scholarly journals MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN EUROPE: BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS.

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
Alexander Shumilin ◽  

The article examines the reasons that prompted the governments and expert circles of many EU countries to pay increased attention in the past two years to the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood (BM) religious and political association within the EU. According to the author, this is due not only to the terrorist attacks of Islamists in France and Austria in 2020, but also to the manifestations of the growing influence of this category of Muslim organizations and groups on the social and political life of the countries of the Old World. The article focuses on the analysis of the means, methods and mechanisms characteristic of the groupings associated with the structures of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, on their differences from similar organizations in the Middle East. The author turns to the history of the emergence and growth of the influence of the «brothers» in Europe in order to more thoroughly examine the phenomenon of today: while the authority and influence of the BM are noticeably falling in the Arab countries, in the Old World the situation is different for the «brothers» – in many cases they manage to hide their Islamist essence under the cover of left, «progressive» rhetoric, which allows them to fit into the current political and ideological discourse in the host countries. However, with the aggravation of intercivilizational relations in Europe, BM groups are increasingly forced to leave their traditional «hiding places», publicly claiming the status of «defenders of discredited Muslims», but in fact trying to legalize their radical views and positions. The resulting scale of their presence and influence in European societies noticeably frightens the establishment and the population of these countries. The author comes to the conclusion that at the current stage, an aggravation of the confrontation between the political elites in the EU countries and the BM structures is inevitable

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Scott

AbstractThis article questions the assumption that — prior to July 2013 when the Egyptian military removed former President Mursi from power — the Muslim Brotherhood was in the process of implementing an Islamic state that would have involved a reversal of secularization and an upheaval to the status quo in terms of fundamental shifts in institutions and legal categories. Rather, the article argues that the Muslim Brotherhood evolved to embrace secularism of a certain sort-a statism in which it is the state that determines the boundaries of religion and politics. It illustrates this by looking at the role the Muslim Brotherhood envisaged for the Supreme Constitutional Court — and how this relates to the religious scholars of al-Azhar — in the formulation of legislation and in the assessment of whether legislation conforms to Article 2 of the constitution, both the 1971 one and the 2012 one, which was suspended in July 2013. In addition, the article will show how the Muslim Brotherhood has defined the public order with a particular focus on the idea of the Islamic “framework,” the rights of non-Muslim minorities, and personal status law.


2017 ◽  
pp. 100-104
Author(s):  
Iryna Skorokhod ◽  
Lyudmyla Hrynchuk

Introduction. The article deals the impact of European integration on the development of ecological business in Ukraine. The Association of Ukraine and the EU implies adaptation and reforms not only in economy, but also in others areas, including ecology. The factors of influence and their consequences on the development of environmental business in the state are investigated. The main obstacles for using the experience of the EU countries are highlighted. Prospects of further using of "green enterprise" methods in Ukraine are considered. Purpose. The aim of the article is to reveal the essence, forms, stages of formation and innovative forms of the ecological business; to analyze the experience of ecological business and its regulation in the EU countries; to characterize the status and the impact of European integration on ecological business in Ukraine. Method (methodology). Methods of analogy and comparison are used in the study of problematic aspects of Ukraine and the EU in the field of ecology. Statistical methods are used for analyzing the dynamics of indicators of the development of ecological business in the state. Systematic approach is used for explaining strategic guidelines and identifying further promising ways for the development of ecological business in Ukraine. Results. The main aspects of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU have been analyzed. The main directions of further development of common cooperation have been singled out. The proposals of improving the position of Ukrainian eco-goods and services on the European market have been substantiated.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Azmil bin Zainal Abidin

