All-Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues & Carnegie Europe
Fear of Engagement?
The Challenge of Talking to Islamist Parties in the Middle East
The majority of Islamist political parties have existed for several decades, but many have only recently begun to take a serious interest in electoral politics. Their success in this domain has brought them to the forefront of the Middle Eastern political scene, and is posing a series of significant dilemmas for the West in its attempts at engagement in the region.
Is it possible to support inclusive electoral processes while avoiding the empowerment of radical Islamic opposition How will the inclusion of Islamic movements in a secular political framework influence the evolution of the relationship between political participation and religious sentiment in the Arab world.
In an event jointly hosted by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues and Carnegie Europe, Nathan Brown and Amr Hamzawy will discuss the findings of their latest book, Between Religion and Politics, focusing on the evolving role of established regimes and Islamist political parties in the Middle East. They will be joined by Sara Silvestri, senior lecturer in International Politics at City University London.
The event will be moderated by Lord Judd.
Speakers
Nathan J Brown is a non-resident senior associate in Carnegie’s Middle East Program. He is also a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, and a distinguished scholar and author of several well-received books on Arab politics.
Amr Hamzawy is research director and senior associate at Carnegie’s Middle East Center in Beirut. He is a distinguished Egyptian political scientist and has a deep knowledge of Middle East politics and specific expertise on the reform process in the region.
Sara Silvestri is senior lecturer in International Politics at City University London. Her focus is on Islamism and religion in global politics, and the EU. She also heads the PhD programme and directs the Global Justice programme at the VHI a Cambridge institution.
