Is Jordan’s Islamist phoenix rising again?
The following article first appeared on the Brookings Blog in which Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards looks at the recent parliamentary elections in Jordan which heralded the return of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Jordan’s parliamentary elections on 20th September heralded the return of the Muslim Brotherhood, having survived a major attempt by the Jordanian regime to dismantle and destroy it. After such weakening and a decade-long electoral boycott, the group’s political party – the Islamic Action Front (IAF) – did well to contest seats throughout the country, but this time only as part of a wider coalition. The coalition claimed an estimated 16 of 130 seats in parliament.
This success at the ballot box is tempered by ongoing issues that belie the progress of moderate Islamism in Jordan more generally. This indicates that the king and his advisors are still committed to ensuring that any role for political Islam in the country remains highly constricted.
The featured image in this article has been used thanks to a Creative Commons licence.
1 Comment
Not sure ‘Phoenix’ is the right term to use. the phrase phoenix rising is normally reserved for something positive . ‘monster’ might be more appropriate. just a thought…