Sa`id Hawwa was a prominent figure of the post-Ottoman Islamic revival. As well as being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria, he was also grounded in Sufi tradition and education. He exerted an effort to re-organize the orientation of understanding about the tradition of Islamic knowledge in order to answer the challenge of the Western thoughts. His work is impregnated with new ideas related to the forms of interactions towards the Islamic disciplines which come in equilibrium; this includes the knowledge of tasawwuf. The objective of this study is to identify the Sufi framework which underlies Sa'id Hawwa’s works. The study also examines his perspective in revitalizing Sufi discourse in relation to current reality. Another objective of the study is to analyse his recommendations in endorsing the current understanding and practice of Sufism. This research was based on literature review through the documentation method in collecting data related to the research questions as well as data analysis method; thaht was the process of identifying the form of data collected for interpretation. The study finds that Sa'id Hawwa’s works are centered on purifying the conceptions of the Muslim community in their interaction with the world and Sufism. He stressed on the link between tasawwuf with other Islamic branches of knowledge. In the theoretical context, he reaffirmed that Sufism, as a stage of experiential faith (dhawqi), is a consequence of the monotheistic creed of Islam, which is a stage of intellectual faith (aqli). In the practical context, he emphasized the importance of orientating Sufism so as not to neglect the demands of the current obligations (wajib al-waqt) based on the current Islamic scenarios. The study concludes that Sa'id Hawwa made several contributions to the field of Sufism:  they are the integration of Sufi discourse with perspectives from other forms of Islamic knowledge;  and the revitalization of Sufi discourse by acknowledging current reality; and the criticism of those apsects of Sufism that are deemed to have deviated from the authentic Sufi path. He also linked aspects of the practice of Sufism with spiritual preparation for the restoration of the caliphate system. In other words, Sa’id Hawwa’s perspective is centered on the re-interpretation of Sufism, as a medium to elevate the status of the Islamic Sharia comprehensively.   Keywords: Sa`id Hawwa; contemporary tasawwuf perspective; Sufism tradition.     Sa`id Hawwa adalah tokoh idea kebangkitan Islam pasca-Uthmaniyyah. Selain menceburi gerakan al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin Syria, keperibadian beliau berlatarkan tradisi dan pendidikan kesufian. Dalam konteks keilmuan, beliau berusaha menyusun semula kerangka tradisi ilmu agar siap menghadapi bentuk cabaran dan serangan pemikiran Barat. Karya beliau sarat dengan idea pembaharuan berhubung bentuk interaksi terhadap disiplin ilmu Islam secara sepadu dan seimbang, termasuk ilmu tasawuf. Kajian ini bertujuan mengenal pasti sudut pandang yang melatari karya tasawuf Sa`id Hawwa. Penulisan ini turut mengkaji perspektif beliau dalam menyegarkan wacana tasawuf menurut realiti semasa. Termasuk dalam objektif kajian adalah menganalisis saranan beliau dalam memperbaiki aspek kefahaman dan pengamalan tasawuf semasa. Penulisan ini diasaskan kepada kajian kepustakaan menerusi metode dokumentasi dalam mengumpulkan data penting berkaitan persoalan yang dikaji dan metode analisis data iaitu proses mengesan bentuk data yang telah dikumpul untuk melakukan interpretasi. Kajian mendapati, karya Sa`id Hawwa adalah berpaksikan pemurnian semula konsepsi umat Islam dalam berinteraksi dengan tasawuf. Beliau menekankan pertautan di antara ilmu tasawuf dengan panduan ilmu-ilmu Islam lainnya. Dalam konteks teoretikal, beliau menegaskan kedudukan ilmu tasawuf yang berupa iman di peringkat rasaan (dhawqi) sebagai susulan ilmu akidah tauhid yang berupa iman di peringkat akliah (aqli). Dalam konteks praktikal, beliau menekankan kepentingan orientasi penghayatan tasawuf yang tidak mencuaikan tuntutan kewajipan semasa (wajib al-waqt) menurut senario umat Islam. Kajian merumuskan sumbangan utama Sa`id Hawwa di bidang tasawuf iaitu mengintegrasikan tasawuf dengan perspektif ilmu-ilmu Islam lain, mengaitkan wacana tasawuf dengan realiti semasa dan mengkritik gejala penyimpangan dari landasan tasawuf yang sahih. Beliau turut mengaitkan aspek pengamalan tasawuf sebagai persiapan rohani dalam mengembalikan semula sistem khilafah. Dalam erti kata lain, perspektif Sa`id Hawwa berpaksikan kepada pemaknaan semula tasawuf sebagai wahana memartabatkan syariat Islam secara komprehensif.   Kata kunci: Sa`id Hawwa; perspektif tasawuf kontemporari; tradisi kesufian.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
David Schwartz ◽  
Daniel Galily

