The Future of Muslim Brotherhood - Essay Example

The Future of Muslim Brotherhood: Egypt as a Case Study Chapter Introduction 1 Background Based on the definition of political Islam, the term “Muslim Brotherhood” is an expression that describes the political movements in which individuals within the society believe strongly in Islam, not only as a religion, but also as a holistic political system that will dictate the proper governance of a state using the Islamic values and guidance (El-Sherif, 2014, p. 9). Today, the Muslim Brotherhood attempts to build connections between the state and the social environment that is underpinned by the fundamental philosophies and dogma of the Islamic religion (El-Sherif, 2014, pp. 1–2). Often times, the Muslim Brotherhood believes that religion can serve as the central focus for guiding social and political connections (Milton-Edwards and Hinchcliffe, 2001). Islam has prevailed much longer than any other religious institution in the world (Fuller, 2003). In the Middle East, there has been a recent push for the establishment of Muslim Brotherhood, known as the “Islamic resurgence” (Knudsen, 2003). Over the years, the Islamic resurgence became popular as the followers of the Islamic religion were prohibited to observe the practice of Westernization, capitalism, and secularization (Haddad, Voll, & Esposito, 1991, p. 39). To strengthen their principles and beliefs, they have decided to establish the Muslim Brotherhood (El-Sherif, 2014). Islamists consider the need for re-interpretation of the Quran and has successfully applied their beliefs into the modern world as it pertains to political state governance. The Islamists often rebuff modernism due to its tendency to move toward secularism where there is powerful belief in reason and science with much less emphasis on serving the values of the divine (Utvik, 1993). The ideological foundation for rejecting the practice of Westernism, materialism, and capitalism can be witnessed with the inception of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt1. What influenced the development of Muslim Brotherhood throughout the world is a shared set of religious values in which the basic social sentiment is that Islam should be the guiding force for a society as well as in governing the social lifestyle of people (El-Sherif, 2014). In the Middle East, Islam is the most dominant religion with substantial devotion and following by society members practicing its ideology (Knudsen, 2003). Islamists believe that the Quran’s guiding principles could satisfy the divine, thus serving as the most relevant political model for a society in order to ensure that devoted precepts of the Quran are the fundamental goals of society (El-Sherif, 2014; Knudsen, 2003). To not establish Islamist values in society and politics is considered unfavorable secularism and unfaithfulness to Islam. In fact, their inability to achieve this communion is quite unfavorable for the devoted Islamist. Hence, it adds pressure to establish the Muslim Brotherhood throughout the world. The development of this ideology is a modern belief or idea that the practice of conservative Islamic values and liberalism can successfully be reconciled in a single political governance system which can be used to guide the society and allow the state to function well in a globalized world (El-Sherif, 2014). 1.2 Purpose of the Study In relation to the political and social evolutions in Egypt, this study aims to determine whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could maintain long-term support from the local citizens. 1.3 Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to examine the current political environment of Egypt as a way to assess and determine whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood could maintain the support of the local people and its political leaders. The following sub-research objectives will also be considered in this study: 1. To determine the extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood was able to significantly affect the current political, social and economic situation in Egypt; and 2. To determine the extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could spread their social beliefs and political ideology worldwide. 1.4 Research Questions The proposed research study will address the following research questions: 1. Why is there a need to determine the extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood could affect the current political, social and economic situation in Egypt? 2. Why is there a need to determine the extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could spread their social beliefs and political ideology worldwide? 1.5 Rationale for Selecting the Research Topic The main reason for selecting this topic is due to the fact that there is an ongoing disparity of sentiment concerning the future of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Basically, the mindset of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is totally different from the principles and beliefs of most political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists worldwide. In fact, a lot of people today are confused as to whether or not the traditional Islam or a more progressive interpretation of the religion such as in the case of the Muslim Brotherhood would guide the future of Egypt. To learn more about the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, it is essential to go through the proposed research study. In the process of conducting a qualitative research analysis, it is possible to determine whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt would create a significant socio-economic, psychological, and political impact to the society. Basically, the proposed research method will also be equally useful in allowing us to determine whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will be able to successfully develop a constitution based on the Islamic values (i.e. either congruent with, or against the Western ideals of democracy). 