By Michael Allen on November 2, 2009
Will Gamal Mubarak succeed his father as Egypt’s next president? Is the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s leading opposition force, about to split? Should liberal and democratic forces align themselves with the Brotherhood to oppose “hereditary democracy” even at the risk of absorbing elements of the Islamists’ unsavory politics?
These are some of the questions being raised [read full story]
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Islam/politics, authoritarianism, corruption, dissidents, protests | Tagged engaging Islamists, Gamal Mubarak, Islamists, National Democratic Party |
By Michael Allen on August 26, 2009
The Obama administration was “right to avoid emotionally satisfying but pointless… rhetorical interventions” in the Iranian events of June 2009, argues Middle East analyst Gregory Gause. “It should be equally poised in rejecting calls …. to make democracy promotion a major pillar of American policy” in the region, he contends.
Gause is dismissive of pundits and [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Iran, Islam/politics, Lebanon, Middle East and North Africa, Morocco, NGOs/Civil society, Tools/technology, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, foreign policy, promoting democracy, protests | Tagged Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, Islamists, political Islam, promoting democracy, radical Islam, regional authoritarians, virtual mosque |
By Michael Allen on June 4, 2009
In his much-anticipated speech in Cairo, President Barack Obama dismissed the equation of democracy promotion with the war in Iraq. He affirmed his commitment to “governments that reflect the will of the people” while accepting that “each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people.”
Yet [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Elections, Human rights, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged democracy promotion, Islamists, muslim brotherhood, obama, Project on Middle East Democracy, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on June 1, 2009
President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo this week is projected as a speech to the ‘Muslim world’ at a time when the U.S. is confronting Islamic insurgents in two countries, trying to revive the Middle East peace process and shore up relatively ‘moderate’ Arab states against a resurgent Iran and its allies.
Consequently, few commentators expect [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, foreign policy, promoting democracy | Tagged Arab democracy, Arab spring, authoritarian, democracy promotion, Democracy Review, Elliott Abrams, foreign policy 'realism, Hala Mustafa, Hisham Kassem, Islamists, Joshua Muravchik, Muslim World, Next Founders: Voices of Democracy in the Middle East, Obama's Cairo speech, Obama's speech in Cairo, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on May 14, 2009
The British government’s decision to consult with the ‘political wing’ of Hizbollah has raised concern that the criteria for engaging Islamists in the Middle East are being compromised.
While it still remains a contentious issue, democratic governments and non-governmental groups alike have largely accepted the legitimacy of political Islamists and been prepared to engage them on [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, promoting democracy | Tagged Arab democracy, Arab democrats, Hizbollah, Islamists, political Islam |
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