This study aims to present the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, its ideology and pragmatism. With progress and modernization, the Islamic movements in the Middle East realized that they could not deny progress, so they decided to join the mainstream and take advantage of technological progress in their favor. The movement maintains at least one website in which it publishes its way, and guides the audience. Although these movements seem to maintain a rigid ideology, they adapt themselves to reality with the help of many tools, because they have realized that reality is stronger than they are. The main points in the article are: The status of religion in the country; What is the Muslim Brotherhood? According to which ideology is the movement taking place? - Movement background and ideology; Theoretical background – The theory of Pragmatism; How is pragmatism manifested in the activity of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt? In conclusions: The rise of the Islamist movements as a leading social and political force in the Middle East is the result of the bankruptcy of nationalism, secularism and the left in the Arab world, which created an ideological vacuum, which is filled to a large extent by the fundamentalists, ensuring that Islam is the solution. It is not only about the extent of the return to religion, but about the transformation of religion into a major political factor both by the regimes and by the opposition. These are political movements that deal first and foremost with the social and political mobilization of the masses, and they exert pressure to apply the Islamic law as the law of the state instead of the legal systems taken from the Western model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Dawood Sofi

The Muslim Brotherhood is considered to be the most significant and effective Islamic revivalist organization; or, in the words of Milton-Edwards, “a complex, far-reaching, and dynamic expression of contemporary Islamism” (188). Started as a movement to resist or oppose the Westernization of Muslim society, particularly Egyptian society, it spread quite rapidly within and beyond Egypt, inspiring a huge number of Muslims in various parts of the Muslim world and achieving, thus, the status of a global movement.


The targeting of the Muslim Brotherhood by Arab countries boycotting Qatar belies the movement’s parliamentary role


Author(s):  
Salah M. Sharief ◽  

As of the last decade of the 20th century, the Middle East and Africa have been the birthplace of extremist organizations espousing a radical ideology, which encourages violence against the dissenters and branding them apostates. Organizations like Al-Qā’ida and Dā’ish/ISIL performed numerous terrorist acts around the world, but especially in the Middle East. Other Salafi organizations like Boko Haram also gained recognition in international media disproportionate to their actual size. This discourse was behind the coinage of the term ‘Islamic Terrorism’, which casts a shadow of suspicion on any member of the Muslim community worldwide and served as an impetus for the writing of this paper as a means of shedding light on other Muslim organizations, which arguably are much larger in scope and influence. At the same time, these organizations are peaceful in nature and characterized by an incomparable level of tolerance. In my quest for sources of both narratives, I traced the history of the advent and dissemination of Islam in Africa – such a diverse geographic, cultural, ethnic and religious setting. I discovered that whereas the advent of Islam in the northern part of the region (North Africa) unfolded relatively quickly through invasion, it entered the Sudanese Belt (an area from the red sea shore of modern-day Sudan in the East to today’s Mauritania by the Atlantic Ocean in the West) more gradually via trade relations and the influence of Sufi sheikhs. They lived with the people indigenous to the area and seamlessly weaved themselves into the fabric of the societies they came to counsel. This paper argues that the areas where Sufi Islam is present have been largely shielded from extremist ideologies, and the reverse is true for North Africa, where Islam arrived in a relatively short period of invasion. The argument is presented by looking at the example of modernday Sudan, which leads me to examine the phenomenon of Sufi orders entering political life through direct involvement by establishing political parties, which propelled them into direct confrontation with representatives of a different branch of the Islamic movement in politics, namely, the Islamists. Arguably, the strongest Islamist party in the Middle East and Africa of today is the Muslim Brotherhood. I look at the diverging values of the two. Where the Muslim Brotherhood is arguably seeking absolute political power through a rigid organizational structure, the Sufi orders have been integrating into the political life of the country of residence. I argue that this example constitutes an opportunity to renegotiate the social contract between different factions of the society and lay the foundation for a different Islamic narrative. One based on pluralism, tolerance and understanding, which has the potential to gradually transform the sociopolitical environment of the entire Sudanese Belt in this direction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-81
Author(s):  
Y. V. Borovsky ◽  
O. V. Shishkina