1.6 Significance of the Proposed Research Study The ideology of Islam in Egypt maintains indistinct narratives that cannot, in the long-term, serve as a relevant blueprint for guiding the political environment in this country (Roy, 2013). This sentiment is based on the notion that the Egyptian culture has changed a lot over the years because of the influence of the Western political governance model. This further explains the reason behind certain changes in the values of most Islamists. Considering the idea that people in Egypt would become less committed in their religious beliefs and very much influenced by having a more capitalistic ideology in life, it was predicted in 1990s that strict Islamic norms and values would be recast in a transition towards the Muslim democracy (Schielke, 2015). The modern conception of Muslim Brotherhood is that democratic ideology should play a central role in promoting human rights, freedom, cooperation, and tolerance (Fuller, 2003). However, democracy and freedom are not necessarily the goals of oppressive regimes throughout the Middle East. In fact, these regimes tend to utilize Islam as a means of simply justifying their oppressive ruling tactics (Fuller, 2003). Hence, there appears to be evidence that modern conceptions of Muslim Brotherhood may not have an optimistic chance of guiding Middle Eastern political strategies. Today, Egypt is transitioning toward a market-based capitalistic economy which does not necessarily reflect the fundamental Islamist values (Schielke, 2015). There is a clear conflict between the Egyptian’s practice of capitalism and Islamic beliefs. In the process of comparing their capitalistic values with the Egyptian culture and Islamist values, it is possible to help us understand whether or not capitalism and consumerism transcends Islam. It will also help us understand whether or not Islam remains the main priority of Egyptian Muslims. Ayoob (2005) asserts that there are inherent, built-in contradictions embedded in Islam. Perhaps, there can be tolerance for capitalism. Assuming that the Islam would recognize contradictions in their beliefs and practices, it will never be fully rectified despite the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. With this in mind, the proposed research study will help us explore more issues regarding such disparity and to the extent in which the Egyptian society would tolerate such inconsistency. To determine whether or not a resolution can be achieved to satisfy both ideologies without sacrificing the traditional Islamic values, this study will also help us explore the distinction and its ability to reconcile liberalism with traditionalism using the ideologists of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the process of examining the current state of Egyptian government, the research findings that will be presented in this study can provide us with more information as to whether or not Islamic values and dogma would eventually govern Egypt. 1.7 Description of the Proposed Research Method With the notion that social, cultural and attitudinal factors are complicating the progress of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, this study considers the use of a qualitative approach to research. Due to the fact that attitudes are abstract and multi-faceted, Ramsden (1998) explained that attitudes cannot be measured using statistical instruments. Therefore, it is best to perform content analysis as the most relevant qualitative approach to the proposed research. Content analysis involves the researcher seeking analysis of specific phrases or words in various written texts to examine how messages are framed. This approach is a common tool in social sciences that assists a researcher in recognizing specific tones and significances of communications. A good example is to ask questions about the extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood was able to significantly affect the current political, social and economic situation in Egypt. To understand fully the potential future of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, it is necessary to examine the social, cultural, and political influences that build higher support either for Muslim Brotherhood or for rejection of it as a viable model for Egyptian governance. Basically, none of these factors can be measured using the quantitative approach such as surveys. In relation to either embraces or refutes Muslim Brotherhood as a relevant governance system within this state, attitude and beliefs will always be considered as complex aspects of human behavior. Often times, it requires a subjective evaluation of the socio-political and socio-psychological aspects of Egyptian society. To address the issue, the researcher will procure a