European University Institute Library

Faith in moderation, Islamist parties in Jordan and Yemen, Jillian Schwedler

eng

index present

non fiction

Faith in moderation

electronic resource

dictionaries

873806216

Jillian Schwedler

Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Islamist parties in Jordan and Yemen

Does political inclusion produce ideological moderation? Schwedler argues that examining political behaviour alone provides insufficient evidence of moderation because it leaves open the possibility that political actors might act as if they are moderate while harbouring radical agendas. Through a comparative study of the Islamic Action Front party in Jordan and the Islah party in Yemen, she argues that the IAF in Jordan has become more moderate through participation in pluralist political processes, while the Islah party has not. The variation is explained in part by internal group organization and decision-making processes, but particularly by the ways in which the IAF has been able to justify its new pluralist practices on Islamic terms while the Islah party has not. Based on nearly four years of field research in Jordan and Yemen, Schwedler contributes both an important theory of ideological moderation and detail about these powerful Islamist political parties.--, Provided by publisher

Moderation and the dynamics of political change -- Political liberalization as a mechanism of control -- Public political space -- Cultural dimensions of political contestation -- Justification and moderation -- Does inclusion lead to moderation?