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By Michael Allen on September 17, 2009
Recent elections in Iran, Kuwait and Lebanon confirm that the threat of radical Islam is receding and the West should overcome its “pathological” fear of engaging political Islamists who have foresworn violence, Egyptian dissident Saad Eddin Ibrahim told a Washington meeting today. There is a latent support for democratic and liberal values across the Middle [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Elections, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, dissidents, promoting democracy | Tagged Democracy in the Muslim World, iran, Islam/politics, Islamist, muslim democracy |
By Michael Allen on April 7, 2009
This summer’s presidential election “will help determine whether Iran’s fractures-at home and abroad-can be repaired through moderation and compromise, or whether the regime will continue to sustain itself through coercion.” John Lee Anderson’s observation comes in an insightful essay in this week’s New Yorker.
The Obama administration’s overture to Iran’s Islamic Republic has prompted a debate [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Elections, Iran, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, foreign policy, promoting democracy | Tagged democracy promotion, Islam/politics, National Endowment for Democracy, populism, promoting democracy, regime change |
By Michael Allen on April 6, 2009
Democracy assistance remains “vital to the realization of US national security and global interests,” a new book contends. But the experience of radical Islamist groups suggests that it should be integrated with development assistance and address the socio-economic needs and grievances that have fostered political radicalization in the Middle East.
“Strengthening the formal education sector and [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, democracy promotion | Tagged Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, Islamist, promoting democracy, social welfare |
By Michael Allen on March 27, 2009
Indonesia, one of the most robust democracies in the Muslim world, goes to the polls next month. The country’s “underappreciated” democratic transition is proving to be a source of relative stability in a volatile region, with Jakarta emerging as a possibly pivotal force in determining the political trajectory of the region.
The archipelago illustrates how “Islam, [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Democracy assistance, Elections, Events, Islam/politics, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, Elections, Events, indonesia, Islam/politics, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 23, 2009
A remodeled reform strategy for the Middle East must find the right balance between democracy assistance and diplomatic considerations, writes Dima M. Toukan formerly a specialist with the Middle East Partnership Initiative. She contends that small grants programs better reflect local needs, build organizational capacity and empower indigenous activists “so that in time they can [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged Arab democrats, authoritarianism, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, Egypt, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 18, 2009
Pakistan narrowly avoided turning a political stand-off into a full-blown constitutional crisis this week (see the ever-useful POMED roundup), not least due to the critical role played by civil society, especially the independent lawyers’ movement.
But the settlement of the crisis does not address the underlying political volatility, economic impoverishment, and deepening social alienation that [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, NGOs/Civil society, promoting democracy | Tagged Asia, Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, NGOs/Civil society, pakistan, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 17, 2009
Indonesia’s elections commission has certified 10 local and two foreign survey groups – the European Union and the US-based National Democratic Institute – to undertake quick counts (aka Parallel Vote Tabulations) for the forthcoming legislative and presidential elections. The commission also certified 24 local and seven foreign observer organizations.
“Many Indonesians believe that their experience with [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Democracy assistance, Elections, Islam/politics, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged Asia, authoritarianism, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, Elections, Islam/politics, National Endowment for Democracy, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 16, 2009
A letter calling for the Obama administration to maintain a commitment to Arab democracy has sparked an energetic and informative debate on promoting democracy in the Arab world. The letter, signed by 140 analysts, practitioners, bloggers, and activists, is discussed on the Middle East Strategy at Harvard blog.
It is possible for the new Obama administration [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Egypt, Human rights, Iran, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, dissidents | Tagged authoritarianism, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, dissidents, Egypt, Human rights, iran, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa |
By Michael Allen on March 2, 2009
Iran’s presidential election campaign is due to start at the end of May, but the contest has already began, judging by the vitriolic nature of recent exchanges. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the official Islamic New Agency to publish a scathing attack on reformist candidate and former president Muhammad Khatami.
The article, notes Amir Taheri claims that [read full story]
Posted in Elections, Iran, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, dissidents, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, democracy promotion, dissidents, Elections, iran, Islam/politics, National Endowment for Democracy |
By Michael Allen on February 27, 2009
Democracy assistance is a critical factor in overcoming jihadist ideology but should be explicitly de-linked from counter-terrorism and national security policy, according to a new report out today. Substantial investment in counter-radicalization, “helping mainstream Muslims provide hopeful and practical alternatives” to jihadism should be a critical part of the Obama administration’s counterterrorism strategy, a task force [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, National Endowment for Democracy, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, National Endowment for Democracy |
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