Why Europe must engage with political Islam
By: by Amr Elshobaki and Gema Martin Muñoz ; with an introduction by Bassma Kodmani
Contributors: Martín Muñoz, Gema; Kodmani-Darwish, Bassma; Institute for Security Studies (Paris, France); IEMed
Series: 10 papers for Barcelona 2010 -- 5
Publisher: European Union Institute for Security Studies; European Institute of the Mediterranean
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Paris; Barcelona
Language: eng
Number of pages: 35
ISBN-13: 9788439381174; 9789291981502
Subjects: Foreign relations; Islam and politics; Democracy
Description: This is the fifth in a series of ten papers published jointly by the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) which aim to address ten critical topics for Euro-Mediterranean relations. The papers have been commissioned with a view to formulating policy options on a set of issues which are central to achieving the objectives set out in the 1995 Barcelona Declaration and the Paris Declaration of 2008, as well as defining new targets for 2020 in the political, economic and social spheres. This fifth paper focuses on the way Europe approaches the issue of Islamic political movements in the Middle East and North Africa. The key message that emerges from the report is that it is time for Europe to engage with political Islam in this region. Both authors of the main chapters in this report-- one from the Arab world and the other from Europe-- eloquently make the argument that there is no prospect of a credible democratic transformation of the Arab world without the full integration of Islamist movements into the political mainstream.
Notes: "February 2010."

Includes bibliographical references.

Also available online in PDF format from European Institute of the Mediterranean web site. Adobe Acrobat Reader required.

Text in English and French.
Table of contents: title: Introduction / Bassma Kodmani. Democracy will provide the answers; title: Political Islam is less dangerous than apolitical Islam; title: The key challenge of managing diversity within Arab societies; title: Waning already? Not quite; title: Modérés et radicaux dans le monde arabe : quelle place pour les islamistes? / Amr Elshobaki. Introduction; title: Les mouvements islamistes pacifiques et les défis de l'intégration; title: La problématique islamiste; title: Radicalisme et modération dans le monde arabe : une dichotomie incomplète; title: Que faire avec les islamistes?; title: Conclusion; title: Democracy and the Arab world : the 'Islamist dilemma' / Gema Martin Muñoz. Causes of authoritarianism; title: Democratic reform and Islamist parties; title: Which comes first : economic development of democracy?; title: the attitude of Europe and the US to political reform in the Arab and Muslim world; title: What changes should be recommended?