Emad Shahin
Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
May 2007
Political Islam in Egypt
Working Paper
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
The landscape of political Islam in Egypt has changed dramatically over the past decade and a half. Since the mid-1990s, the country's mainstream Islamic movement, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB, or Muslim Brothers), has undergone a significant transformation; an Islamist centrist party, Hizb al-Wasat, has emerged and for the past ten years has been struggling to acquire official recognition; and the country's radical movements, especially the Jama`a Islamiya, have reassessed some of their tactics.
February, 2006
"Egypt: The Year of the Elections and Elusive Political Reforms"
Journal Article
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
The year 2005 was a momentous, yet turbulent one for Egypt. The country witnessed two major elections, presidential
and parliamentary, a vibrant movement towards political reform,
and a remarkable political mobility. All this came against a background of internal domestic pressures on the regime to expand the scope of pluralism,and amidst concerns that President Mubarak would run for office for a fifth term, thus ruling Egypt for 29 years.The increased interest of external actors, particularly the US and the EU, in
political reforms has also prompted the regime to introduce a series of
measures that allowed the country, for the first time since it became a republic, to have a multi-candidate presidential elections and a relativelymore contested legislative elections.
July, 2005
"Egypt's Moments of Reform: A Reality or an Illusion?"
Policy Brief
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
The movement for democratic reform in Egypt seems to be gathering strength. Some of the factors that would make a good case fordemocratic transformation are rapidly converging: the formation of a wide spectrum of discontented segments in society; the mushrooming of pro-reform grass-roots movements that agree on a clear list of short-term demands; and a sympathetic pro-reform international context. With presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in September and November respectively, will Egypt finally experience its democratic spring?
February 2005
"Political Islam: Ready for Engagement?"
Working Paper
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
This paper explores the possibilities and implications of a European engagement with moderate Islamists on democracy promotion in the region. It argues that the EU approach to political reform in the Middle East region needs to be enhanced and linked to realities on the ground. Political reform cannot be effective without the integration of non-violent Islamic groups in a gradual, multifaceted process.
February, 2006
"Egypt: The Year of the Elections and Elusive Political Reforms"
Journal Article
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
The year 2005 was a momentous, yet turbulent one for Egypt. The country witnessed two major elections, presidential
and parliamentary, a vibrant movement towards political reform,
and a remarkable political mobility. All this came against a background of internal domestic pressures on the regime to expand the scope of pluralism,and amidst concerns that President Mubarak would run for office for a fifth term, thus ruling Egypt for 29 years.The increased interest of external actors, particularly the US and the EU, in
political reforms has also prompted the regime to introduce a series of
measures that allowed the country, for the first time since it became a republic, to have a multi-candidate presidential elections and a relativelymore contested legislative elections.
July, 2005
"Egypt's Moments of Reform: A Reality or an Illusion?"
Policy Brief
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
The movement for democratic reform in Egypt seems to be gathering strength. Some of the factors that would make a good case fordemocratic transformation are rapidly converging: the formation of a wide spectrum of discontented segments in society; the mushrooming of pro-reform grass-roots movements that agree on a clear list of short-term demands; and a sympathetic pro-reform international context. With presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in September and November respectively, will Egypt finally experience its democratic spring?
February 2005
"Political Islam: Ready for Engagement?"
Working Paper
By Emad Shahin, Former Faculty Affiliate, The Dubai Initiative
This paper explores the possibilities and implications of a European engagement with moderate Islamists on democracy promotion in the region. It argues that the EU approach to political reform in the Middle East region needs to be enhanced and linked to realities on the ground. Political reform cannot be effective without the integration of non-violent Islamic groups in a gradual, multifaceted process.
