Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Glenn Perry

Second Advisor

Michael R. Chambers

Abstract

This paper analyzes the role played by moderate Islamic groups in modem Egypt and tries to make a distinction between moderate, middle-of-the road groups and radical, extremist ones. There are several questions regarding the topic analyzed in this thesis. Is Islam inherently incompatible with the Western democratic values? Is there a difference between moderate and radical Islamic movements? Is the Muslim Brotherhood promoting an Islamic democracy and would that stabilize and improve the tormented Egyptian society? Based of library research of primary and secondary sources, this thesis argues that moderate Islamic groups, like the Muslim Brotherhood, represent the best hope for the spread of democracy in Egypt because they reflect the political culture of the society and their ideologies are more against the Western type of democracy than against democracy itself. Democracy itself is a disputed concept in the West, so we should pay attention to the attempts of the Muslim world to develop a conception of democracy reflecting the political, social and cultural realities of that area. The current Mubarak regime has been criticized on numerous occasions for its poor record on human rights and democracy, and the Islamic moderate alternative is still waiting for its chance to prove it can push the country towards a more democratic political system.

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