Issues relating to political Islam still present challenges to European foreign policies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While Europe tried to adapt to these challenges during the last decade, political Islam itself grew more complex, and a variety of other trends emerged. Some Islamist movements have strengthened their commitment to democratic norms and engaged in mainstream national politics, while others remain wedded to violent means. And still others have disengaged from political activity.
Political Islam in the MENA region presents no uniform trend to European policymakers. Analysts debate the concept of radicalization, the factors driving “deradicalization” and, conversely, “reradicalization.” This volume explores these trends and how they affect European policies and interests in the region.
Contributors include Omayma Abdel-Latif (Carnegie Middle East Center), Muriel Asseburg (German Institute for International and Security Affairs), Senem Aydin-Duzgit (CEPS and Bilgi University, Istanbul), Ana Echagüe (FRIDE), Khaled Al Hashimi (Technical University Berlin), Ibrahim El Houdaiby (Ikhwanweb), Kristina Kausch (FRIDE), Robert Springborg (Department of National Security Affairs, Naval Post Graduate School), and Natalie Tocci (Istituto Affari Internazionali and CEPS).