large volume of research journals, opinion reports, books and news articles related to the current state of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Doing so will enable the researcher to examine whether general sentiment about the ideology’s future is perceived as bleak or viable. Abstract process requires significant inference. Though the use of an abstract process; the research findings that will be presented in this study will be supplemented by the results of other empirical studies that have used quantitative methods. In doing so, it is possible to determine the social sentiments (in other Mid Eastern nations) with regards to the presence of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The reason why the researcher will not conduct in-depth interviews or distribute questionnaires is because of inadequate resources required to recruit a sample of real-world Egyptian civilians. Using secondary data, it is possible to analyze and identify related literature that could help solidify our understanding behind what dominates the attitude of most Egyptian within the civil society. Despite the aforementioned limitation, the content analysis and the process of pouring over various contemporary written texts is viable for understanding the multi-faceted aspects of what underpins acceptance or rejection of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. This approach will allow the researcher to identify common themes (and framing) of how the phenomenon is communicated in various media texts to make an educated conclusion as to whether Muslim Brotherhood can effectively be established or whether it should be predicted as a non-viable political ideology in the said country. With relevance to the case of Egypt (or other Mid-Eastern nation) politicians, the said research method will be supplemented by published interviews as a way to examine the truth behind the existing publications in news media or those that were highlighted in other similar published interviews. The survey results from Egyptian polls and surveys that indicate sentiment about Muslim Brotherhood in this nation; or those that were previously identified in various news media sources. Such opinion is intended to include the media reports of interviews with relevant Islamist leaders and current Egyptian government representatives to give a broader spectrum of the general sentiment of Muslim Brotherhood in this country including the country’s potential capacity to implement the ideology and reconciling with modern realities of the Egyptian society. For instance, the results of existing survey study that was conducted by The Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research will also be discussed and analyzed in order to determine the level of sentiment that the real-world had with regards to the situation of the Egyptian citizens. 1.8 Proposed Research Outline The proposed research project will be organized as followed: Chapter 1 – Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Purpose of the Study 1.3 Research Objectives 1.4 Research Questions 1.5 Rationale for Selecting the Research Topic 1.6 Significance of the Proposed Research Study 1.7 Description of the Proposed Research Method 1.8 Proposed Research Outline Chapter 2 – Literature Review 2.1 About the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt 2.2 Extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood was able to Significantly Affect the Current Political, Social and Economic Situation in Egypt 2.2.1 Political Situation in Egypt 2.2.2 Social Situation in Egypt 2.2.3 Economic Situation in Egypt 2.3 Extent in which the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could Spread their Social Beliefs and Political Ideology Worldwide 2.4 Summary Chapter 3 – Research Findings and Discussion Chapter 4 – Conclusion and Recommendations References Ayoob, M. (2005). The Future of Muslim Brotherhood: The Importance of External Variables. International Affairs, 81(5), pp.951-961. El-Sherif, A. (2014). The Muslim Brotherhood and the Future of Political Islam in Egypt. Part 2 of a series on political Islam in Egypt. Retrieved July 9, 20115, from http://carnegieendowment.org/files/mb_future_egypt.pdf Fuller, G.E. (2003). The Future of Muslim Brotherhood. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. Haddad, Y., Voll, J., & Esposito, J. (1991). The Contemporary Islamic Revival: A Critical Survey and Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Knudsen, A. (2003). Political Islam in the Middle East. CMI Report. Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://www.cmi.no/publications/file/1548-political-islam-in-the-middle-east.pdf Milton-Edwards, B., & Hinchcliffe, P. (2001). Conflicts in the Middle East since 1945. New York: Routledge. Ramsden, J.M. (1998). Mission Impossible: Can anything be done about Attitudes to Science? International Journal of Science Education, 20(2), pp.125-137. Roy, O. (2013). There will be no Islamist Revolution. Journal of Democracy, 24(1), pp.14-19. Roy, O. (2003). Globalized Islam: Fundamentalism, De-Territorialization and the Search for The new Unmah. London: Hurst. Schielke, S. (2015). Egypt in the Future Tense: Hope, Frustration and Ambivalence before and after 2011. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Utvik, B.O. (1993). Islamism: Digesting Modernity the Islamic Way. Forum for Development Studies, 2, pp.197-210. Read More