Jordan Daily – Jordanian researchers and writers engaged in a book discussion session on Saturday, highlighting significant shifts in the intellectual premises of Islamic movements following the Arab Spring in Jordan.
Organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Jordan, the discussion centered around the book titled “Islamists in Jordan: Religion, State, and Society,” authored by eminent researchers Dr. Muhammad Abu Rumman, Hassan Abu Haniyeh, and Abdullah Al-Ta’ie.The book offers comprehensive analyses of the development paths of Islamic movements in the country.
Delving into the main Islamic movements and groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, traditional Salafists, jihadists, Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, and parties after political Islam, the book introduces new concepts and theoretical frameworks. It emphasizes the social and cultural roles and missions of Islamic movements, as well as the concept of political Islam.
The book explores various ideological and intellectual schools, discussing several prevalent theories and hypotheses in the field of Islamist studies. These include the approach to the relationship between semi-authoritarian politics and Islamic ideology, as well as the concepts of moderation, inclusion, exclusion, and extremism. It also reviews the methodologies used in social sciences.
A focal point of the book is the transformations and developments of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Action Front Party in the post-Arab Spring period. Notably, it tracks the defections that the Muslim Brotherhood experienced after 2011, such as the exit of influential leaders, the group’s legal ban, and the establishment of a new association named the Muslim Brotherhood, which undermined the parent group’s legal and political standing.
The book sheds light on the Salafi-jihadi movement, which posed significant internal security challenges since its inception in the mid-nineties. The impact of the Syrian war on the movement and the establishment of Jabhat al-Nusra in 2012, attracting numerous Jordanians sympathetic to the Syrian cause from various backgrounds, is also examined.
Additionally, the book addresses the political environment surrounding Islamic movements in Jordan, considering security dealings, containment, and employment, as well as influential geopolitical factors, including the Israeli factor, which affects Jordanian policies significantly due to the weight of the Palestinian cause.
Muhammad Abu Rumman, former Minister of Culture and an expert on Islamic movements, stressed during the discussion the lasting impact of the Arab Spring, which led to increased acceptance of previously excluded political positions. He observed that Islamic movements have leaned towards realism and establishment while moving away from ideological discourse.
Furthermore, Abu Rumman highlighted that Islamic movements faced greater challenges when participating in power compared to their presence in the opposition. He emphasized the need for a thorough review of the approach to political Islam and the term itself, noting that the authority’s relationship with Islamic movements relies on political and security considerations rather than mere legal or constitutional aspects.
Abdullah Al-Ta’ie , an Islamic groups researcher, highlighted the book’s significance as it conducts a comprehensive examination of the political Islam field ten years after the Arab Spring, which had a profound impact on Jordan. He emphasized the period’s atmosphere of mutual mistrust between the Islamic movement and the authorities.
Political Sociologist Muhammad al-Amin Assaf notes the current era is characterized by a prevailing desire to break away from collective structures, as organizations struggle to mirror the aspirations of the young generation, comprising a significant 60 percent of Jordanian society.
The discussion also explored the changing impact of social media, with many young people now adopting individualistic positions away from traditional political group frameworks.
The second session focused on Jordanian Islamic adaptation amid crises, with Hassan Abu Haniyeh, an expert on Islamic movements, discussing the criticism sometimes associated with the term “political Islam.” The discussion delved into the differences between the Western view of Islam as a rigid movement and the reality of Islamic movements and Muslims.
Ghaith Al-Qudah, a writer and researcher in Islamic studies, questioned whether certain Jordanian parties, such as the Partnership and Salvation or the (Zamzam) coalition, can be considered political Islam. He suggested that changes in discourse were primarily a result of external pressures rather than internal conflicts of ideas, emphasizing that the success of any political party must be rooted in societal support.
Banan Malkawi, a researcher in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, had reservations about using the term post-political Islam, emphasizing the need to perceive it as an evolution rather than a complete break with the past. Development, she asserted, requires rock-solid conviction and flexibility in implementation.