The article uses the constructivist securitization concept to analyze the European Economic Community (EEC), and the European Union (EU) approaches to ensuring energy security. It seeks to establish whether the energy supply has been securitized within the European integration process and if so when it happened. The literature review does not give a definitive and comprehensive answer to this question which is essential for all the history of the EEC and the EU. The authors of this study use an extensive documentary database available on the EU websites. They established that for the EEC/EU the energy policy securitization is a long-lasting ongoing process that came into being in 1973. Within the European integration, the securitization is justified by the dependency of the member states on the imported energy resources, which is regarded through the prism of securing reliable, affordable, and (since 2000s) environmentally sustainable supply. The authors identified two waves of energy supply securitization in the EEC/EU. The first wave was triggered by the oil embargo of the OPEC Arab countries and, generally, the world oil crisis of 1973-1974. The second wave of the 2000s and 2010s was triggered by the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflicts of 2006 and 2009 and the sharp deterioration of Russian-Ukrainian relations in 2014. For both waves, the Commission was the main ‘securitizing actor’. However, during the second wave, the European Parliament, some EU countries, and even the United States made their own ‘securitizing moves’. The ‘audience’ (EEC/EU countries) expressed its opinion towards the ‘securitizing moves’ through the European Council and the Council decisions. The research conclusions can be useful for a profound scientific explanation of the EU energy policy as well as for the operationalization of the securitization concept.


2020 ◽  

BACKGROUND: Harmful alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the health and social lives of individuals. Alcohol consumption is risky for the development of non-communicable diseases, can lead to the development of serious illnesses, and, unfortunately, can lead to death, injuries, or accidents. Societies and especially individuals should be more involved in the reduction of harmful alcohol consumption. AIM: The paper deals with the analysis of the status of, and trends in, the consumption of pure alcohol per capita in the EU countries between 1980 and 2015. Correlation analysis was conducted to detect the association between the per capita consumption of alcohol and some selected socio-economic indicators. METHODS: Statistical characteristics, such as average, median, range, standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation were used to describe the level of the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the EU. Boxplot figures detected the extremely high/low levels of the indicators that were analysed. Index numbers were used to calculate the relative change in alcohol consumption. The existence of a linear relationship was discovered through correlation analysis. Useful figures helped to present the status or change in the per capita consumption of alcohol and the relationship between alcohol consumption and selected indicators. RESULTS: The trend of the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the EU was positive. The average per capita consumption of alcohol declined from 12.9 litres in 1980 to 10.4 litres in 2015. Not only did the average or median consumption decline, but also the variability of alcohol consumption per capita declined till 2010. The greatest reduction was found for the Mediterranean countries: Italy (-57.3%), Spain (53.3%), Greece (-49.7%), and France (37.4%). On the other hand, in some “new” EU countries an increase in the per capita consumption of alcohol occurred, the highest being in Estonia. On the EU level, no statistically significant correlation was discovered between the per capita consumption of alcohol and gross domestic product per capita or between alcohol consumption and countries’ unemployment rates.


Significance The recent focus of their rivalry has been on their competing maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean and their support for opposing sides in the Libyan civil war. Underlying these contests are Erdogan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and his need to shore up domestic support through foreign victories. Impacts The perceived threat from Turkey has spurred Egypt to strengthen its relations with other Arab countries. A Mediterranean anti-Turkey front, including Egypt, France, Cyprus, Greece and Israel, will gain momentum. The rivalry pitting Egypt and its Gulf allies against Turkey and its ally Qatar is set to persist.


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