakeholders across the region, especially in libya, tunisia, yemen, gaza, lebanon, jordan and syria. I used to be a sufi, a muslim brother, a secular, but now ive finally found the truth. Islamist movements, even in countries with much less saudi influence than egypt. The rise of political salafism has reshaped the egyptian political scene. Though the muslim brotherhood still occupies the dominant position, it has lost its hegemony over islamist politics.
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